Goyang Sangunsa Temple Wooden Amitabha Buddha Triad

This triad is an important wooden Buddhist statue of the late Joseon period, whose date and maker are both known. Geungnakjeon Hall is the temple hall enshrining Amitabha Buddha, lord of the Western Paradise (Geungnak). The bodhisattvas who flank Amitabha Buddha to form the triad are Avalokitesvara (Gwaneum) and Mahasthamaprapta (Daeseji). An ink inscription on the pedestal of the Avalokitesvara statue shows that the triad was made in 1713. Whether because it was made by a different sculptor or because it was not originally paired with the others, the statue of Mahasthamaprapta to the right of the main Buddha is smaller and differs in facial expression and drapery. The main Amitabha Buddha has a head that is relatively large for its body and sits in a posture that appears slightly hunched forward. The round face has narrow, horizontally drawn eyes, a large nose with a rounded bridge, and thin, elongated lips bearing a faint smile, giving an impression that is both composed and benevolent. The hands, made separately and attached, are raised and lowered with thumb and middle finger touching, forming the mudra characteristic of Amitabha Buddha. The hair is rendered as sharply curled nabal (snail-shell-like curls), and the boundary of the usnisa (the raised protuberance atop the head, derived from the topknot with which Indians once bound up their hair and symbolising the Buddha's great and lofty wisdom) is indistinct. The cylindrical and half-moon-shaped topknot-jewel beads at the crown of the head and the centre of the forehead are a feature commonly found in late Joseon Buddhist statues. The sculptor's individual style is evident in the drapery over the right shoulder, emphasised in a teardrop shape, and in the robe covering the left knee, finished in the shape of a lotus petal. The Avalokitesvara statue, holding a lotus stem, has an appearance almost identical to that of the main Buddha, but its small, oval face gives a childlike, endearing impression.

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Where it is

Region

Goyang, Gyeonggi

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산