Cheongryangsa Mokjojijangbosalsamjonsang, Bonghwa

Basic information

Designation

Treasure No.1666

Category

Sculpture

Era

1578년

Designated year

2010

Location

봉화군, 경상북도— 경북 봉화군 명호면 북곡리 청량사

Coordinates

36.886600, 128.909900Museum-based location

The three statues making up this Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva triad have a calm and meditative face, as though lost in thought about ways to save dead souls of sentient beings from the torments of hell, and convey an intensely religious mood. All elements are in harmony and well defined in these highly accomplished pieces of sculpture. Unnecessary details are eliminated in favor of a combination of a few straight and curved lines of varied strength, to create an extremely elegant, forceful and vibrant portrayal of the Bodhisattva’s body. Although the overall shape feels slightly heavy and blunt-edged, this weighty impression contributes to the strong religious feeling these sculptures exude. This Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva triad, marrying spirituality and sculptural perfection, is certainly one of the finest 16th-century Joseon Buddhist sculptures .No circumstantial information about this Bodhisattva triad is known, not even the temple in which it was originally housed, the names of sculptors or the donors who funded its creation. Fortunately, however, thanks to the prayer scroll found amid other votive objects, the triad statues can be traced to 1578, a date which is corroborated by the stylistic characteristics of the three statues. Extant Buddhist sculptures from this period are so rare that there is no way, for example, to conduct a comparative study on this Ksitigarbha triad. These sculptures helpfully reveal stylistic tendencies in late Joseon Buddhist sculptures. The originality of this triad and the visual flair and quality of execution suggest, meanwhile, that this is the work of a sculptor of high caliber.

Location