Four Heavenly Kings at Hwaŏmsa, Gurye: Pyŏgam Kaksŏng and Sculptor Monk In’gyun

Abstract

This study focuses on the sculptures of the Four Heavenly Kings at Hwaŏmsa. It had been unknown when or by whom they were made, but fortunately, I was able to propose that they were made in 1635-36 under the supervision of the sculptor monk In'gyun, based on their similarities in iconography and style to the Four Heavenly Kings at Songgwangsa, made in 1628. In'gyun participated in the erection of Buddhist sculptures at Songgwangsa, Hwaŏmsa, and Hŭngguksa. In particular, the Four Heavenly Kings at Songgwangsa were made in collaboration with Ŭngwŏn, and it is likely that with this experience, In'gyun was able to lead the project of the Four Heavenly Kings at Hwaŏmsa. As for the sculpture itself, I have always been curious about the rat in the hand of the King of the West, a motif that appears only in three early-17th-century temples in Jeollanamdo. A symbol of national security and wealth, the rat motif originated in Khotan, Central Asia, passed through Tibet and into Ming China where it was made into a woodcut in 1431. It is likely that Shin Iksŏng, a son-in-law of King Sŏnjo introduced this woodcut print to Chosŏn along with other Buddhist books and prints from Ming. When Pyŏgam Kaksŏng rebuilt Songgwangsa and Hwaŏmsa, he probably consulted Ming prints and put the rat, a symbol of national security and wealth, in the hand of the King of the West. In conclusion, by this study, I have aimed to demonstrate how Buddhist iconographies were not only based on Buddhist scriptures but also created through legends and myths of each region and developed to become a new iconography.