Yonghwasa Temple Maitreya Buddha Statue

This is the principal Buddha enshrined in Mireukjeon Hall; since the portion below the knees is buried in the ground, its total height is unknown, but its present height is approximately 185cm. The statue was carved from a thick stone, leaving the back in its natural rounded form unworked while carving the front, which gives an overall flat impression; seen from the side, however, it conveys a considerable sense of mass. On its head it wears a large roof-shaped jewelled crown, its upper part fashioned into a bead shape. The topknot-shaped ushnisha at the crown of the head is not clearly defined, but that area rises high to support the crown. Overall the face is elongated, with notably large ears standing out, but the face is so badly worn that its features are hard to make out. The eye area, however, is carved hollow so that the pupils appear to protrude, and the slightly open mouth is very small yet expressed with a humorous touch. Near the chest there are traces of the inner arms having been deliberately ground down to make the two hands stand out, though this could also be seen as a later repair. The body of the statue is currently broken into two pieces below the waist and has been joined with cement, but it is presumed that the knees and feet continued further below. Overall it follows the tradition of the geobul, or colossal Buddha, characterised by a large face and sparse bodily detail. Although the lower part is buried and cannot be examined, the massive, block-like treatment of the body, the simplified detailing, and the roof-shaped crown suggest a late Joseon stone Buddha that inherited the geobul tradition descending from the Goryeo period. It is valued as material evidence both of a distinctively approachable and humorous style of stone Buddha and of the syncretism taking shape between folk or shamanic belief and Buddhist faith.

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Where it is

Region

Gochang, Jeonbuk

Designation

Cultural Heritage Material · 문화유산자료