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Location
Buddhist Painting Gallery of Calligraphy and Painting Section
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Date
Mar-06-2012 ~ Aug-26-2012
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Newly Displayed Works in Buddhist Painting Gallery
Praying for Good Fortune: Buddhist Paintings in the Three Sages Shrine
○ Works on Display: Seven Stars and 15 other paintings
On March 6, the National Museum of Korea (Director Kim Youngna) unveiled all new works in the Buddhist Painting Gallery, introducing an exhibit renewal entitled Praying for Good Fortune: Buddhist Paintings in the Three Sages Shrine.
The “three sages” refer to the Seven Stars, Hermit Sage, and Mountain Spirit, all of which exemplify how Buddhism incorporated elements of Korean folklore into its pantheon of beliefs. Buddhist temples in Korea often contain a small shrine, usually in the back of the temple, dedicated to either one or all three of these sages. When all three are enshrined in one hall, it is called a Three Sages Shrine. The painting of Seven Stars represents an amalgam of Buddhism and astronomy, in which the North Star represents Buddha Blazing Abundant Brightness, and the Seven Stars of the Big Dipper represent Seven Buddhas. The Hermit Sage, a Buddhist saint, is painted as an object of worship, to be prayed to for good fortune, and paintings of the Mountain Spirit combine Buddhism with traditional mountain spirit worship. In the Buddhist spiritual hierarchy, these three sages are positioned below Buddhas or bodhisattvas, which accounts for the reason why their shrines are smaller and less prominent and their paintings are usually relatively modest. However, the three sages have always occupied a special place in the hearts of ordinary Koreans, who pray to the sages for longevity, the birth of a son, wealth, and many other wishes. Thus, it is easy to see why the Buddhist community incorporated these icons in order to maintain a closer relationship with ordinary people. Paintings from the Three Sages shrine are a fascinating example of Korean Buddhism’s embrace of folk beliefs, while also demonstrating people’s eternal desire for wish fulfillment.
Seven Stars
Joseon Dynasty (1873), 206x203cm, Colors on silk
National Museum of Korea
This work characteristically illustrates the features of the Seven Stars, which combines elements of Buddhism and Daoism. At the center of the painting are two figures: the Buddha Blazing Abundant Brightness from Buddhism and the Purple Tenuity Emperor from Daoism, both symbolizing the North Star. The Buddha Blazing Abundant Brightness is joined in the upper part of the painting by the Seven Buddhas, representing the Seven Stars, while the Purple Tenuity Emperor is flanked by the Seven Heavenly Officials, the Daoist equivalents of the Seven Buddhas. Hence, the painting merges the worlds of Buddhism and Daoism in a single image. The margin is decorated with patterns of auspicious fruits (e.g., pomegranate and peach), which is appropriate since the painting conveys a wish for longevity.
Hermit Sage
Joseon Dynasty (1878), 101.0x66.6cm, Colors on silk
National Museum of Korea
As one of the 16 arhats, the Hermit Sage (also known as Pindola Bharadvaja) is an enlightened being who became an important object of worship. Despite his gruff personality, he was believed to have supernatural powers, including the ability to quickly grant wishes. In 1878, this painting was donated to a temple by a couple who was each born in 1839, and so were 39 years old at the time. They donated the painting in the hopes of having a son, thus exemplifying the nature of Hermit Sage worship for lay believers.
Mountain Spirit
19th-20thcentury, 109.5 x 81.0 cm, Color on silk
National Museum of Korea
Paintings of the Mountain Spirit were incorporated into Buddhist temples as traditional folk beliefs merged with Buddhism. In fact, Buddhism has its own version of a mountain spirit, one of the guardian spirits of the Buddhist Dharma, but most Korean Buddhist paintings represent the Mountain Spirit in accordance with the iconography of folk beliefs. This painting is no exception, showing a typical representation of the Mountain Spirit as worshipped in folk beliefs—a numinous old man, accompanied by a tiger, against the backdrop of a rugged mountain. The Mountain Spirit is accompanied by a young attendant, and the tiger is characterized in a manner commonly found in folk paintings.