Standing Stone Buddha of Boeunsa Temple, Boeun

Boeunsa Temple is located inside the site of the North Gate of Samnyeonsanseong Fortress; according to the Boeun-gunji (Gazetteer of Boeun County), published in 1970, it was founded in 1902 by the monk Bak Gyeong-ha. The site of Boeunsa Temple is known as "Seongjae-jeoltteo" (the Seongjae temple site), suggesting that a temple existed there even earlier, and it is also presumed to have been the site of a temporary royal palace during the Unified Silla period. The standing stone Buddha of Boeunsa Temple was moved here during the Japanese colonial period from Mireukdaengi Hill in Daeya-ri, Boeun-eup, and is presumed to date from the early Goryeo period. This image is enshrined in the main hall of Boeunsa Temple separately from the principal Buddha; the neck and waist areas are damaged, and it is now joined together in three parts with cement. The body below the shoulders is original, and although the waist has been severed, it is well preserved and clearly shows the carving and style of the Buddhist image as it was originally made. The hand gesture appears to be the Dharmacakra mudra, the wheel-turning gesture: the right hand is held palm-forward with the third and fourth fingers bent, and the left hand is held palm-inward, likewise with the third and fourth fingers bent. The outer robe covers both shoulders, and the carved folds running across the front and back are raised, giving a sense of volume; the three creases remain on the neck, and the feet appear to have emerged from beneath the lower garment, though they are now damaged. The carving technique of the body differs from that of the face, so that overall the image is not entirely harmonious; however, judging from the form of the mudra and the fluent drapery folds extending over both the front and back, it is presumed to be a work of the Goryeo period. However, rather than the original face having worn away and a new head being carved and attached, it appears that in the process of re-trimming the original head for reuse, the face was reduced in size and its front and back flattened, giving it the appearance of a folk Buddha (minbul) of the Joseon period. Although there is a marked difference between the carving techniques of the face and the body, the faithful rendering of the body and the volume of the drapery folds make it excellent material for the study of stone Buddha image styles.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Boeun, Chungbuk

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산