경주 구황동 삼층석탑 발견 금제여래좌상 연구 (Study on Gold Seated Buddha in Three Story Stone Pagoda in Guhwang-dong, Gyeongju)

서지정보

· 발행기관 : 한국미술사학회
· 수록지 정보 : 미술사학연구 / 281권 / 281호 / 5 ~ 28페이지
· 저자명 : 임세운

초록

국보 제79호인 구황동 금제여래좌상은 경주 구황동 삼층석탑(傳 황복사지 삼층석탑)에서 발견된 사리장엄구 중 하나로 12.2cm의 작은 크기에 광배와 대좌는 금동으로, 불신은 순금으로 만들어졌다. 함께발견된 사리함 명문에 의하면, 구황동 삼층석탑은 692년 신문왕의 명복을 빌기 위해 건립되었고, 706년성덕왕이 불사리 4과, <순금아미타상> 1구, 『무구정광대다라니경』 1권을 추가로 봉안했던 통일신라 왕실발원 석탑이다. 그러나 순금아미타상 1구를 봉안하였다고 기록과는 달리, 석탑 안에서는 실제로 좌상과입상 2구의 금제여래상이 발견되었다. 게다가 두 상이 결한 수인이 지금까지 한국에서는 그 예를 찾을 수없어 두 상 중 어느 상이 아미타상인지 밝히는데 어려움이 있었다.

영어초록

Gold Seated Buddha in Guhwang-dong (National Treasure No. 79) is a sarira reliquary discoveres inside the Three Story Stone Pagoda in Guhwang-dong, Gyeongju (known as Three-story Stone Pagoda in Hwangboksa Temple Site). The object is 12.2 cm tall, with its halo and pedestal made of gilt bronze and the body of the Buddha made of pure gold. According to the letters inscribed on the reliquary, the Three Story Pagoda was built to commemorate the soul of King Sinmun (r. 681-692) of Silla in 692. In 706, King Seongdeok (r. 702-737), a son of King Sinmun, placed four sariras, a pure-gold Amitabha Buddha statue, and a volume of the Pure Light Dharani Sutra into the pagoda. What was actually recovered from the pagoda were two golden Buddha statue (one standing and the other seated) instead of a pure gold Amitabha Buddha statue. The hand position displayed by the two statues was something quite new, and different from those found earlier in the country. Thus, it was difficult to know which of the two was really an Amitabha Buddha.
Carrying out this study, we examined Buddha statues containing inscribed letters among those made during the Tang China period that displayed the same hand position as this one, in order to see which one is an Amitabha Buddha. We identified a total of 21 seated Buddha statues and saw that 15 out of the 21 contained inscribed letters matching those associated with Amitabha Buddha. We also saw that the hand position was one of those that appear in Amitabha Buddha statues which were vogue in central China between the mid-7th and the mid-8th century. Thus, it was found that the seated Buddha was an Amitabha Buddha produced following the rapid adoption of a new Amitabha Buddha statue from Tang China.
We were able to present a substantial basis for viewing the seated Buddha, which was placed inside the stone pagoda in 706, as the gold Amitabha statue, since Amitabha Buddha statues produced to commemorate the souls of the dead during the Tang China period corresponded exactly to the one produced under the order of King Seongdeok to honor the soul of his dead father.
Next, we closely examined the structure, patterns of the halo and the pedestal of the golden seated Buddha, along with the style and pattern of the statue. We saw that the body of the Buddha was made of pure gold, which is a really extraordinary thing. As for the halo, it was made using diverse metal craft techniques, including incised holes, line engraving, the use of a striking device, and a stamped design, all of which were in vogue at that time.
Features such as the plump appearance of Buddha, its soft and natural facial expression, the portrayal of hands full of liveliness, and the robe naturally extended downward, are thought to be exceptional in that no comparable examples have been identified.
The pure-gold seated Buddha, which was made by a first-rate craftsman on the order of King Seongdeok for his deceased father in the early 700s, was one displaying the unique hand position of an Amitabha Buddha statue, which was newly in vogue at the time in Tang China. It is a precious artifact displaying the advanced sculptural skills of Unified Silla. It also tells us that in its early days Unified Silla maintained close relationships with Tang China and took a proactive attitude to the assimilation of its advanced culture.

참고자료

· 없음