South Korea plans to designate miniature altar as national treasure — Korea Herald

In Gurye, South Jeolla Province, South Korea, a portable altar with gilded bronze Buddhist statues from Cheoneunsa Temple is planned to be designated a national treasure. It is the largest among surviving Buddhist altars of the bulgam type, Korea Herald reports, citing the Korea Heritage Service.

Altar is 43.3 centimeters high

A bulgam is a small structure made of wood, stone or metal intended to house Buddhist statues. The altar from Cheoneunsa, measuring 43.3 centimeters in height, has a square base, a roof combining hipped and gabled structures, and doors at the front.

The outer side of the doors is decorated with cloud ornaments, while the inner side features relief images of Geumgang-yeoksa, guardian warriors. A metalworking technique that gives the images a three-dimensional effect was used to create them.

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Images of Buddhas and an inscription about the craftsmen

The inner front wall of the altar depicts Vairocana Buddha surrounded by bodhisattvas and ten great disciples. The left wall contains a triad with Bhaisajyaguru Buddha in the center, while the right wall features a triad with Amitabha Buddha.

The structure was made for separately produced gilded bronze statues. Two of them have survived to this day, but five mounting holes in the lower part of the altar indicate that it may originally have held five statues.

An inscription on the back names the craftsmen who worked on the artifact: Sin Seung made the statues, while Kim Chi made the altar itself. It also mentions donors, including a married couple with the surname Park. The Korea Heritage Service said the artifact provides rare insight into the construction and craftsmanship of such Buddhist altars at the end of the Goryeo state, which existed from 918 to 1392.