Buddhism spread to Korea during the 4th century B.C., since the country made contacts with China at that time. The religion flourished throughout Korea under the three kingdoms namely, Koguryu, Paekche, and Silla all had adopted the imported religion and made it the official religion throughout the country. (Grayson 17). The Buddhist art under these three kingdoms reached its full blossom and several of the iconography depicted in the sculptures originated from these periods retained the naturalism wherein images closely attained ‘human-like’ appearances and well-developed forms. However, it was not until the Korean medieval period that Buddhism declined; the advent of the new kingdom called Joseon dynasty modeled its government based on the Neo-Confucianism ideals and even replaced the official religion with Confucianism. (Palais 25-26). Under the new government, the previously adopted religion was severely repulsed and the government issued orders to persecute Buddhist icons and temples in lieu of worshipping the moral theology of Confucianism. Triggered by the government’s rejection, the art and sculpture of the Buddhist figures suffered and the once well-known humanized figures of Bodhisattvas were soon replaced with miniature figures that are less in size, rigid, and most of all, the notion of humanism was abandoned.
On example of the Buddhist sculpture pertaining to the Joseon period is the gilt bronze statue of Maitreya Bodhisattva Holding a Vase (see fig. 1) created during the 1600s depicts a Buddhist deity called maitreya holding a vase on the left hand; its head adorned with a crown typically used by the Chinese and Korean kings. The elaborate headdress follows repeated swirly abstract patterns derived from the Chinese designs. The brim of the crown was thick and a pair of another swirling lines protruding on the either side of the crown. The Bodhisattva’s face appears to be a man deep in meditation with closed eyes and bindi jewel located on the forehead between the eyebrows. The flimsy gown resembled the traditional open chested Buddhist cloaks but on the lower portion of the sculpture, the artist combined the style of India with China; the evidence of Chinese influence on the Korean bodhisattva is the tassel of ribbons tied on the center of the robe. Jewels adorned the chest of the statue.
Despite the elegant portrayal of the sculpture, the form and body structure was thoroughly neglected. There is no proportionality on the relic. The limbs are shorter and not proportioned to the body. The left hand despite being bent appears to be quite shorter and thinner unlike the right hand which has a thicker and wider wrist. Viewing from the front, the lack of proportionality between the body and the head is very obvious. The head of the bodhisattva is large and quite retained the circular face styles of the earlier period, yet it contrasts the previous sculptures due to the lack of balance. The head is a bit tilted on the right; the shoulders are stiff and identical to each other. Altogether, the sculpture is not attached to a base; its feet are arranged strategically away from each other in order to support the weight of the statue. Implied elongated cylinder shape is also present beginning from the top of the crown up to the feet. The aging bronze metal contributed to the lack of luster in the sculpture making it appear dull and flat because of the subdued color of the metal.
The bodhisattva figure are composed of smooth relaxed lines, raised to create the folds of the dress, the designs on the crown, facial features, and the limbs. The sculpture follows the open form type and because of this, viewers’ can still see the sides of the face and the body because it its three-dimensional. Curved lines were used mainly to depict designs and body parts; shoulders, waist, and the facial features. Because of the raised lines, light creates chiaroscuro due to the shadows made by raising all the lines forming the figure of the bodhisattva. Because of the smooth planes of the bodhisattva sculpture, light striking onto the surface of the bronze emphasizes the objects smooth texture. The Maitreya Bodhisattva Holding a Vase is a relic from the Joseon period and because of the persecution and abandonment of Buddhism in the 14th century A.D., the iconography of Buddhist sculptures became less humanized and remained rigid and lifeless figures of the once popular religion. In Buddhism, the vase symbolizes the storage, a void that can be filled with anything. According to Ludden, the vase in the traditional Buddhist beliefs was associated with the enlightened path. Vases are empty vessels that are used to hold things such as water, but in Buddhism vases can be filled with auspicious things favorable to the holder and the believer of the religion. Among the traits assigned to the Buddhist vases are storages meant for wealth preservation, vessel of wisdom, and good fortune. (54). On a final note, Korea’s shift from Buddhist to Neo-Confucianism had an effect on its arts: the once natural and humanized Buddhist sculptures were replaced with miniature bodhisattvas with less natural portrayals.
WORKS CITED
Grayson, James Hunter. Early Buddhism and Christianity in Korea: A Study in the Emplantation of Religion. Netherlands: Brill, 1985. Web. Google Book.
Daderot. Miruk Bosal (Maitreya Bodhisattva), Center, Korea, 17Th Century AD, Gilt Bronze - San Diego Museum of Art - DSC06558. 2013. Online Image. Web. 19 Apr. 2016.
Ludden, Ken. Mystic Apprentice Volume 3: Meditative Skills with Symbols and Glyphs Supplemental. N.p: Lulu Publishing, 2010. Web. Google Book.
Maitreya (holding vase). Circa 16th century. Bronze. San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego, CA. Web. San Diego Museum of Art. 19 Apr. 2016.
Palais, James B. Confucian Statecraft and Korean Institutions: Yu Hyongwon and the Late Choson Dynasty. N.p: University of Washington Press, 1996. Web. Google Book.
