朝鮮時代 甘露幀畵 下段場面과 社會相의 相關性

Abstract

Nectar Ritual Paintings are religious painting used in ceremonies for the dead. The paintings contain a depiction of Buddha in the upper part, and scenes related to the rituals in the middle. The lower part shows scenes of beings in the six paths of transmigration, focusing mainly on the human level. Especially the scenes in the lower part are subject to change over time, and reflect the society of the time they were made. By focusing on the specific features that appear in the lower part of the nectar ritual paintings, this paper studies the relationship between the contents of the paintings and the societal features of the Chosŏn Dynasty. In considering the changing meaning of scenes represented in the paintings, those paintings that have title captions have been retained as primary sources. However, in order to analyze phenomena related to the contents, paintings without title captions have been used as secondary source material. The relationship between the scenes in the lower part of the nectar ritual painting and society can be summarized as follows:First, it reflects the gruesome lives of those who lost their jobs and roamed around those who died because of starvation and diseases. Second, it reflects several phenomena related to the development of markets, such as evils such as burglary, fights and gambling. Third, it documents the itinerant entertainment groups that were prevalent in the late Chosŏn dynasty and shows their variety. Fourth, it shows conflicts between masters and servants, which arouse in a society where the status system still existed. Fifth, it contains images related to the criminal law system of the Chosŏn Dynasty. These elements clearly shows the correlation between the scenes in the lower part of the nectar ritual paintings and the society of the time. It is striking that the contents of the lower parts of the nectar paintings is so diverse that even elements that are not even found in the Yŏje (rituals for wandering ghost) appear here. For example, not only those who died alone without anyone looking after them, those without abode who died while wandering around, and those who died of starvation are depicted, but also shamans revered as divine women (Samu sinnyŏ), people selling divination signs, a blind fortuneteller couple, and several games such as diceplay and go. From the Buddhist perspective, these characteristics can be explained as an attempt to sympathize with the plight of the people and cure their suffering through the nectar paintings. Moreover, this aspect of Buddhism was a factor in the continuing survival and religious vitality of Buddhism at a time when Buddhism suffered from exclusion, suppression, and even the threat of extinction. Considering the characteristics of the nectar paintings, we would like to point to the necessity of creating a form of nectar painting to match modern society. In that case, shouldn't the lower part of the nectar ritual paintings depict the development from an agricultural to an industrial society, the ideological conflict among peoples, those who suffered for the development of democracy and those who died unjustly in accidents? This paper would like to contribute to the creation of a new, contemporary nectar ritual painting.