Gilt-bronze Standing Buddha from Borisa Temple Site, Uiryeong

This is one of the representative Gilt-Bronze Standing Buddha statues presumably in the 9th century, considering that the reversed hand gestures, the line carvings, the flat face, the folds in the robe, and the plate casting technique were mainly taken at the end of the Unified Silla period (668-935). Excavated in 1948 from the Borisa Temple Site in Uiryeong, Gyeongsangnam-do province, the statue is of great importance, due to its dignified expression, engraved folds in the robes, and the simple shape of the pedestal. To be specific, the hand gestures of the Buddha are a combination of the gestures of Fear Not and Wish Granting with the right hand down and the left hand raised, which is opposite of the usual combination of the hand gestures. The face is flat, and the eyes appear horizontally long. There are no detailed expressions on the ears; and the eyes, nose, and lips which are centered on the face are deeply carved, giving a formalized appearance. The highly protruding topknot is cone-shared, and there are not three lines on the neck.

Conservation story
At the time of the regular inspection in 2019, both fingers of the Buddha statue were damaged, and bronze corrosion was found in various places between the surface plating layers, so preservation treatment was carried out. The pre-examination of the Buddha image was carried out in the order of X-ray transmission, computed tomography (CT), X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF), and microscopic observation, starting with photographic development. First, corrosion of bronze was confirmed between the surface plating layers, which it was understood that some corrosion had progressed. Second, cracks were found not only in both fingers but also in the lower part of the right side of the Buddha image, so structural reinforcement was urgently needed. Third, adhesive marks were found on the inside of the base of the pedestal. In addition, the internal structure of the statue could be understood, and it was confirmed that the tip of the sole of the foot was fixed to the inner surface of the pedestal in the shape of two or three molars. When the engraving technique was investigated through a stereomicroscopic examination, the folds of the clothes were drawn with a triangular chisel, and the relatively thickly engraved eyes and eyebrows were finished with continuous engraving. As a result of analyzing the components by X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF), it was found that the Buddha image was made of copper (Cu) and then the surface was plated with an amalgam method that mixed mercury (Hg) and gold (Au).
Foreign substances on the surface were observed with a stereomicroscope and removed using a brush and a surgical knife in a line that did not damage the plating layer. After natural drying in a thermo-hygrostat with little rapid environmental change due to poor preservation, three times of stabilization treatment was performed, and reinforcement treatment was performed with natural impregnation method. Afterwards, the cracks on both fingertips and pedestal of the right lobe, which are likely to be damaged, were reinforced with 10-20% of Paraloid B-72 and preservation treatment was finished.