Namsan Chilbulam Hermitage Rock Carvings

SOUTH KOREA, North Gyeongsang, Gyeongju

These rock carvings consist of two groups, with three statues on the face of a rounded boulder, and four carved around the sides of a square block in front of it. They are some of the earliest statues on Namsan (South Mountain), dating from the Unified Silla period (668–935). The site was listed as National Treasure No. 312 in 2009.
The central Buddha figure of the first group sits in full lotus position on a double lotus throne. The figure wears a monastic robe that bares the right shoulder, and the right hand is in the bhumisparsa (earth-touching) mudra. The fan-shaped folds of the material over the legs are stylistically typical of the 8th century. In common with the flanking Bodhisattvas, the Buddha has a petal-shaped nimbus. The attendant Bodhisattvas, each 2.2 m high, wear headdresses, jewelry, and dhotis belted at their waist. They have their feet facing outwards. Their garments are similar in design with those of Tang dynasty (618–907) statues. Both Bodhisattvas raise the hand nearest to the Buddha, and the one on the left holds a vase in the right hand.
Buddhas with a similar nimbus seated on lotus thrones are located on the square block before them. The rock carvings depict Indian Buddhist sculpture style, and at the same time, they showcase early styles of the Unified Silla period.