Taepyeong: Seated Bodhisattva
Stone
Taepyeong: Seated Bodhisattva
SOUTH KOREA, Gyeonggi, Icheon; Goryeo dynasty
The rock on which this sculpture is carved is situated in a low-lying field. Based on the inscription at the back of the rock, this carving dates from 981. It was listed as Treasure No. 982 in 1989.
The figure wears a tall crown carved with a Buddha image and is therefore thought to be Avalokitesvara. The Bodhisattva raises the right hand and carries a long-stemmed lotus bud. Natural features of the rock are used to suggest the back of a throne and the figure’s crossed left leg. The leg overhanging the platform, and the trailing stole on the other side, are depicted by line incisions.
Although this image was produced only a few years after the Taepyeong Medicine Buddha, the bluntness and imbalance of the carved image suggests it could have been sculpted by local craftsmen. This image is one of the works dating from the early period of the Goryeo dynasty (918–1392) and serves as a valuable research tool pertaining to stone images.
For more details, go to the Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Caves T-Z, page 1434.
Cite this article:
author = Hsingyun and Youheng and Johnson, Peter and Mankuang and Huntington, Susan and Edson, Gary and Neather, Robert,
booktitle = {Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Caves T-Z},
pages = 1434,
title = {{Taepyeong: Seated Bodhisattva}},
volume = 9,
year = {2016}}