Namhae Undaeamjeseok Guardian Deities Painting

This guardian-deity painting (sinjungtaeng), overall, presents a dull and dark appearance owing to flaking of its ground and discolouration of its pigments; mould has formed in places, and part of the inscription cartouche at the bottom of the painting is also lost. The composition is divided into upper and lower registers. In the upper register, Jeseokcheon (Indra, the king of heaven), hands joined in prayer, stands leading a heavenly attendant, a court lady and a child attendant, all advancing towards the viewer's right. In the lower register, Witaecheon (the guardian deity Skanda), likewise hands joined in prayer, stands together with the Dragon King and two other guardian deities, also facing towards the viewer's right. Green and red form the dominant colours throughout, with some gold leaf used to heighten their vividness, but discolouration of the pigments has caused considerable fading from the original tones. Unlike existing paintings of Jeseokcheon, this work shows the figures in standing poses with a strong sense of movement; such processional depictions of Jeseokcheon are found in Ming-dynasty Chinese wall paintings and appear to have been adopted into Korea from there. It therefore holds important documentary value for the study of guardian-deity imagery of the Joseon period.

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Where it is

Region

Namhae, Gyeongnam

Designation

Cultural Heritage Material · 문화유산자료