Wooden Ksitigarbha Ten Kings Statues of Yonghwasa Temple, Tongyeong

These are 21 statues enshrined in the Myeongbujeon Hall, the Hall of the Afterlife, at Yonghwasa Temple, centred on the principal image of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva and flanked on the left by the Venerable Domyeong and on the right by the Ghost King Mudok, with the Ten Kings of the Underworld, ghost kings, court officials and messenger figures arranged to either side. These statues of the Ten Kings are said to have been brought to Yonghwasa Temple in 1903 when Yeongeunsa Temple, formerly located in Baegun-ri, Baekjeon-myeon, Hamyang County, was closed down. Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, the Venerable Domyeong and the Ghost King Mudok are generally in good condition, gilded or painted, while the other statues of the Ten Kings show some fading or traces of minor repair to damaged areas. Ksitigarbha's face is full and rounded, and the robe covering both shoulders is arranged in the full lotus posture. Both hands were carved separately and fitted on, and the wish-fulfilling jewel resting on the palm of the left hand was likewise made as a separate piece. The statues of the Ten Kings are seated on chairs, which were assembled from separately made parts, and the attribute held by each of the Ten Kings was also carved separately, as were the pedestals and attributes of the ghost kings, court officials, messengers and Vajra guardian figures. Judging from temple records and other sources, the statues are presumed to have been made in the 19th year of the Kangxi reign, that is, 1680, the sixth year of King Sukjong of Joseon. The Ksitigarbha triad and the statues of the Ten Kings are in good condition and were produced together as a complete set, a rare surviving form that makes this an important source for the study of Buddhist sculpture of the Joseon period.

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Where it is

Region

Tongyeong, Gyeongnam

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산