Jogyesa Mokjoyeorae Seated Figure, Seoul

Basic information

Designation

Treasure No.2164

Category

Sculpture

Era

조선 15세기

Designated year

2022

Location

종로구, 서울특별시— 서울특별시 종로구 우정국로 55 (견지동, 조계사)

Coordinates

37.573893, 126.981882Kakao address conversion

This English description was machine-translated and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the original Korean text for details.

The wooden Buddha statue from Seoul's Gyeongje Temple was created during the 15th century and originally enshrined at Dogap Temple in Yeongam, Jeollanam-do Province. In June 1938, this statue was ceremonially relocated to become the principal Buddha of the Jogye Order's denominational headquarters temple (initially Taego Temple, presently Gyeongje Temple). As the central Buddhist image enshrined in the denominational headquarters established during the Japanese colonial period specifically to reject colonial religious influence and restore Joseon Buddhist autonomy and traditional orthodoxy, this statue possesses profound significance for Korean Buddhist history and Buddhist sculptural studies. While the precise creation date remains undocumented, stylistic analysis demonstrates characteristics reflecting the international Tibetan Buddhist aesthetic tradition from the Ming Dynasty's Yonglo and Xuande periods. The sculpture shares stylistic similarities with established dated examples including the 1450 silver-gilt Amitabha at Tongdo Temple, 1451 gilt-bronze Buddha sculptures, the 1458 wooden Amitabha from Heukseok Temple in Yeongju, and the 1466 wooden Manjusri boy statue from Sangwon Temple in Pyeongchang. The statue's contemplative expression, single-shoulder garment style, balanced bodily proportions, dynamic sculptural modeling, and elegantly refined drapery treatment demonstrate exceptional technical achievement comparable to the renowned National Treasure Sangwon Temple Manjusri sculpture.

Location