Gilt-bronze Standing Bhaisajyaguru Buddha of Baengnyulsa Temple, Gyeongju

Basic information

Designation

National Treasure No.28

Category

Sculpture

Era

통일신라시대 8세기

Designated year

1962

Location

경주시, 경상북도— 경북 경주시 일정로 186, 국립경주박물관 (인왕동,국립경주박물관)

Coordinates

35.829387, 129.227912

Originally located at Baengnyulsa Temple on Soguemgangsan Mountain, north of Gyeongju, this Buddha statue was moved to Gyeongju National Museum in 1930. Standing 1.77 m tall, this statue represents Bhaisajyaguru Buddha, or the Buddha of Medicine, who is believed to heal people’s suffering. The round face is relatively small for its body, but it gives an elegant impression with its long eyelashes, long slanted eyes, sharp nose, and small mouth. It lacks the elasticity of ideal Buddhist statues produced in the mid-8th century. Although the body is huge, the shoulders look rather slight. The robe, draped tightly around the shoulders and body, clearly reveals the shape of the shoulders. There are the U-shaped folds in the front of the robe, and the skirt is tied at the waist. The dignity in the lower half of the body, the heavy skirt along with the belly swollen and the bust bent backward show the characteristics of this statue well. The two hands have been hewn off, but, judging from the position of the wrists, the right hand must have been raised to show the palm and the left hand to hold a medicine jar or beads. This statue looks somewhat simple, but it shows the well-proportioned expression of the body and attests to the excellence of the molding technique. This statue is regarded as one of the three greatest gilt-bronze Buddhist statues produced during the Unified Silla Period, along with the Gilt-bronze Seated Vairocana Buddha of Bulguksa Temple (National Treasure No. 26) and the Gilt-bronze Seated Amitabha Buddha of Bulguksa Temple (National Treasure No. 27).

Location