made of lacquer or bronze. They were often decorated
with tiny and elegant inlaid designs executed with
mother-of-pearl on lacquer vessels or with silver on
bronze vessels.
Buddhist sculpture and painting
Buddhist images of S ́akyamuni, Amitabha, the Medi-
cine Buddha Bhaisajyaguru, and the Universal Buddha
Vairocana, who were enshrined in the ku ̆mdang,are
the focus of worship. No large bronze images, prior to
the ninth century, have survived, but small votive gilt-
bronze images (ten to thirty centimeters in height and
dated between the seventh and ninth centuries) have
been excavated from temples, residential sites, and
pagodas. These images were for personal altars or for
ritual offering. From the earliest period (sixth century)
Buddha images portrayed characteristically Korean
broad faces with high cheekbones, while the drapery
styles, which show influence from the Six Dynasties in
China, are characterized by the symmetrical arrange-
ment of garments and an emphasis on frontality.
Maitreya Bodhisattva (Miru ̆k posal), the Future Bud-
dha, was worshiped in royal and aristocratic circles in
the early seventh century in all of the Three King-
doms. Some of the finest images demonstrate Korean
mastery of the lost-wax bronze-casting technique and
refinement in every detail. Avalokites ́vara Bodhisattva
(Kwanseu ̆m posal) was one of the most popular im-
ages throughout history in Korea. The Avalokites ́vara
image excavated from So ̆nsan, a small bronze mas-
terpiece, effortlessly conveys a gentleness in facial ex-
pression, a gracefully raised right hand with lotus bud,
and the fluent style of sashes and skirt.
A new style of thin monastic garment worn with the
left shoulder bare appears in most eighth- and ninth-
century Buddha images in Korea, after Korean monks
began traveling to Tang China, Central Asia, and as far
as India. Monumental granite stone images (all their
original coloring is now lost) were carved from the sev-
enth century and enshrined in cave temples (e.g., the
Amitabha Buddha triad in Kunwi in North Kyo ̆ngsang
province); during the seventh to ninth centuries they
were also placed in natural environments, such as
Namsan, the sacred Buddhist mountain in Kyo ̆ngju.
The SO ̆KKURAMBuddha image from the mid-eighth
century is unquestionably one of the great master-
pieces of the world in its outstanding concept and ex-
ecution in rough textured granite. In the Koryo ̆and
Choso ̆n dynasties, Buddhist images wearing heavy gar-
ments covering both shoulders were made in all kinds
of materials, in particular bronze, clay, and wood. Es-
pecially in the Choso ̆n period, large carved wooden al-
tarpieces depicting the pantheon of buddhas, bod-
hisattvas, arhats, and guardian kings in high relief were
frequently placed behind three-dimensional main
buddhas in the worshiping halls.
The paintings of sacred images on the walls of
monastery must have been practiced in Korea at the
same time the sculptured images were executed, but
despite written records in the SAMGUK YUSA(MEMO-
RABILIA OF THETHREEKINGDOMS), no visual material
has survived.
Sagyo ̆ng(handwritten and hand-painted Buddhist
scriptures) flourished during the Koryo ̆dynasty. The
most frequently copied sutras of the Koryo ̆dynasty
were the HUAYAN JING (Korean, Hwao ̆mgyo ̆ng),
Amitabha Sutra(Korean, Amit’agyo ̆ng), and LOTUS
SUTRA (SADDHARMAPUNDARIKA-SUTRA; Korean,
Po ̆phwagyo ̆ng). Sagyo ̆ngtook the form of preciousKOREA, BUDDHISTART INMaitreya Bodhisattva. (Korean, gilt bronze, Paekche, seventh cen-
tury.) National Museum of Korea. Reproduced by permission.