A Seventeenth-century hanging Buddhist portray of Maitreya, enshrined at Muryang Temple in South Chungcheong Province / Courtesy of Korea Heritage Service
A towering Seventeenth-century hanging Buddhist portray, thought to be one of the consultant examples of Korea’s large-scale Buddhist artworks, is ready to be designated a nationwide treasure, the Korea Heritage Service introduced Thursday.
Hanging Buddhist scrolls, or “gwaebul” in Korean, have been historically displayed in temple courtyards throughout out of doors sermons, ceremonies and rituals. With their monumental scale and complicated iconography, these work are sometimes acknowledged as a distinctly Korean cultural heritage that stands aside from Buddhist artworks discovered elsewhere on the earth.
The style thrived from the Seventeenth to twentieth centuries, and a few 120 survive throughout the nation at present, with seven designated as Nationwide Treasures and 55 as Treasures.
Korea’s heritage system classifies state-designated cultural belongings into 4 tiers — Nationwide Treasure, Treasure, Nationwide Folklore Cultural Heritage and Historic Website — primarily based on their historic and inventive significance. The upcoming designation will mark the primary addition of a gwaebul to the Nationwide Treasure listing in 28 years, following the collective designation of seven such work in 1997.
The 14-meter-tall portray, enshrined at Muryang Temple in South Chungcheong Province, depicts a standing Maitreya Buddha — the bodhisattva believed to be the longer term Buddha — adorned with an elaborate crown and complicated decorations.
“This portray marks the start of the nation’s such ornate gwaebul custom … Regardless of its large measurement, its harmonious proportions and the placing distinction of pink and inexperienced hues convey the elegant grandeur of spiritual artwork,” the state company said.
Past its inventive worth, the hanging scroll holds historic significance, because it offers clear documentation of its origins.
An inscription on the backside of the piece confirms that it was accomplished in 1627, throughout the reign of King Injo of the 1392-1910 Joseon Dynasty. This means that it predates different gwaebul work presently designated as Nationwide Treasures.
Created by 4 monk painters, the gwaebul displays the widespread religious devotion to Maitreya within the Chungcheong area on the time. The masterpiece additionally helped form and unfold the custom of large-scale Buddhist scroll work throughout Korea, influencing subsequent works with comparable iconography.
“This piece exemplifies the nation’s hanging Buddhist artwork, distinguished by its scale, grandeur, historic significance, symbolic richness and inventive worth. It totally deserves designation as a nationwide treasure,” the company famous.
The company will collect professional opinions throughout a 30-day assessment interval, after which the cultural heritage committee will deliberate on formally asserting the gwaebul because the state-designated Nationwide Treasure.
