Head of Buddha statue is found in Mt. Nam in Gyeongju

The head of a Buddha statue that seems to have been detached from a stone seated Buddha statue dating from the Unified Silla period has been discovered at a Buddhist temple site in Mt. Nam in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province.

The Gyeongju municipal government discovered the head of a Buddha statue, which is estimated to have been separated from the stone seated Buddha statue, while identifying the original location of the statue during the Japanese colonial era, the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) said on Wednesday. The statue was removed from its original place during research while the upper and middle stones of the statue’s pedestal were exposed in an unstable manner. The lower stone was located near a large rock, having been removed from its original location. The head was found upside down facing the west near the rock with some gilts discovered in the right side of the face and the ears, according to the CHA.

A round crystal, which embellished the hair between the eyebrows, was also found detached near the head, along with a small bronze tower and a Buddha statue.

The newly found Buddha’s head will trigger academic discussions on the regilding with gold and recoloring of the stone seated Buddha statue and rock-carved Buddha image from the Unified Silla period. The Gyeongju municipal government will restore the head and the seated statue and clean the site.


Jong-Yeob JO jjj@donga.com