Boseong Bongneung-ri Stone Guardian Statue

This is an Inwang statue — a guardian figure such as those normally placed at temple gates to ward off evil — standing on a paddy-field embankment beneath a reservoir dike in Sinbang village, Bongneung-ri, Joseong-myeon, Boseong-gun, Jeollanam-do. Old roof-tile fragments and sections of a pagoda body scattered across the area show that this was originally the site of a temple. A pillar-shaped stone was dressed and carved only on the front, leaving the back flat. Inwang figures are usually carved in relief on the base of a stone pagoda, so it is rare for one to be made as a free-standing statue like this. A topknot-shaped bun rises above the head, and the face, with its glaring eyes, is much worn from weathering. The nose and mouth are rendered in a stylised manner, and the ears are carved short. The right hand is raised, and the left arm is bent, resting lightly at the waist. The bare upper body shows the muscles rendered with some realism, but the proportions are unbalanced, giving an awkward effect. In the lower body, the muscles from the knees to the legs are not modelled, so the sculptural sense is weaker. Most Inwang figures hold a staff or club in the hand, but this one unusually shows no such object.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Boseong, Jeonnam & Gwangju

Designation

Cultural Heritage Material · 문화유산자료