Sangwon temple Boy Manjusri(National treasure No. 221) was made by Royal family in the former term of Chosun dynasty. It has a great value with the respect to the fact that the statue has been produced with high quality artistry, the record about the ...
Sangwon temple Boy Manjusri(National treasure No. 221) was made by Royal family in the former term of Chosun dynasty. It has a great value with the respect to the fact that the statue has been produced with high quality artistry, the record about the exact date when it was made has been well kept and above all, the iconology has been well preserved. However, comparing to the appreciation of the statue, established studies about the statue have been nothing but overall introductions. Also, a lot of mistakes about its religious background, the production intention, and its design and pattern have been found. For this reason, this study will elucidate the statue of Sangwon temple Boy Manjusri and in turn, collect the fallacies which have been made. Through this process, we could have a better understanding of the statue itself.
In the first chapter, religious background was covered. Faith about Manjusri bodhisattva symbolizes wisdom. Jajangyulsa(慈藏律師) introduced the idea into Silla of the Three Kingdom with Avatamskan background. Through unified Silla period, added Esoteric Buddhism and the buddhism changed into country defensive aspect. In Koryo dynasty, the idea was continued to Gulsan(굴산) school such as Bumil(梵日) followers and spreaded throughout all over the country.
In the end of Koryo dynasty, the belief of Manjusri played an important role as common and desirable buddhism with maintaining the country's fortune, curing the king's diseases and giving shelters to the monks from the disturbances of war. It means that Manjusri characteristics have become more intimate to the public. There were influenced by Saddharmapundarika which emphasized expedient and Esoteric Buddhism which stressed expedient and incantation. In Chosun dynasty, the belief of Manjusri was continued constantly. In the cases of the King Sejo(世祖)'s recover by Boy Manjusri and princess Wyesuck made up Boy Manjusri statue in Sangwon temple to take children showed common and blessing aspects of the belief of Manjusri. As a result, the main religious background of the statue of Sangwon temple classified as the belief of Manjusri with Saddharmapundarika · Esoteric Buddhism characters.
In the second chapter, building background of the Sangwon temple statue reexamined by records from the statue's body and history of the temple. Existed making date of the statue was mentioned from two possibilities the year 1463 or the year 1466. The reason of the confusion was deduced by a fixed idea which recommended building background of the Sangwon temple statue connect with King sejo's Boy Manjusri direct contact. However, the story of King sejo is only a tale, so we need to follow the records from the statue body than giving credit to the story. For this reason, first of all I took the notice of the record of Statue Enshrinements. With the study, it came to the conclusion that Boy Manjusri statue of Sangwon temple made the year 1466 by princess Wyesuck in order to obtain a son. The statue manufactured with statue of Shakya and other bodhisattvas. After then, one day of King Sungjong(成宗) period, the statue moved into the Sangwon temple. It would have been remodeled a couple of times and has been preserved until today. The reason I presumed moving date to Sungjong period was that at that time Sangwon temple appointed as a main temple of king Sejo and gave privileges such as supplement bronze bell.
In the third chapter, iconology of Boy Manjusri statue of Sangwon temple was covered. The belief of Manjusri bodhisattva was prevalent Korea, China and Japan. The image of the idea also well known the countries. Besides, the image could not get interests in Korean arthistory. According to the situation, I summarized cases of Manjusri bodhisattva statues briefly. Through this work, I found examples of five-topknot which were not reported before in Korean culture. There are Four representative examples of statue have five-topknot as following. Back of the Avalokitesvara image engraved on the bronze Mirror of the National museum, the statue of Okura collection, a stone statue of Pehyun-Gun Sungdong-ri North Korea and half relief on bronze bell which is from Hwanghea-Do Pyungsna of the National museum are classified as five-topknot Manjusri newly. The other side, Dogap temple the door of liberation Boy Manjusri riding lion and Sangwon temple Boy Manjusri did not follow regulations of the Sutras. They have double-topknot(ssang-gae, 雙紒). Moreover, in the case of Dogap temple the door of liberation Boy Manjusri riding lion(1470 approximately) even costumes had been changed into normal boys style. The situation was found in similar way of 13-14th century Japan. Through this study I recognized there are separated into two kinds of Manjusri genealogy.
The meaning of ordinary costumed Manjusri statue is mainly based on blessing this life and transforming ideas. In Sutras, Manjusri expressed a real character of Sravasti Bunduck Brahman family(舍衛國 梵德 婆羅門家). He transformed an old or a boy front of the public to reveal miracles. Stand on this situation, in Japan and China, Manjusri bodhisattva was expressed as a shape of old monk. In addition, it was interesting that Manjusri Seated on a Lion and four attendant figures constituted after Tang(唐)dynasty. In addition, the images were understood transformed figures of Manjusri bodhisattva by the records of Japanese monk Yennin(円仁).
The end of 14th century, the brief of bodhisattva was became popular and statue of bodhisattva changed in many ways without firm regulations to the Sutras. In this streams, faith about Manjusri bodhisattva also became prevalent with Avalokitesvara and Kshitigarbha bodhisattva. Through this prevalence, ideological understanding was brought up and much more various iconologies of Manjusri bodhisattva appeared.
On the other hand, the mudra of Sangwon temple statue had been interpreted as a Amitatabha nine classes mudra which reflected popular faith about Amitatabha bodhisattva. However, the same mudra appeared even from Tang dynasty. Moreover, after yuan(元) dynasty Manjusri statues effected by Tibetian style so that the statues took Dharma mudra almost. For this reason, I made a conclusion that the mudra of Manjusri statues should be classified as Dharma mudra with background of 『The Sutras of Avatamska』.
Finally, I analyzed pattern change of the Sangwon temple statue. The statue followed traditional Koryo style such as costume, square shaped face, massiveness, ornaments and expression of face. However, the short neck, widely rectangular shoulder and decorative propensity of thick clothes and line expression were influenced by compromise style of Jongtong-Sunhwa(1436-1449) period.
Trough the dissertation, pattern change procedure of the former term of Chosun dynasty was examined, so it was realized that at least from 1450s Chinese style which was effected by Tibetian type brought into Chosuns statue making. The Sangwon temples statue also was in the tendency. Besides, Sangwon temples statue demonstrate its own independent style with the amalgamation of cultures.
There are some familiar impressions. The Sanwon temple statues expression for crown of bodhisattva, wrinkled neck and urna-kosa(白毫) were much more closer to human body descriptions. The Sangwon temple statue tried to express Manjusri bodhisattva as a boy who has a innocent and pure nature front of the prayers.