Archaeologists Unearth Gilt Bronze Buddha Statue From The Silla Period, Could Be Important To Understanding Ancient Buddhist Art
A ninth century Buddha statue was recently unearthed in South Korea and has been tagged as a significant discovery to understanding ancient Buddhist art, the Korea Herald reports Oct. 15.
The Buddha statue is made of gilt bronze and stands at 50 centimeters in height. It was discovered at a temple site in Yangyang, Gangwon Province where archeologist previous found a stone pagoda and other Buddhist relics.
Unlike other recovered relics from the ninth century, the recently discovered Buddha statue is preserved in good condition. The artifcat will undergo examination by researchers.
Experts say this particular statue could become a state treasure.
The Stone Seated Bodhisattva which was found at the Hansongsa Temple Site in Gangwon Province has been declared a national treasure. The seated Buddha statue hails from the Goryeo Dynasty.
An official at the Cultural Heritage Administration told Yonhap News Agency, "According to experts who were called upon to check the new discovery at the excavation site this afternoon, the relic seems to be the largest of such kind from the Unified Silla period (668-935) and hold high value both artistically and historically."
According to MessageToEagle.com, theUnified Silla period, from which the Buddha statue is thought to come from, was a significant time for Korea in terms of culture, religious, and intellectual traditions. Through its relationship with the Tang Dynasty, Korea under the Silla period managed to infuse Chinese culture into its own.
Woodblock printings were a famous art form from this period.
The county of Yangyang is historically known to be the melting pot of five major religions in South Korea namely Confucianism, Buddhism, Shamanism, Roman Catholicism, and Protestantism.
The oldest discovered print material in the world was also discovered in Yangyang which was the ancient print of a Buddhist sutra written in the eighth century.