Inscribed "Geollyung15nyeon" Nectar Ritual Painting held at Wongwangdae

Among the three levels of Buddhist faith, the lowest level can be described as ancestor worship or the worship of the spirits of the dead. This faith is illustrated pictorially in gamno, or nectar ritual, paintings, also called yeongdan paintings, which express the wish that the spirits of the deceased be reborn in the Pure Land, and which are enshrined on either side of the Daeungjeon Hall or in the Myeongbujeon or Jijangjeon Halls. The name "nectar painting" given to this type of work refers to the bestowing of the taste of sweet dew so that the hungry ghosts and beings in hell depicted in the painting may find rest. A typical nectar painting is composed of scenes such as the Welcoming of the Pure Land, the Guiding to the Pure Land, the Seven Buddhas, Hell, and the Six Realms; when these elements are combined into a single composite work, it is sometimes called a Nectar King painting. The Geollyung 15th Year Nectar Ritual Painting, made in 1750, the 26th year of King Yeongjo of Joseon, can be divided into three sections. Against a background of mountains, water and auspicious clouds, Sakyamuni Buddha, Vairocana Buddha and Rocana Buddha are placed at the centre of the upper section; Rocana Buddha is accompanied by the Trikaya, the Three Bodies of the Buddha, together with the Seven Buddhas. Although the Trikaya is usually omitted in nectar paintings, its inclusion here is thought to reflect the influence of Korean Buddhist Hwaeom thought, and the work is important material for the study of 18th-century Buddhist costume and customs. This nectar ritual painting measures 185.5 cm in width and 176.5 cm in height, and is a colour painting on silk. When the composition is broadly divided into three registers, the upper register shows, against a background of mountains and clouds, the Seven Buddhas including the Amitabha Triad at the centre; on the left, Sakyamuni Buddha is flanked by Avalokitesvara and Ksitigarbha, with the bodhisattva who guides souls placed beside them, while on the right are Amitabha, Ananda and Venerable Mokryeon. The middle register shows a neatly arranged offering table laid with vessels containing the five grains, white rice, flowers and food, and on either side of it are depicted monks and nuns performing Buddhist ritual chants, as well as heavenly immortals, earthly kings and ministers, and other nobles. The lower register, occupying a relatively large area of the painting, depicts two hungry ghosts, beneath which are shown the various sufferings of the mundane world and of hell. It is an accomplished work that depicts not only a fine composition and colour scheme but also the customs of the marketplace and scenes of hardship and calamity. Its state of preservation is excellent, and its composition and style also make it important material for the study of 18th-century Buddhist costume and customs.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Iksan, Jeonbuk

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산