신라 왕경 사찰 불상의 재료 변화

Abstract

The majority of the Buddhist statues in the capital of Silla are left in the mountains as stone Buddhist figures and Buddhist images carved on a cliff including Namsan Mountain in Gyeongju. For this reason, it could be considered that the main Buddhist statues of Silla were normally made in stone Buddhist figures or Buddhist images carved on a cliff. However, various materials of Buddhist statues, which do not exist anymore, were enshrined in the important temples of the capital of Silla. This paper attempts to classify Buddhist statues recorded in the ‘Samgukyusa (Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms)’ by materials firstly. Moreover, this will seek changes in the materials of Buddhist sculptures in the Silla temples through recently excavated archaeological data. It is identified that seven of the most important eleven temples in Silla including Chilcheogaram (seven temples that existed before Buddha appeared) and Seongjeonsawon (Administrative organization of the Royal Memorial Monasteries), enshrined clay Buddhist sculpture and gilt-bronze Buddhist figures. Among those eleven temples, there was no case of enshrining stone Buddha statues as the leading Buddha figure of a temple when they were established. However, the Silla royal family began to pay attention to the stone Buddhist sculptures after the construction of the Seokbulsa Temple (circa 751). The state-led stone cave temple was named ‘Seokbulsa (石佛) Temple’ could be meant to emphasize the name ‘Seokbul (stone Buddha figure).’ Since the Seokbulsa Temple was built, a stone Buddha statue was enshrined as the central Buddha in the Silla temples. In particular, it is believed that stone Buddhist statues were enshrined in royal temples and important temples. Despite this movement, it is hard to say that the Buddhist figures in the Silla temples were completely converted from clay or gilt-bronze Buddhist statues to stone Buddhist figures. Even after the Unified Silla era, gilt-bronze or clay Buddhist figures were still created in the temples of Silla. Into this circumstance, the stone sculptures became one of the main types of Buddhist statues since the late 8th century and were popular in the capital and the provinces. However, iron Buddhist sculptures were not produced anywhere in the capital of Silla. Although iron Buddhist figures were quite famous in the provinces, such as Gangwon-do and Jeonla-do in the late Unified Silla era, they were not popular in the capital of Silla.