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Stone Seated Bodhisattva of Woljeongsa Temple, Pyeongchang

평창 월정사 석조보살좌상 ( 平昌 月精寺 石造菩薩坐像 )

Heritage Search Detail
Classification National Treasure
Name of Cultural Properties Stone Seated Bodhisattva of Woljeongsa Temple, Pyeongchang
Quantity 1 statue
Designated Date 2017.01.02
Age
Address Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do

The stone bodhisattva -- located to the south of the octagonal nine-story stone pagoda, which stands at the center of Woljeongsa Temple sanctuary -- displays a half-kneeling position facing the pagoda, as if making an offering to it, suggesting that both structures were made as a pair from the beginning. The style of pairing a devotee and a pagoda as a dual object of worship is recognized as a distinctive feature of the Korean Buddhist art established during the early Goryeo period (918-1392), and is rarely seen outside Korea. Extant examples show that the sculptures of a Buddhist devotee paired with a pagoda were particularly favored by Buddhists in present-day Gangwon-do, and are regarded as important sources of information regarding regional differences in Buddhist sculpture during the Goryeo Dynasty.