Stone Standing Buddha Triad at Gaetaesa Temple Site, Nonsan

Basic information

Designation

Treasure No.219

Category

Sculpture

Era

고려시대

Designated year

1963

Location

논산시, 충청남도— 충청남도 논산시 계백로 2614-11(연산면, 개태사)

Coordinates

36.240982, 127.229277

The Gaetaesa Temple was established by King Taejo of the Goryeo Dynasty at the site of the final battle with Later Baekje to celebrate the victory in 936 in the 19th year of his reign, and this Standing Buddha Triad is believed to be carved at around the same time. The principal Buddha statue in the middle has a bald head, flat round face and long earlobes. The shoulders and chest are crudely carved. The right hand is placed over the chest while the left hand over the stomach is holding something that’s hard to make out. The head of the Bodhisattva statue on the left had to be restored after it was destroyed. Compared to the principal Buddha statue, the Bodhisattva statue is more elaborate and detail-rich. The shoulders and chest are more round, while there are decorative patterns on the bracelets and hem of the robe. The Bodhisattva statue on the right has three creases on the neck called samdo, which represent the three woeful paths (hell beings, hungry ghosts, animals). The tidy, plump body, large hands, bulky arms, thick robe and folds on the robe are some of the characteristics of the Buddha sculptures in the early Goryeo Dynasty, and show how sculpting techniques have evolved from the Unified Silla period. Built to celebrate the unification of the later three kingdoms of Korea, the three statues are regarded as some of the better works of Buddhist art of the early Goryeo Dynasty.

Location