A Buddhist hanging scroll is a large painting for Buddhist outdoor ritual ceremony. This magnificent and uncommonly large Buddhist hanging scroll was painted in 1692. Being almost 8.3 meters in height, it was originally placed at the Geumdangsa Temple.

 

In the painting, a Buddha carrying a flower in the feature of a bodhisattva appears solely without his dependents. Such a feature is known as Sakyamuni Buddha, also found in the hanging scroll at the Yulgoksa Temple. Fourteen bodhisattva avatars and four phoenixes are decorated on the coronet, and this is one of the two paintings existing with those figures.

 

The square-shaped Buddha’s face, sainted eye corners, shaded pupils and tightly closed small lips intends to show his dignity. The Buddha wears ornamental green cloth over the red underclothing, and the white band binding the underclothing drops down from the chest to the lotus pedestal. On every lotus flower placed on the halo of the body, 28 Sanskrit characters are written. The masterpiece illustrates the characteristics of the hanging scrolls of the 17th and 18th centuries, a balanced body proportion and a majestic feature of Buddha.

 

 

 

Buddhist Hanging Scroll at GEUMDANGSA Temple