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Wooden Amitabha Buddha and Bodhisattvas Altarpiece at Gwaneumseonwon Hermitage of Namjangsa Temple, Sangju

상주 남장사 관음선원 목각아미타여래설법상 ( 尙州 南長寺 觀音禪院 木刻阿彌陀如來說法像 )

Heritage Search Detail
Classification Treasure
Name of Cultural Properties Wooden Amitabha Buddha and Bodhisattvas Altarpiece at Gwaneumseonwon Hermitage of Namjangsa Temple, Sangju
Quantity 1
Designated Date 1987.07.16
Age
Address Namjangsa Temple 259-22, Namjang 1-gil, Sangju, Gyeongsangbuk-do

In a Buddhist sanctum, the wall behind the principal Buddha statue is usually adorned with a scroll or a frame of a Buddhist painting drawn on cloth or paper. In Gwaneumseonwon Hermitage, however, there is a wooden relief sculpture on the wall behind Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva as the principal statue of Gwaneumjeon Hall. This altarpiece measures 184 cm wide and 165 cm long. In this square frame, four Bodhisattvas are placed on both sides of Amitabha Buddha at the center, and his disciples named Ananda and Kashyapa and Four Guardian Kings are placed around it. Lotus flowers from the trunk of the bottom part form pedestals, with the Amitabha and two Bodhisattvas sitting on them. Amitabha puts his hands on his knees, his thumb and middle finger touching. The attendant Bodhisattvas are holding a spray of lotus flower or clasping their hands. The figures in this altarpiece have square face and body, and the simple folds of thick clothing show the typical style of Buddhist statues made in the 17th century.