Bhaisajyaguru Buddha

The statue was moved to the museum from Baengnyulsa Temple in Mt. Sogeumgangsan, Gyeongju, in 1930. Baengnyulsa Temple is the birthplace of the legend of Yi Chadon, an early Buddhist martyr, and is considered a sacred Buddhist temple of great tradition. This Bhaisajyaguru Buddha, along with the Amitabha Buddha and Vairocana Buddha in Bulguksa Temple, is widely regarded as the representative gilt-bronze Buddha statue of the Unified Silla Period. This life-size statue is extraordinarily detailed in its cast and sculpting, and the overall proportion of the body parts is exemplary. The restrained posture and immaculate rendering of the creases in the clothing set it apart from the style of the mid-8th century, which tended to emphasize the voluminous curves of the body parts. Thus, it is estimated to be from the late 8th century.