Sculpture

The earliest examples of sculpture known in Korea are some rock carvings on the Pan-gudae Cliff in Ulsan and some clay figurines of men and animals dating from the Neolithic Age. The Bronze Age saw the active production of bronze, earthenware and clay figurines, but it was not until the introduction of Buddhism that sculpture in Korea began to develop in both quantity and quality. Any sculpture worth mentioning falls in the category of Buddhist sculpture.

Seated Maitreya Three Kingdoms period, late 6th century Gilt bronze, h. 83.2 cm The National Museum of Korea, Seoul National Treasure no. 78	This seated bodhisattva Maitreya in contemplation is one of the most famous Korean Buddhist statues. Maitreya, who dwells in the Tushita heaven from which he will descend as the Buddha of the Future, was thought to hold the promise of enlightenment for all sentient beings. The depiction of this deity in contemplation derives from an iconographic convention originally applied to images of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni, whose contemplation of the suffering of sentient beings prompted his search for enlightenment. The serene expression of this image and
the delicately posed hand raised to the right cheek create a sense of profound concentration that is reinforced by the slight bend of the shoulders and the forward-leaning position of the torso. he extraordinary thinness of the bronze (less than one centimeter thick) testifies to the accomplished casting skills of artisans of the Three Kingdoms period.

Buddhism, first introduced into the peninsula from China late in the fourth century, during the Three Kingdoms period (57 BC~AD 668), flourished in Korea through the Unified Silla and Koryo (918~1392) periods. Practiced and supported at first by the royal courts and the aristocracy as part of a larger program to consolidate the power of the state, the foreign religion gradually gained adherents among all levels of society.

A number of Korean monks are known to have traveled to China and even to India, where Buddhism originated, to receive religious training as early as the late sixth and early seventh centuries. Many of them returned to Korea, often bearing sacred texts and images, to disseminate the teachings acquired abroad. It was through Korea that Buddhism was formally introduced to Japan, in 538, where it likewise played a decisive role in the formation of early Japanese art and culture.

This gilt-bronze plaque, found along with other Buddhist images at the site of the royal palace garden in Kyongju, testifies to the enormous favor enjoyed by Buddhism during the Unified Silla period (668?935), when the religion was lavishly patronized by the court and the aristocracy. The Buddha holds his hands in the dharmachakra (teaching) mudra, which symbolizes the turning of the wheel of the Buddhist law. Seated on a lotus throne, the central deity is flanked by two graceful bodhisattvas, who bend their waists toward him.	Buddha Triad Unified Silla dynasty (668~935), ca. 680 From Anap-chi Pond, Kyongju, North Kyongsang Province Gilt bronze, h. 27 cm Kyongju National Museum
The solid and weighty presence of the Buddha, the realistic modeling of all three figures, and the elaborately decorated double-lotus pedestal and openwork aureoles contribute to the three-dimensional sculptural effect, the result of a highly accomplished casting technique.

Although the number of large-scale Buddhist works declined during the Choson dynasty (1392~1910) when Neo-Confucianism replaced Buddhism as the state ideology, private devotional images continued to be made. The predominance of Buddhism as a spiritual force in Korean society is attested by the broad range and high quality of sculpture, paintings, and other Buddhist works of art produced for personal worship and for use in monasteries and state temples.

Seated Avalokiteshvara Late Koryo (918~1392) early Choson (1392~1910) dynasty, late 14th-early~ 15th century Reportedly from Kumgang'won-ni, Haeyang-gun, Kang'won Province Gilt bronze, 18.1 cm The National Museum of Korea, Seoul	The Choson dynasty's (1392~1910) embrace of Neo-Confucianism in the late fourteenth century was part of a deliberate program to distinguish the new dynasty from the corrupt Koryo government (918~1392) and to augment the power of the country's new rulers.The more modest scale of Buddhist art during this time reflects the diminished wealth and influence of the Buddhist establishment and the lack of large state-sponsored projects. During this period Buddhism was espoused largely by the common people, along with some wealthy adherents, principally women from the royalty or aristocracy,
and most of the religious objects produced were intended for private worship. A gilt-bronze seated figure of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara preserves the elegance and traditional elements of the Koryo style,particularly in its posture of royal ease, with the right leg bent and the left leg pendant.

An understanding of Korean Buddhist sculpture involves comparisons with Chinese prototypes, and in some cases with models that can be traced back to Central Asia and to India. While Korean Buddhist sculpture is stylistically indebted to these foreign traditions, Korean artists were often selective, adopting certain models that they in turn developed into images with a distinctive Korean appearance, particularly in facial expression, or varied through different carving or casting techniques.