Lion Painting of Bongeunsa Temple

This is one of seven Buddhist paintings produced in 1895 when Yeongsanjeon Hall was built. It is currently enshrined at the far end of the left wall of the hall (as seen from the altar), next to a painting of arhats. According to its votive inscription, with Jaseon as the sponsoring monk (hwaju), it was painted by the master painters (geumeo pyeonsu) Sanggyu, together with the monks Changyeop, Jaegyeom and Jaehyeop. It is a colour painting on cotton cloth, 113.5 cm high and 83 cm wide, depicting only two Vajra guardians (Inwang) and two messenger figures (saja) in a simple composition. Against a background of yellow coloured clouds, one Vajra guardian is painted above, and below are another Vajra guardian and the two messengers; the Vajra guardians are all bare-chested, facing left with their palms joined in prayer. The upper Vajra guardian wears what appears to be a chipogwan (black cloth cap) and has sharp fangs protruding from his mouth, while the lower Vajra guardian wears a simple head ornament and stands with his mouth firmly closed, palms joined. The messengers wear what resembles an ikseongwan (a winged cap) with two tall projections like rabbit ears, are dressed in armour with a sword at the waist, and hold a beon (a long processional pennant) in both hands; the two figures are almost identical, suggesting they were painted from the same template. The two messengers are thought to be Gamjae Saja and Jikbu Saja, underworld messenger deities; such messengers are usually shown standing beside a horse, so it is distinctive that here they are instead paired with the Vajra guardians. A blue sky is painted behind the yellow clouds, and red, green, white and yellow are the main colours used; in contrast to the formulaic rendering of the clouds, the figures are drawn with delicate, fine brushwork, creating a contrast between the two. [Votive inscription] One panel of a Messenger (Saja) painting, enshrined at Bongeunsa Temple on Sudosan Mountain in Gwangju. Organising hall (yeonhwaso): director Taemun; mantra chanting, Yeongju; hall keeper, Taehwan; master painters (geumeo pyeonsu), Sanggyu and the monks Changyeop, Jaegyeom and Jaehyeop; tea server, Changhyeop; cook, Sangchan; assistant cook, Changhyeop; bell keeper, the monk Irwu; supervisor, Beopneung; sponsoring monk (hwaju), Jaseon. Donors: a woman of the Yi clan, born in the year eulyu; her deceased father, a man of the Yi clan born in the year gapja; her deceased husband, a man of the Yi clan born in the year imjin; and her deceased son, Dobong, born in the year eulchuk. This painting was produced in 1895 together with the Yeongsanhoesangdo (Vulture Peak Assembly painting) and the Sixteen Arhats painting of Yeongsanjeon Hall, and it shows a form similar to the messenger painting of 1892 in Yeongsanjeon Hall at Heungguksa Temple, Namyangju. Although the rendering of the clouds shows some formulaic technique in places, the painting is valuable as an example of a type of messenger painting of which few now survive, and it has accordingly been designated a Seoul Cultural Heritage Material.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Gangnam-gu, Seoul

Designation

Cultural Heritage Material · 문화유산자료