Newly Discovered Gilt-bronze Standing Bodhisattva from Sŏllimwŏnji: A Masterpiece of Unified Silla

In 2015, a remarkable gilt-bronze statue of a standing Bodhisattva was excavated at the site of Ŏksŏngsa Temple, an important center of Sŏn School during Unified Silla. The statue was buried at a location that is assumed to have been the monks’ living quarters, where Buddhist Monk Honggak likely resided. The statue is noteworthy in several ways. Firstly, it is the largest in size among currently known gilt-bronze Bodhisattva statues and displays outstanding sculptural technique. Secondly, the mandorla and the pedestal were almost completely preserved that the original design can be fully appreciated. This was possible as the temple stood for a relatively short period of little over one hundred years. Lastly, unlike for most gilt-bronze statues. the exact circumstances of its excavation is known. The close stylistic resemblance to the stone monuments made for Buddhist Monk Honggak, also still at the temple site, and the location of its discovery makes it possible to propose that the statue was a personal votive item of Honggak himself. Accordingly, the production date of the statue can be narrowed down to the late 9th century, when Honggak revived the temple-more specifically between 870, when he came back to the temple, and 880, the year of his death. Conclusively, this gilt-bronze Bodhisattva statue is a valuable visual document in the study of the history of Buddhist sculptures in Korea.