Goheung-gun Announces Preliminary Designation of Neunggasa Wooden Four Heavenly Kings Statues as Treasure

Published 08 Sep.2023 12:13(KST)

The Four Heavenly Kings Statues Show Transitional Features from Plaster to Wood Carving

Goheung-gun, Jeollanam-do (Governor Gong Young-min) announced that the ‘Goheung Neunggasa Wooden Four Heavenly Kings Statues’ has been preliminarily designated as a national treasure.

The Cultural Heritage Administration announced on September 7, 2023, the preliminary designation of the ‘Goheung Neunggasa Wooden Four Heavenly Kings Statues’ as a national treasure. These wooden statues, previously designated and managed as a tangible cultural property of Jeollanam-do, are enshrined at the Cheonwangmun Gate entrance of Neunggasa Temple in Seonggi-ri, Jeomam-myeon, Goheung-gun. During the announcement period, various opinions from all walks of life will be collected, and after review by the Cultural Heritage Administration, the statues are expected to be officially designated as a ‘Treasure (寶物).’

[Photo by Goheung-gun]

The Four Heavenly Kings statues are guardian deities enshrined at the entrance gate (Cheonwangmun) of a temple, protecting the temple and its followers. According to their directions, the eastern king is called Jikuk Cheonwang, the western king Gwangmok Cheonwang, the southern king Jeungjang Cheonwang, and the northern king Damun Cheonwang. Each holds different objects: a sword, a bannered spear, a dragon and a yeouiju (a mythical orb), and a pipa (a lute), respectively.

They are also depicted with glaring eyes, wide-open mouths or tightly closed lips, wearing armor, and standing on a seat of living spirits such as evil ghosts beneath their feet.

The Goheung Neunggasa Wooden Four Heavenly Kings Statues are estimated to have been created around 1666, based on the beam inscription discovered during the dismantling and restoration of the Cheonwangmun Gate, the Neunggasa historical monument stele, and the dedication documents found inside the statues. Although the sculptors of the Four Heavenly Kings statues are not explicitly identified in these records, the participant list includes names such as Gyeongrim and Haengtan, sculptors who were active in the late 17th century under the tutelage of Unhye and Saeknan, prominent sculptors of that era.

The Neunggasa Wooden Four Heavenly Kings Statues represent the earliest period of wooden statues made during the transitional phase in the 17th century when materials shifted from clay to wood. Therefore, they exhibit transitional characteristics from clay statues to wooden statues, holding significant art historical value.

The Neunggasa Four Heavenly Kings statues face forward and are depicted sitting astride chairs. They are overall elongated and slender, characterized by distinctive bodily proportions. This change in body expression style is attributed to the transition of materials from clay to wood. It is also understood that the statues reflect the relatively free expression of the impoverished lives of the people during the Great Famine, embedding social historical perspectives into their form, thus holding considerable research value from a socio-historical viewpoint.

Additionally, the typical arrangement of Four Heavenly Kings statues often follows the orientation of the Cheonwangmun Gate facing south, regardless of the actual directional alignment of the gate. However, Neunggasa consciously arranged the statues according to the actual orientation.

The order of the eastern Jikuk Cheonwang and northern Damun Cheonwang was swapped, as was the order of the southern Jeungjang Cheonwang and western Gwangmok Cheonwang. This arrangement provides academic value as it allows for the study of the understanding of directional concepts.

A Goheung-gun official stated, “The hidden religious cultural heritage of Goheung is being recognized for its value,” adding, “We will work closely with Neunggasa to establish measures for preservation and management in the future.”