서울 관우 동묘의 금동관우좌상 형상의 원류

Abstract

There are three statues of Guan Yu enshrined in the main hall of Guan Yu Dongmyo Shrine located in Seoul. One is made of gilt-bronze, the other two are made of wood and mud. The purpose of this paper is to reveal the original source images of the gilt-bronze statue. The gilt-bronze statue of Guan Yu wears a turban(巾), robe(袍), armor(鎧) and he has long beards(鬚髥) and sideburns, phoenix red eyes(丹鳳眼), lying silkworm eyebrows(臥蠶眉), and red lips and his whole body is plated with gold. And he is raising his right hand. This paper examined where these images came from. This paper reveals the following facts: First, This paper first confirmed that the production time of the gilt-bronze statue of Guan Yu was May 13 A.D. 1600 in the lunar calendar, after the Japanese Invasion of Korea in 1592 was ended. Second, the original text source images of the gilt-bronze statue were originated from the description of the novel “Popular romance of Three Kingdoms(≪三國志通俗演義≫)” written by Luo Guanzhong, not from the record of “History of The Three Kingdoms(≪三國志≫)” or the description of the novel “Story of the Three Kingdoms(≪三國志平話≫)”. Third, the original picture source images of it were originated from the picture images of woodcuts inserted in the novel. Fourth, his whole gold body image that is plated all over his body from head to toe, does not appear in the Chinese statues of Guan Yu, which were made before A.D. 1600. The gilt-bronze statue has the expression and aesthetic sense of the Korean style’s gilt-bronze Buddha. Fifth, The gilt-bronze statue originated from the shape of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva in a Buddhist painting of Goryeo dynasty. It is said that the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva saves the souls of those wandering through hell. The gilt-bronze statue contains a message of infinite forgiveness, unlike China’s Guan Yu statue, which generally seeks power and wealth.