The four heavenly kings of jikjisa temple (1665) and their significance

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Abstract

In 2012, a hoard of materials was discovered inside the statues of the Four Heavenly Kings at Jikjisa temple. These included inscriptions informing us when and by whom the statues were made. This study analyzes these written documents and their significance in the broader context of Korean Buddhist art. A handwritten offering record deposited in one of the statues in particular states that they were made in 1665 by a group of monk-sculptors led by a certain Daneung, who was born, ordained, and initiated into his sculptural career in Jeolla-do province, but was reputedly more active in Gyeongsang-do province during the second half of the seventeenth century. With the identity of the sculptor and date of production confirmed, Jikjisa temple sculptures prove to be a rare example among the sets of Four Heavenly Kings statues made during the Joseon period, and indeed the only one known thus far with clear indicators of which of the four cardinal directions each Heavenly King was positioned under.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)129-152
Number of pages24
JournalKorea Journal
Volume57
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jun 2017

Keywords

  • Buddhist sculpture
  • Daneung
  • Four heavenly kings
  • Jikjisa temple
  • Joseon period
  • Korean buddhist art
  • Monksculptor
  • Ssanggyesa temple

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