러시아 이콘(icon)과 한국 탱화(幀畵)의 도상과 의례의 특성

Abstract

This paper presents an analysis of the characteristics of iconography and ritual in Russian icons and Korean tanghwa. Icons and tanghwa became essential elements of the Russian Orthodox Church and Korean Buddhist culture, respectively, because they enable convenient and effective transmission of religious ideas, especially doctrine. The Holy Trinity, which is the core doctrine of the Christian revelation, has provided the basic religious theory which produced icons, while the core Buddhist doctrines of Trikāya have produced altar portraits of Buddha. Ratio, composition, halo, reverse perspective, flat descriptions, and color are applied to the figures in icons and tanghwa to symbolize divine beings which exist in the transcendental world. The visualization of the divine is a fundamental function of religious art, such as icons and tanghwa. We should look at icons and tanghwa from a purely internal, spiritual, and aesthetic perspective rather than an artistic point of view. It is more important to understand that how the visualized object of worship is perceived than how the object of worship is visualized. Thus, the rituals surrounding icons and tanghwa provide clues to understanding perceptions of these artifacts of the Russian Orthodox Church and Korea Buddhism. Icons are at the center of Russian Orthodox rites. As the ritual function of Buddhist art has been emphasized, the active role of tanghwa in rites has become a principal focus. The main purpose of the icons, tanghwa, and associated rituals is to allow devotees to evoke the presence of divine beings as if the deities were present before devotees’ eyes. Complementary practices, such as ritual chanting and prayers, reinforce this effect. The revelation and the realization of the presence of divine beings are attained through personal and collective ritual practices. A common religious spirit is evoked among devotees through collective rituals. The serial ritual procedures, such as producing icons and tanghwa and engaging in worship and prayer, serve the purpose of making divine beings present.