Echoes of a masterpiece

Name: Buddha

Period: Goryeo Dynasty. 10th century

Location: The National Museum of Korea

Status: Treasure No. 332

This iron statue was moved in 1911 from the monastic site of Hasachang-dong, Hanam, Gyeonggi, to the Buddhist sculpture room in the National Museum of Korea’s Fine Arts Gallery. A stone pedestal remains on the site in Hasachang-dong.

At 2.88 meters (9.45 feet) high and weighing 6.2 tons, it is the biggest iron statue in Korea.

The statue has the same hand gesture as the Buddha in the Seokguram Grotto. However, since it has an unnaturally slim waist and abstract details, it is presumed to be from the early Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392), whose art was influenced by Unified Silla. The statue has traces of varnish on its knees, indicating that it was originally covered with a thick coat of varnish and finished in gold.

*The photos and text for Treasure Trove are provided by the National Museum of Korea. For more information, call (02) 2077-9000 or visit www.museum.go.kr.