Mountain Spirit Painting of Giwonsa Temple

Set against a backdrop of deep mountains and valleys, this sanshindo (a painting of the mountain spirit) depicts the mountain spirit together with a tiger, a child attendant and a devotee making offerings; it is enshrined today in the Sanshin-gak, the mountain-spirit shrine of Giwonsa Temple. An inscription (hwagi) in the lower right corner reads "Jeolla-namdo Province, Nahansan Mountain, Sataeam Hermitage ... the first day of the fifth month of the eulyu year," indicating that the painting was made and enshrined at Sataeam Hermitage on Nahansan Mountain in Jeolla-namdo Province, and suggesting a production date of 1885. In the upper left a large, leafy pine tree is painted, encircled by clouds and a red sun; its thick trunk is dotted with taejeom (small ink dots) and rendered in pale ink wash, giving a realistic depiction of bark that captures the texture of an old pine. Beneath the tree sits the white-haired mountain spirit, dressed in a red robe with a blue hood-like headpiece, holding a fan in his left hand and sitting at ease as he looks at the tiger before him; beside him a child attendant with hair in double buns, and a woman making offerings, hold a teapot and a teacup. Unlike the usual iconography, in which the mountain spirit sits astride the tiger or the tiger encircles him from behind, this painting is distinctive in showing the mountain spirit and the tiger facing one another. In contrast to the benevolent face of the mountain spirit, the tiger is rendered realistically, glaring with large bell-like eyes and baring sharp teeth. The use of a high-chroma blue, and the shading applied to the hands and feet, also reflect characteristics typical of Buddhist paintings from the late 19th century onward. The inscription also lists those involved in its production, under the heading yeonhwajil (roll of sponsors and participants): Jinhong as witness (jeungmyeong); Susan Geunhye as chanter (songju); an attendant monk whose name is illegible (jijeon); Ugok as chief painter (geumeo); a bell-keeper whose name is illegible (jongdu); the monk Sikseong as abbot (juji); a temple manager whose name is partly illegible (wonju); and several lay donors (sijuchil), including a man of the Dong family and two women, some names no longer legible. This mountain spirit painting is notable for having a clearly recorded date of production and painter, for its distinctive iconography in which the mountain spirit and tiger face each other rather than following the usual composition, and for clearly showing the characteristics of Buddhist painting from the late 19th century onward.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Nowon-gu, Seoul

Designation

Cultural Heritage Material · 문화유산자료