Standing Stone Buddha in Duhak-dong, Jecheon

Though its carving lacks refinement, the standing stone Buddha of Duhak-dong displays the features typical of regional Buddhist sculpture and is a rare and valuable image illustrating the transition of stone Buddha style from the large images of the Goryeo period into the Joseon period, comparable examples being few. It stands within a hip-roofed shelter of one bay by one bay, on a site that appears to have once been a temple. The Buddha has a head of snail-shell curls with what seems to be a very low usnisha, the cranial protuberance, and at the centre of the forehead the urna, the tuft symbolising wisdom, is carved as an incised depression. The eyebrows form a clear crescent and connect to the nose to give a firm, well-defined line. The eyes are slightly raised in relief but not sharply articulated, and the mouth is small and rendered only in incised line. The ears are somewhat large and set back; the cheekbones and temples are not modelled, and wrinkles at the chin give the face a plump, round appearance. The neck bears two curved lines and a beaded necklace, and the hands are joined in a mudra held against the upper abdomen. The shoulders are narrow in proportion to the head and body, the upper arms being omitted, so that the figure widens toward the lower body. The drapery folds are almost entirely omitted, with only a slight fold flowing down to the right from beneath the hand. Judging from the snail-shell curls and the slight protrusion at the crown of the head this is thought to represent a Buddha, yet the bracelet and necklace suggest Maitreya Bodhisattva.

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Where it is

Region

Jecheon, Chungbuk

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산