Wooden Seated Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva and Ten Underworld Kings of Munsusa Temple, Gochang

This group of eleven wooden statues consisting of Ksitigarbha and his attendants, the Ten Underworld Kings, is enshrined in Myeongbujeon Hall of Munsusa Temple, Gochang. The bodhisattva is depicted in the guise of a monk, while his assistants are characterized by a stately, regal appearance, Made of wood and gilt, the principal figure of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva is depicted with a nicely plump face, seated cross-legged on an octagonal, triple-tier pedestal, the folds of his robe rendered with a few simple, dynamic lines. The Ten under world kings were made by plaster over wooden armatures and gilding after wards. They are seated in their chairs dressed in kingly robes, ready to impose sentences on souls entering the underworld. Although the judges are depicted rather realistically, there is something a little comical about them. The prayer written at the time of enshrinement shows that these statues were made in 1654 together with the Sakyamuni Buddha Triad enshrined in the main prayer hall of the same temple by the same monk-artists. Some of the statues are damaged, and two of the gate guardians have been lost, but the archaic colors combined with refined techniques and their dignified appearance make them a fine example of the statues of the Buddhist underworld produced in the mid-seventeenth century.

Source: Korea Heritage Service signboard ↗ · collected 2026-10-08