원주 法泉寺址 출토 청동여래입상에 대한 고찰

Abstract

This paper investigates a small bronze image of a standing Buddha excavated in 2003 at the Beopcheonsa(法泉寺) site near Wonju(原州), one of five provincial capitals in the Unfied Silla Period. Beopcheonsa, located along the South Han River, was most likely not only a important spot for water transport and traffic but one of the strategic strongholds bordering Goguryeo and Baekche. The bronze statue from Beopcheonsa, though missing its head, could be a good clue to indicate when this temple was first constructed. Its body proportion, drapery folds and casting technique as well as conservative stylistic features show that this image was most likely made sometime from the late seventh century to early eighth century, when stylistic features of the Three Kingdoms period modified for about half a century after the Unification War coexisted side-by-side with early Tang style, probably in a workship near the Wonju area where advanced Buddhist culture and craftmanship of Goguryeo and Baekche gathered together after the Unification War of the Three Kingdoms. Together with the round roof-tiles with lotus designs and grey pottery with stamped designs unearthed at the Beopcheonsa site, both datable to the early eighth century, the standing bronze image also exhibits that this temple was first executed in the early eighth century and a large-scale reconstructing was carried out in the early Goryeo period when this temple was in its golden days as one of the main temples for the Beopsang School(法相宗) of Buddhism.