Manufacturing Technique of the Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Mural Painting in Geungnakjeon Hall, Daewonsa Temple, Boseong

Abstract

The manufacturing technique was studied through the structure and material characteristics of the walls and the painting layers of the Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva mural of Geungnakjeon Hall, Daewonsa Temple. The mural is painted and connected to the earthen wall and the Junggit, and the wall is composed of wooden laths as a frame, the first and middle layers, the finishing layer, and the painting layer. The first layer, middle layer, and finishing layer constituting the wall were made by mixing weathered soil and sand. It was confirmed that the first layer had a high content of loess below silt, and the finishing layer had a high content of fine-sand and very fine sand. For the painting layer, a ground layer was prepared using soil-based mineral pigments, and lead white, white clay, atacamite, minium, and cinnabar (or vermilion) pigments were used on top of it. The Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva mural was confirmed to belong to a category similar to the soil-made buddhist mural paintings of Joseon Dynasty. However, it shows characteristics such as a high content of fine sand in the finishing layer and overlapping over other colors. Such material and structural characteristics can constitute important information for future mural conservation status diagnoses and conservation treatment plans.