Soowolkwaneumdo(Water-Moon Avalokitesvara Painting) in Koryo Dynasty represents Deaseung Budhism's Kwanseum religion and emotion in detailed and elegant way so that it has received worldwide attention.
Althought there are many ingredients in the backg...
Soowolkwaneumdo(Water-Moon Avalokitesvara Painting) in Koryo Dynasty represents Deaseung Budhism's Kwanseum religion and emotion in detailed and elegant way so that it has received worldwide attention.
Althought there are many ingredients in the background of the making of splendid and delecate Koryo SoowolKwaneumdo, the most important one is the cultural and religious background which gave deep influence to the making. Therefore, I would like to discuss the Kwanseumbosal religion, cultural-political background in Koryo dynasty, and the characteristics and techniques of the painting.
According to the foreign painting section of the Hwagam of King Woo of Won dynasty, Kwaneum paintings of Koryo was very ingenius and delicate and a King of Koryo once gave buddhist paintings to a King of Won dynasty among which Soowol Kwaneumdo might have been included. Koryo SoowolKwaneumdo was internationally renowned for its beauty and fine details. At present, we have some SoowolKwaneum collections which clearly show their artistic values and reputations.
SoowolKwaneumdo in Koryo Dynasty is the configuration of Kwanseumbosal and is known to exist in most quantities among Budhist paintings of Koryo dynastytill present. It is assumed that the paintings were frequently used in Budhist ceremonies. Among 150 Koryo Budhist paintings, 38 are SoowolKwaneumdo. Therefore, there must be large demand of SoowolKwaneumdo.
SoowolKwaneum is a Kwanseumbosal(Avalokitesvara) based on Kwaneum Religion, which based on the content of Kwaneumkyung(Lotus Sutra) i.e. Buphwakyung Kwanseumbosal bomoonpoom's(it means Lotus Sutra) that the power of Kwanseumbosal can save the public from all kinds of difficulties and sufferings. It seems that such admission into Kwaneumbosal religion is very simple practice such that there are many buddhist followers, and many buddhist ceremonies like Jaesokdoryangs(like all kinds of Buddhist's temple) used the paintings. The SoowolKwaneum in the paintings represents glorious meeting with Kwanseumbosal at South Sea with Hapjang pose during the journey of sunjaedongja's Zhen knowledge exploration in Hwaumkyung ipbupkyepoom(Avatamsaka Sutra).
It is assumed that SoowolKwaneumdo is closely related to the buddhist culture of the unified Shilla age. The unified Shilla age's glorious buddhist culture can be seen through the buddhist heritages. And Professor Kim Dongjoo mentioned that the tradition of SoowolKwanumdo may be found in the united Shilla age according to some foreign old books' record that there were already some similar paintings of the united Shilla.
Soowolkwanum considered in the current thesis is mostly in the second half period of Koryo, but there must be some influences of the paintings of the first half of Koryo together wit the paintings of the united Shilla.
And SoolwolKwaneum is thought to be of noble class. Koryo's noble class vigorously supported the buddhist paintings.
Such painting's birth has a background of culture and religion which associated religion, culture and political relationships to the making of SoowolKwaneum.
The current contribution studies the 鏡神 temple's Koryo SoowolKwaneum in Japan and Taeduck temple's SoowolKwanum in Japan among others; the subject of the current contribution covers the background of the making, characteristics of Kwaneum religion, origins, types, configurational characteristics. The reason behind the selection of the two paintings is that the two has the highest degree of completeness and detailed beauty. The two paintings has some exceptions in the size and the direction toward the eyes are looking; they look to the left contrary to the most other paintings.
Also, the author would like to investigate the traditional painting characteristics from the viewpoint of painting artist. The techniques of Koryo buddhist paintings are discussed based on the author's experience and literature search.