Mok Seated Bodhisattva of Paljeongsa Temple (Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva)

The Wooden Seated Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva of Paljeongsa Temple is a typical example of the wooden bodhisattva style produced around the late 17th to early 18th century, and it is currently enshrined in the Geungnakbojeon Hall of Paljeongsa Temple as the attendant bodhisattva to the right of the Amitabha Buddha. According to tradition, it was brought from a hermitage of Magoksa Temple in Gongju. The bodhisattva sits in the full lotus position, wearing an ornate crown and holding a long lotus stem with both hands; the head, with the crown, is somewhat large in proportion to the body. The hair is gathered up and tied into a topknot; whereas the topknots of bodhisattva images are usually cylindrical, a distinctive feature here is that it is spherical. The hair is neatly arranged across the front of the forehead, with two strands flowing down in front of the ears and, on the shoulders, dividing again into three strands that fall over the upper arms. On the head is a crown that appears somewhat heavy, forming a mountain-peak shape that is low at the sides and high in the middle, made by cutting thin metal sheets into patterns and attaching them to the surface. The lower part of the crown is decorated with jewels and cloud motifs, while the upper part bears a jewel that appears to blaze with flame; the edges of the jewels are further decorated with a beaded border made using a repoussé technique, giving the crown an even more splendid appearance. On either side of the forehead, ribbon-shaped crown straps and flame-shaped relief ornaments are attached. Such flaming crowns had been favoured for bodhisattva images in China since the Ming dynasty, and in Korea they became especially popular for bodhisattva crowns in the late Joseon period. The face is tilted slightly downward and is overall close to square in shape. Between the bow-shaped eyebrows is a large urna (a raised dot symbolising wisdom), and the eyes appear almost closed. The nose is rather large with a fairly broad bridge, and the thin lips bear a faint smile. At the lower part of the neck, three thin lines are incised — a feature symbolising the stages of enlightenment — and the two ears hang down long, reaching the shoulders. The body is elegant and refined; although the width of the knees in the full lotus position is a little narrow, the figure holds a stable posture. The shoulders are covered by a robe worn in the style covering both shoulders, and beneath the broadly open chest an inner skirt-like garment is worn; however, since there is no necklace ornament on the chest, the figure appears almost as if dressed in the robe of a Buddha rather than a bodhisattva. In the hand gesture, the right hand rests on the knee and the left hand is raised to chest height, with both hands together holding a long lotus stem; both hands were carved separately and then fitted onto the figure. As to the identity of this bodhisattva, since the crown bears no distinguishing emblem, it cannot be stated with certainty; but since an image of Amitabha Buddha is generally depicted on the crown of Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, this figure, lacking such an emblem, is thought to have been enshrined as a Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva. On the underside of the statue, toward the rear, is a cavity for sacred deposits, but no such deposits now remain inside. As reviewed above, the Wooden Seated Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva of Paljeongsa Temple faithfully reflects the style of wooden Buddhist statues popular from the late 17th to the early 18th century; given its orderly carving technique, it can be counted among the representative examples of Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva images of its period, and it is valued as important material for research into Buddhist sculpture of the latter half of the Joseon dynasty.

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Where it is

Region

Seongbuk-gu, Seoul

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산