Stone Seated Avalokitesvara of Yongyeonsa Temple, Gangneung

Yongyeonsa Temple in Gangneung is a branch temple of Woljeongsa Temple, head temple of the fourth parish of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. It is said to have been founded in 1650, during the reign of King Injo, by the monk Okjam; another account holds that it was founded by the Great Master Wangchim at Manwolsan Mountain in Yongyeon-dong, east of Eungbongsan Mountain. The material of the statue is not clearly established, but it is believed to be a sedimentary rock. It is a seated image of Avalokitesvara wearing a crown bearing a small transformation Buddha. The separately made crown is decorated with a flame pattern; the hair is arranged in a topknot, with strands carved running down past the middle of both ears before gathering into three locks that flow over the shoulders. The face is close to square, with full cheeks, and the three folds are shown on the neck. The robe covers both shoulders, a lower garment is visible below the chest, and it covers both knees. The pose is the gilsangjwa posture, a form of cross-legged seated position associated with good fortune; in the mudra, the left hand rests palm-up on the knee, while the right hand shows the back of the hand, with the index, middle and ring fingers bent. The cavity made for enshrining consecrated objects (bokjang) inside the statue is roughly rectangular, but its contents have been lost, leaving only traces of the mulberry paper once used to seal it.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Gangneung, Gangwon

Designation

Cultural Heritage Material · 문화유산자료