Nangsan Maaebosalsamjon Seated Figure, Gyeongju

Basic information

Designation

Treasure No.665

Category

Sculpture

Era

통일신라시대

Designated year

1980

Location

경주시, 경상북도— 경북 경주시 배반동 산18-3번지

Coordinates

35.828439, 129.239562

The Bodhisattva triad is carved on a rock at the western foot of Nangsan Mountain in Gyeongju. It has a rough surface and is seriously cracked. There is the principal Buddha with a brilliant head and body in the middle and attendants on each side. The principal Buddha wears a hempen hood and a robe similar to that of a monk wrapping both shoulders. This is like the appearance of the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva discovered in a Buddhist painting from Goryeo and it seems to have persisted into the contemporary style. Both attendants are armored and keep a distance from the principal Buddha. The left one has a sword in the right hand and the right one holds a weapon in both hands, which seems to have signified the guardian deity exorcising evil spirits. The carving is believed to have been made in the Unified Silla period, based on the carving skills and the fact that Neungji Pagoda, which is said to have been the crematory site of King Munmu of Silla, is nearby.

Location