Large Buddhist Painting Created by 18 Hwasung Artists to Become a National Treasure

'Goseong Okcheonsa Yeongsanhoe Gwaebuldo and Box' Designated as Treasure Notice
Three Woodblocks Including 'Seonwonje Jeonjip Doseo Woodblock' from Hadong Ssanggyesa Also Designated as Treasures

Goseong Okcheonsa Yeongsanhoe Large Buddhist Banner Painting and Box

A large Buddhist painting created by eighteen Hwaseung, including the lead Hwaseung Pyeongsam (評三), will be upgraded to a treasure.

On the 18th, the Cultural Heritage Administration announced the preliminary designation of 'Goseong Okcheonsa Yeongsanhoe Gwaebuldo and Box' and three woodblocks at Hadong Ssanggyesa as treasures. After collecting opinions from various sectors for a month and undergoing review by the Intangible Cultural Heritage Committee, the final designation will be confirmed.

'Goseong Okcheonsa Yeongsanhoe Gwaebuldo and Box' is a large Buddhist painting over 10 meters tall, made by attaching twenty canvases in the 8th year of King Sunjo's reign (1808). It depicts the Three Buddhas of Shakyamuni, Ananda (Ananta), Kassapa, and six other Buddhas. The inscription 'Daeyeongsanhoe (大靈山會)' indicates that the scene of Yeongsanhoe (靈山會, the assembly where Shakyamuni preached the Lotus Sutra on Mount Gridhakuta) is depicted. After Pyeongsam became the lead Hwaseung (首畵僧, the foremost monk-painter in the group of monks who created Buddhist paintings), he collaborated with seventeen other Hwaseung to create this work.

This cultural asset is deeply related to the style of Gwaebuldo in the late 18th century. Features include slender bodies and round faces with finely depicted facial features, childlike faces, the technique of applying thick white lead (hoban) over colorful patterns to give a three-dimensional effect, and harmonious use of red, green, blue, and white colors. The Cultural Heritage Administration commented, "Overall, it inherits the traditional painting style of the 18th century while reflecting 19th-century painting styles in color, proportion, figure expression, and line drawing, showing a transitional style. It holds great significance for the study of Buddhist painting history." They also noted, "The Gwaebul box made in the same period retains excellent craftsmanship value with its lacquer finish and decorations with mother-of-pearl and metal fittings."

Seonwonje Anthology Book Woodblock Print

The three woodblocks at Hadong Ssanggyesa, also preliminarily designated as treasures, are the 'Seonwonjejeonjipseo Woodblock,' the 'Wondonseongbulron and Ganhwagyeoluiron Combined Woodblock,' and the 'Daebangwangwon Gaksudarayouigyeong Woodblock.' All were discovered through a nationwide survey of Buddhist cultural assets held by temples conducted by the Cultural Heritage Administration and the Buddhist Cultural Heritage Research Institute in 2016.

The earliest among them, the 'Seonwonjejeonjipseo Woodblock (1603),' was created based on editions from Sinheungsa Temple in Jirisan and Songgwangsa Temple in Suncheon. 'Seonwonjejeonjipseo' is a compilation that extracts key points from over 100 volumes of 'Seonwonjejeon,' written by Gui-feng Zongmi of the Tang Dynasty. About 115 monks, including the great Zen master Seonsu (善修), who held influence around Jirisan and Jogyesan, participated in the carving. The Cultural Heritage Administration explained, "This work was carved before the Byeongjahoran (the Manchu invasion of 1636). It is the earliest among similar woodblocks passed down, holding great historical, academic, and printing history value."

Wondonseongbulron, Ganhwagyeolui-ron Hapgak Woodblock

The 'Wondonseongbulron and Ganhwagyeoluiron Combined Woodblock' is a Buddhist scripture woodblock carved in 1604 at Neungin Hermitage during the 37th year of King Seonjo's reign and later moved to Ssanggyesa. It contains 'Wondonseongbulron (On Sudden Enlightenment and Buddhahood)' and 'Ganhwagyeoluiron (Resolving Doubts through Observing the Word),' written by the Goryeo monk Jinul (知訥). 'Wondonseongbulron' is a question-and-answer style text where Jinul answers five questions. It explains the doctrines of the Jogye Order by linking the concepts and teachings based on the 'Huayan New Treatise' by Li Tongxuan of the Tang Dynasty with Seon Buddhism (Zen). The woodblock is carved with 2 to 4 pages per block. About twenty monks participated in carving and proofreading, as confirmed by the 'Sijujil (施主秩)' inscriptions. The Cultural Heritage Administration stated, "Due to the rarity of the material, carving period, and transmission status, it is valuable for research, preservation, and management."

Woodblock of Daebang Gwangwon Gak Sudarayo-ui-gyeong

The 'Daebangwangwon Gaksudarayouigyeong Woodblock' is a Buddhist scripture woodblock carved in the summer of the 3rd year of King Gwanghaegun's reign (1611) at Neungin Hermitage in Jirisan and later moved to Ssanggyesa. It is based on an edition printed with the metal movable type 'Eulhaeja (乙亥字),' cast in the 1st year of King Sejo's reign (1455). 'Daebangwangbulwon Gaksudarayouigyeong' is a sutra in the form of a dialogue between the Buddha and twelve bodhisattvas. It explains Mahayana Buddhist thought and systematic practice procedures and was widely read in Korea and China. At the end of volume 5, chapter 118, names of several monks such as Seonsu (善修), Taeneung (太能), and Gakseong (覺性) are confirmed. The carving register (Pangokjil, 板刻秩) also records the names of fifty-five people, including Eungjun (應俊) and Seunghee (勝熙), who participated in the carving. The Cultural Heritage Administration commented, "This is a documentary heritage illuminating the organizational structure of carving, manpower, Buddhist ideological trends, and the historical and cultural relationship between Neungin Hermitage and Ssanggyesa at the time of creation."

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