The Kansong Buddha Statue Failed at Auction Finds a Home at the National Museum of Korea...

National Museum of Korea Purchases 'Geumdong Buddha Standing Statue' and 'Geumdong Bodhisattva Standing Statue'
No Bidders at May K Auction Sale
"Acquired to Honor Gansong's Spirit of Cultural Heritage Protection and Preserve Cultural Asset Value"

Gilt-Bronze Standing Buddha Statue - Treasure No. 284-1

Two Buddhist statues from the Kansong Art and Cultural Foundation, which were put up for auction last May, have been transferred to the National Museum of Korea. These are the “Gilt-bronze Standing Buddha (Treasure No. 284)” and the “Gilt-bronze Standing Bodhisattva (Treasure No. 285),” both designated as treasures on January 21, 1963.

The National Museum of Korea recently announced on the 24th that it had acquired the two works. The purchase price is reported to be under 3 billion KRW for both pieces combined. An official stated, “We decided to purchase them to honor the spirit of cultural heritage preservation of Mr. Jeon Hyeongpil (1906?1962) of Kansong and to maintain their value as cultural assets,” adding, “We will conduct scientific investigations and academic research to further enhance their value.”

The Gilt-bronze Standing Buddha is a statue 38.2 cm tall. It stands on an octagonal lotus pedestal in a standing posture. A gentle smile spreads across its lips, giving a friendly impression. The statue wears a large robe (daeui) that is slightly slipped off the right shoulder. The folds are depicted starting below the waist, revealing the chest and abdomen prominently. The pedestal combines a single-petal upward-facing lotus (danpan yangnyeondae) and a double-petal downward-facing lotus (bokpan boknyeon). It is estimated to be an early Unified Silla period work influenced by Tang Dynasty styles.

The Gilt-bronze Standing Bodhisattva is an 18.8 cm tall bodhisattva statue from the Three Kingdoms period. It is said to have been excavated in Geochang, Gyeongnam Province. It gives a strong impression with its thin, sideways-slanted eyes, protruding mouth, and prominent cheekbones. The heavenly robe (cheonui) extends symmetrically on both sides of the upper garment, depicted as four layers of fins. The style is artificial and schematic, lacking realism. Similar forms appear in Japan’s Horyu-ji temple’s Kuse Kannon and the representative Forty-eight Buddha statues (Sashiju-hattai Butsu) of early Japanese Buddhist sculpture. This makes the Gilt-bronze Standing Bodhisattva an important piece of evidence proving its influence on early Japanese Buddhist statues.

Gilt-bronze Standing Bodhisattva Statue - Treasure No. 285-1

Despite their high value, the two works lost face at the K Auction held last May. They were listed with a starting price of 1.5 billion KRW but failed to attract any bidders and were passed over. The process of putting them up for auction was not smooth from the start. Criticism arose mainly from the cultural community, concerned that Mr. Kansong’s intentions might be diluted. At the time, the Kansong Art and Cultural Foundation explained, “Since 2013, while conducting public exhibitions and cultural projects simultaneously, excessive costs have caused financial pressure. Additional expenses arose after the death of Jeon Seong-woo, Kansong’s eldest son and former foundation director, in 2018.”

In mid-June, the Kansong Art Foundation and K Auction approached the National Museum of Korea with an intention to sell. The National Museum reviewed the purchase based on regulations and decided to use its own budget by the end of July. An official said, “The museum, temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, plans to place the statues in the permanent exhibition hall when it reopens.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.