Seated Yeongammangwolsa Temple Stone Buddha

This statue, enshrined on the wall to the right of the Mireukjeon Hall at Mangwolsa Temple, is a seated Buddha carved in relief on a thick stone slab 32 cm deep. Behind the body is a boat-shaped halo, and the statue currently stands on a rectangular cement pedestal. Above the bare head, a topknot-shaped usnisha rises like an upturned bowl; the face is set on a square plane, the nose appears to have been artificially cut down, and the mouth is stylised. The three folds of the neck (samdo) are distinct, and the robe covering both shoulders is rendered with sparse, coarse folds rather than fine detail. In the hand gestures, the right hand touches the edge of the right knee, and the left hand is raised to the chest as if cradling a water bottle. The seated posture has the right foot placed on the left knee, and the hem of the robe covering the knees is simplified. The pedestal continues below the knees, showing a lotus-flower decoration, though the pattern has worn away at the centre. Flame patterns are faintly visible on the surface of the halo around the head. Given the imbalance of the facial features, the stiffly rendered shoulders, and the lack of realism in the arms and knees, this statue can be dated to the late Goryeo period. The seated stone Buddha of Mangwolsa Temple is an unusual example of a statue carved in relief on thick stone with a clearly boat-shaped halo, and, judging from the water bottle held in its left hand, it appears to represent Bhaisajyaguru, the Medicine Buddha; it thus offers a glimpse into the Bhaisajyaguru worship of this region in the late Goryeo period, giving it historical, scholarly and local-cultural value.

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Where it is

Region

Yeongam, Jeonnam & Gwangju

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산