Seated Stone Bodhisattva of Seongbulsa Temple, Cheonan

This seated stone bodhisattva is held at Seongbulsa Temple in Cheonan. It is said to have been discovered during dredging work on the Daeseongcheon stream in Jochiwon, Yeongi County, and was moved to the present Seongbulsa Temple for safekeeping some 14–15 years ago. The statue is 67cm tall, with a shoulder width of 34.5cm and a knee width of 54.5cm. The upper part of the mandorla (gwangbae, the halo-like backdrop behind the figure) was broken and has been reattached; part of the right knee is also broken, and a long, thin crack runs to the right from the knee and has been partially filled. The figure sits in the full lotus position before a geosin gwangbae, a mandorla enclosing the whole body. The folds of the robe are thick and highly stylised; the right hand holds a lotus branch and the left hand rests horizontally at the stomach. Both arms are very thin and long in proportion to the body, and the two hands are also rendered rather small and awkwardly. A lotus bud is normally the attribute held by Avalokiteshvara, but in the Goryeo period it was also popular in images of the Future Buddha, Maitreya, so the precise identity of this figure cannot be determined. The Seated Stone Bodhisattva of Seongbulsa Temple, Cheonan, shows the typical stylistic features of Goryeo-period Buddhist statues in an uncommon form, giving it value as both a religious and an academic resource.

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Where it is

Region

Cheonan, Chungnam

Designation

Cultural Heritage Material · 문화유산자료