흥천사 극락보전 목조 아미타불상과 대세지보살상 연구

Abstract

This paper studied the sculptural meaning of the wooden Amita Buddha statue and Mahasibamaprata Bodhisattva statue enshrined in the Architecture of Geukrakbojeon(極樂寶 殿) Hall of Heungcheonsa Temple in Seoul. Although the wooden seated Amita Buddha statue is small and medium-sized, it is a Buddha statue that is majestic, vibrant and refined. Looking at the paintings and stylistic features, the statue is presumed to be in the early 17th century, shortly after the Japanese invasion of Korea. The statue is regarded as one of the representative works created by Buddhist monk sculptor Gakmin and Gakmin School. This Buddha statue was created by a monk sculptor Gakmin, which was earlier than a wooden statue of the Three Buddha of the Donghaksa Temple of Gongju in 1606. This Buddha statue is regarded as the earliest of the works of the Gakmin school. The study provided another opportunity to check the genealogy leading to a monk sculptor Seok-oon – Gakmin – Haengsa. The statue is believed to have been enshrined around the 19th century in Ojeongsa Temple in Mungyeong. The name of the statue is likely to be the Medicine Buddha enshrined on the left side of the Three Buddhas. The wooden Mahasibamapratata Bodhisattva statue is the largest of the three statues in the Architecture of Geukrakbojeon Hall of Heungcheonsa Temple. This Bodhisattva statue has a narrow, long upper body, but has a sense of stability with a large lower body. This Bodhisattva statue is regarded as a work of elegant tension and refined taste. This Bodhisattva statue is estimated to have been created in the second quarter to third quarter of the 17th century by analyzing the drawings and stylistic features. The Bodhisattva statue was discovered to resemble the 1648 wooden Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Statues in the Architecture of musageon(無私殿) of Heungguksa Temple, which was made by Buddhist monk sculptor Samin. The name of the statue has long been known as Mahasibamaprata Bodhisattva, which is more likely academically to be the Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, and also to be Manjusri or Maitreya Bodhisattva.