Unseonam Hermitage Rock-carved Buddha Statue

(Standing rock-carved Buddha) About 100 m up the hill behind Unseonam Hermitage, at a spot overlooking a wide open field, stands a huge natural rock into which a Buddha image has been carved. It is presumed to date from the Goryeo period; the standing figure is 270 cm tall, with a body length of 230 cm, a head length of 51 cm, a pedestal height of 40 cm and a pedestal width of 113 cm. (Seated rock-carved Buddha) A rock-carved seated Buddha is located on the natural rock face to the left of Unseonam Hermitage. The large natural rock face has a crack in it, though it is not certain whether this crack was already present when the seated Buddha was carved. It is likewise presumed to date from the Goryeo period; its total height is 233 cm, with a body length of 155 cm, a head length of 56 cm and a width across the cheekbones of 195 cm. Seated cross-legged on a lotus pedestal, this Buddha is a rock-carved image made during the Goryeo period. The body, the pedestal, and the mandorla — the decorative halo behind the head symbolising the Buddha's radiant light — are all rendered purely in incised lines, yet the toes are depicted realistically, overcoming a limitation typical of rock-carved Buddha images. The hands are turned palm outward, forming the bhumisparsha mudra (earth-touching gesture), as though repelling every temptation of demons. This Buddha image exemplifies the style of line-incised rock-carved Buddhas that was popular during the Goryeo period.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Gochang, Jeonbuk

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산