Tongdosa Temple: Ten Kings of Hell

SOUTH KOREA, South Gyeongsang, Yangsan; Joseon dynasty

Belief in the Ten Kings of Hell spread to Korea from China. The story “Return of Seonryul” in the Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms dating from the Unified Silla period (668–935) tells of a monk who was mistakenly condemned to hell, witnessed the sufferings undergone there, and was able to return to earth to warn the living about the punishments that await in the afterlife. The story is evidence that a belief in hell was already widespread in Korea at the time.
Much emphasis was placed on the deliverance of the dead during the Joseon dynasty (1392–1910). Ceremonies in honor of the Ten Kings were popular, requiring the creation of illustrations of each of the kings and depictions of the punishments awaiting evildoers in hell. These ten paintings, each 137.5 cm high and 96 cm wide, each portray one of the Ten Kings of Hell. Inscriptions state that they were created by a group of artists including Jiyeon. The composition of each painting is similar: a King of Hell sits on a throne in the center, surrounded by judges, commissioners, and attendants. The kings are portrayed as officials, except for King Zhuanlun, who wears a suit of armor. At the bottom of the illustrations, there are depictions of the various punishments in hell, including the mountain of knives, pots of boiling oil, flaying of skin, and pulling of tongues. The pictures are carefully composed and brightly colored. The figures are depicted with fine lines; their facial hair is particularly detailed.