Chilbosa Mokjoseokgayeorae Seated Figure, Seoul

Basic information

Designation

Treasure No.2004

Category

Sculpture

Designated year

2018

Location

종로구, 서울특별시— 서울특별시 종로구 삼청로9길 51 (삼청동, 칠보사)

Coordinates

37.588398, 126.980572Kakao address conversion

The Wooden Seated Shakyamuni of Chilbosa Temple in Seoul is conjectured to have been one of the Buddhist statues made in 1622 under the patronage of Queen Jangyeol, a consort of King Gwanghaegun (r. 1608-1623), and enshrined in two royal guardian temples of Jasusa and Insusa. The queen’s patronage of the Buddhist sculptures represented her wishes for the peaceful rest of her deceased parents and royal ancestors. The Shakyamuni statue was carved by a group of monk-sculptors including Hyeonjin, Suyeon, Eungwon and Ingyun, and consequently displays the characteristic techniques of the four artists, who collaborated with each other on this work. Shakyamuni’s head and upper body are slightly bent forward, and he displays the symbolic hand gesture (mudra) of expelling evil by touching the ground. The comparatively short waist, broad shoulders and slightly raised knees are typical features of Hyeonji’s style, while the square, benign face with voluminous cheeks, small, half-closed eyes, sharply raised nose and small, smiling lips were clearly carved by Suyeon. A record on the background and sculptural style of the Shakyamuni statue of Chilbosa Temple show that it is closely related with the Wooden Seated Vairocana Buddha of Jijangam Hermitage in Seoul (Treasure No. 1621). Both statues exhibit fine proportions and a heavy, imposing figure full of energy, carved using comparatively simple techniques, and are regarded as great examples of Korean Buddhist sculpture in the first half of the seventeenth century.

Location