Seated Yangsan Wonhyoam Hermitage Stone Bhaisajyaguru Buddha Gwa Votive Objects

The main image is a stone seated Bhaisajyaguru Buddha, the Medicine Buddha, flanked by an attendant Avalokitesvara on the left and an attendant Ksitigarbha on the right. A statue-consecration record shows that the image, originally enshrined in Yaksajeon Hall of Tongdosa Temple, was later moved to this hermitage, Wonhyoam. The statue is in generally good condition, without breakage or flaking of the gilding. A cavity for votive objects is set into the centre of its base, its opening currently sealed with hanji, traditional Korean mulberry paper. The votive objects had already been removed by the temple and are kept separately. They include the statue-consecration record itself, together with printed dharani (Buddhist incantation prints), medicinal herbs, a bronze huryeongtong — a cylindrical container placed inside a statue to hold its sacred deposit — and, inside the huryeongtong, the five grains, five-coloured thread and other assorted offerings. Among these, the bronze huryeongtong was found wrapped in a bundle of printed dharani. The cylindrical huryeongtong was made by joining sheets of bronze plate, with its base made separately and fitted on. Its lid likewise consisted of bronze plate and an opening fitted with a spout; the join in the bronze plate has come apart, and the spout is wound with five-coloured thread. On the centre of the outer surface of the huryeongtong, the direction "North" (北) is marked in ink. Inside the huryeongtong, items wrapped in hanji — the five treasure bottles — were placed in successive layers, and beneath the topmost layer was a round bronze plate, one of the mirrors of the five directions. Normally the five treasure bottles inside a huryeongtong are placed in four positions around a central point, so the layered arrangement seen here is a distinctive feature of this particular container's method of enshrinement. In the topmost layer, wrapped in hanji, were a red cloth fragment together with a bronze triangular mirror, medicinal herbs, grain, and paper "five covers"; beneath these lay a round bronze mirror. The second layer below differed from the one above: grain, a long strip of hanji inscribed with Sanskrit letters in vermilion, and a fragment of rock crystal were wrapped together in a piece of yellow cloth and then wrapped again in hanji; beneath this bundle lay a folded strip of hanji likewise inscribed with vermilion Sanskrit letters. The third layer below that consisted of a yellow bag containing medicinal herbs, wrapped once more in hanji. At the very bottom were a fragment of purple silk, five-coloured thread, a fragment of rock crystal, paper "five covers", paper five-coloured banners and paper "five vajras", all wrapped in hanji. Given that fragments of hanji inscribed with Sanskrit letters and parts of the mirrors of the five directions were found separately inserted between the layers, it is thought that some of the contents may have been disturbed at a later date when the votive deposit was reopened.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Yangsan, Gyeongnam

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산