Seated Mok Avalokitesvara of Gyeongguksa Temple

This statue was made in 1703 (the forty-second year of the Kangxi era), with the monk Cheongsin acting as chief patron, at Dogapsa Temple on Wolchulsan Mountain in Yeongam, Jeollanam-do, and was enshrined at Dogapsa's Gyeonseong-am Hermitage as a Seated Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. It is now enshrined on the wall to the right of the altar (as one faces it) in the main hall of Gyeongguksa Temple in Seoul. It is a medium-sized bodhisattva statue, 60 centimetres in total height. According to a votive inscription found inside the bokjang — the sacred cavity within the statue — it was made under the head sculptor-monk Saeknan and the assistant sculptor-monk Sungyeong, together with Haengwon, Daewon, Ilgi, Chu[- a syllable now illegible], Daeyu and [a name partly illegible, ending in] -cheok. It is generally well preserved. The bodhisattva's head is somewhat large in relation to the body, and it sits in full lotus position with the head bowed slightly. It wears a jewelled crown, whose ornaments survive in good condition. A tall, slender topknot rises at the crown of the head; the hair at the forehead is combed neatly as if with a comb, and the side-locks wrap around the middle of the ears before falling and dividing into three strands over the shoulders, running down over the upper arms. The face is close to square in outline, but softened by fullness at the chin. The urna (baekho, the tuft of white hair between the brows) is distinct; the arched, slender brows, the long eyes turned slightly upward, the high, straight nose and the thin, firmly closed lips are all features commonly seen in Buddhist statues of the late Joseon period. The body is well balanced and gives a sense of stability; the shoulders are not broad, giving the figure a compact, neat appearance, while the width of the folded knees is well proportioned, adding to the impression of stability. The outer robe covers both shoulders, its collar folded slightly at the back of the neck; on the left, it entirely covers the left shoulder and falls from shoulder to knee, completely covering the left hand, which rests on the knee, down to the wrist, while on the right it covers the shoulder and passes below the right elbow to the abdomen, tucked inside the robe falling from the left. This manner of dress, together with the wide-open chest and the horizontal or lotus-shaped hem of the undergarment, is the most typical form seen in Buddhist statues of the late Joseon period. The right hand is raised to shoulder height with the thumb and third finger joined, while the left hand, set against the left knee, holds a long-necked ritual vase (jeongbyeong). The figure sits in full lotus position with the right foot fully exposed, and the folds of the robe flow gracefully from side to side in front of the knees like waves. The crown's ornaments and headband survive in good condition. Richly and finely decorated with strings of jewels (yeongnak) and flame-shaped cintamani-jewel ornaments, the crown does not show an image of Amitabha Buddha. The ribbons of the crown, in particular, stream down beside the ears with a lively, rhythmic quality that gives a strong, dynamic impression. This bodhisattva statue was made in 1703 by Saeknan, a leading sculptor-monk active in the Honam region in the late Joseon period. The face, somewhat large in relation to the body, the stable seated posture, the high, straight nose, the horizontal line of the undergarment, and the neat, formal lotus posture all clearly display the characteristics of Buddhist statues of the late Joseon period. It is well preserved and exemplifies the style of wooden bodhisattva statues of the seventeenth century.

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Where it is

Region

Seongbuk-gu, Seoul

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산