Standing Stone Buddha of Hwanhuisa Temple

This is a standing stone Buddha of the late Goryeo period enshrined at Hwanhuisa Temple. The figure now measures 143 cm overall, but it is thought to have originally been carved in shallow relief on a boat-shaped, full-body halo (mandorla) longer than the one that survives today. The double-ringed head halo and body halo are carved with a floral scroll pattern, giving the piece a decorative quality. The usnisha (the knob-like protrusion on the crown symbolising the Buddha's enlightenment), carved as a small circle atop the head, is comparatively modest in size; the head, almost perfectly round, has short ears, and the equally round face has shallowly carved features. The neck is long and clearly shows the three lines (samdo, the three creases symbolising the Buddha's virtues). On shoulders that are narrow and angular in relation to the head, the outer robe is worn covering both shoulders; across the chest the undergarment is shown at a diagonal, with the knot of the inner garment visible. As for the hand gestures (mudras), the right hand is lowered with the thumb and index finger touching and the palm turned outward, while the left hand is raised with the palm turned inward and held against the chest. The folds of the outer robe are rendered as broad, band-like pleats at the shoulders, sleeves and chest. On both sides of the halo are rectangular holes, apparently cut to take props that secured this stone-slab relief image in place. Carved in relief on a thick stone slab, the figure is somewhat lacking in overall proportion and modelling and is considerably damaged, but it nonetheless illustrates the tradition of Goryeo-period stone Buddhas and rock-carved Buddha images.

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Where it is

Region

Seodaemun-gu, Seoul

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산