上杉神社藏 高麗 阿彌陀三尊圖의 연구

Abstract

Composed of three sheets all drawn on silks comparatively of the same size of 147×61.5cm, this Buddhist painting contains the invocation script explaining the purpose of creation by the individual donor both at the center below the main statue of Amitabha and at the bottom of the main seat of Amitabha-triad, Avalokitesvara, Mahāsthāma-prāpta. Hence, the painting is evaluated as valuable work that may figure out the correlation among Buddhist paintings of the same lineage of unknown dates and date back to their origins as well as clarify the characteristics of those Buddhist paintings. This painting serves as basic data to learn the trend of Amitabha paintings intensively pursued in the early 14th century in late Goryo dynasty. Peculiar in its entire structure and yet clearly demonstrating the difference between main statue and minor ones, this painting, made up of three statues in three sheets, shows distinct style than other Amitabha paintings of the same days. The statue of Amitabha triad, Avalokitesvara and Mahāsthāma-prāpta, though rendered comparably among one another, assumes the attitude of a donor rather than a minor Buddha, as the minor Buddhas are as tall only as half the stature of the main notably smaller than the main one, and it undeniably is a distinct structure compared to the general trends of those days, dual structure of tall and short emphasizing distance between main statue and minor statues. Moreover, Since the two minor Buddhas shown in the Amitabha triad painting are not Avalokitesvara and Mahāsthāma-prāpta, if six entities of small minor Buddhas and Avalokitesvara&Mahāsthāma -prāpta are added, it may constitute a style, so called, Amitabha Original set of painting, which is composed of Amitabha Buddha and the Eight Buddhas. This style will assume greater value, being a Buddhist painting that simultaneously encompasses diversity and compositeness along with dual meanings, triad form and original painting form. In view of the characteristics of its style, this Buddhist painting is an exemplary work of style hard to find among the existing Goryo Buddhist paintings such as clear dualstructure of tall and short, formularized posture of the main statue, portrait-like expression, thin yet long hands and fingernails, dynamic style of circular letters and whitish used much, schematized and formularized depiction of robe wrinkles, knot-decorated expressions, and hexagonal style of the main statue. With its style associated with the that of "Ning Fa Buddhist paintings" in Song dynast and Yuan dynasty of China, this painting serves as invaluable data in understanding the lineage of Goryo Buddhist paintings of the same days. This testifies that Goryo Buddhist paintings got under the influence of Yuan dynasty Buddhist paintings as the time advanced int the later period of the dynasty, and it implies that such painting style merged into Goryo and Japan, etc, being in fashion by the time this painting was created. Though this painting was influenced by the Buddhist paintings of Song and Yuan dynasties in its style in production, it also comprehends features characteristic only among Goryo Buddhist paintings that are not found from Chinese Buddhist paintings. Therefore, along with the universality of then Buddhist painting styles, it is necessary to consider the originality and pride of this painting as Goryo Buddhist painting as well. The artistic origin of this Buddhist painting can be associated with the Buddhist painting style of 'Ming Zhou' of China, i.e., "Ning Fa Buddhist painting style", and it is assumed that the exchanges of human network and materials for Goryo Buddhist paintings in those days also might have been practiced through such channel. Therefore,the Amitabha triad painting in this thesis very probably was produced along with a Buddhist temple, which was a common practice by then as a way of invocation based on Amitabha faith by nobility families for their own proliferation and persistence of their family who have been closed involved in the royal families of Goryo and Yuan dynasties, and it is also sufficiently possible that its creation was patronized by economically grown regional dignitaries. However, this Buddhist painting does not have clear donor record that tells the precise identity of donor and historical activity. For a clue on this issue, someone from the Seo family can be conjectured as the main donor with authority and economic power to be associated with the circumstance of those days and the nature of this painting, and considering the fact that only the circle name and family name were recorded, it is judged that this woman who seems to be the head of Seo family donated this Buddhist painting in a wish for the proliferation of her family and eternal life in Elysium in her future.