Seated Bogwangsa Temple Wooden Buddha

Most Buddhist statues made in the late Joseon period have a stooped posture, with a head disproportionately large for the body tilted slightly forward. The Seated Bogwangsa Temple Wooden Buddha, however, holds its neck relatively upright, giving it a dignified bearing compared with other statues of the period. The hem of the skirt is carved to resemble flower petals, and the drapery covering both knees is rendered in several rhythmic folds, marking a difference from earlier periods. The face as a whole bears a faint smile at the corners of the mouth, giving an air of refinement, but the features are drawn toward the centre, leaving the face somewhat unbalanced. The expressionless, square face and body, together with the thick drapery that conceals the volume of the body beneath, are typical features of Buddhist statues of the late Joseon period. The hair is rendered as sharply coiled nabal (snail-shell-like curls), and the ushnisha, the raised knot symbolising the Buddha's great and lofty wisdom and said to derive from the topknot Indians once wore, has an indistinct outline. The half-moon-shaped bead marking the topknot at the centre of the forehead is also disproportionately large. The right hand is lowered below the crossed knee in the bhumisparsha mudra, the earth-touching gesture signifying the subjugation of demons, though the forearm is too large, giving it an awkward appearance. The left hand, made separately and attached, has its middle and ring fingers touching. The drapery flowing down from both shoulders and folded once, together with the drapery curving like a bow to either side of the crossed knees, is rendered in a relatively soft and three-dimensional manner that conveys a sense of vitality. In particular, the leaf-shaped fold of drapery draped near the left shin is a feature inherited from Buddhist statues of the early Joseon period. The back is also carved with simplified drapery folds. Although the statue follows the style of the late Joseon period, traces of earlier styles remain in its dignified posture and three-dimensional drapery, suggesting that it was made around the seventeenth century.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Gwacheon, Gyeonggi

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산