해남 대흥사 북미륵암 마애여래좌상에 대한 고찰

Abstract

This paper investigates the rock-cut image of Buddha at Bukmireukam (北彌勒庵,North Maitreya Hermitage) at Haenam(海南), South Cheolla Province. The image exhibits huge size and a realistic manner of face-carving, with a decorative way of representing drapery and the tassel on his right breast, the kasaya, which it shares in common with Buddha images of the Late Silla and the Early Goryeo period at Wonju (原州) and Yeoju(驪州) area along with Southern Han River, the territory of Taebong (泰封). The rock-cut image of Buddha of Bukmireukam has a halo decorated with four flying celestial images, two of which are offering a flower or holding an incense burner on both sides of Buddha. A halo with four celestial beings was quite unique in the Silla iconography and appears only in such stone Buddha images of the Late Silla and the Early Goryeo period as those at Hapcheon(陜川), Yangsan(梁山) and Sanchung(山淸), southern areas near to South Sea and far off from the capital Gyoengju, which implies that it is one of the iconographical elements newly imported from the Tang and Five Dynasties of China at that time. From 911 C.E. the south-western coast area came to be under the rule of Taebong. Similarity in style and iconography of the rock-cut image of Bukmireukam to the images located along the Southern Han River of the mid-part of the Korean peninsula belonging to Taebong territory show that the rock-cut image of Buddha of Bukmireukam was made for Buddhist rituals on the Mountain Duryun(頭輪山), which was strategically important while this area was ruled by Taebong.