Chungcheongnam-do

The Geumdong Bangasayusang (Maitreya seated with one leg crossed while meditating), with a smile on its face, captures the eye and the heart of the viewer. The generosity of the Bosalsang in its smile reflects a sublime beauty.
What kind of beauty does the Geumdong Bangasayusang have? Mr. Choi Soon-woo refers to its smile as follows: “the beauty of this Bangasayusang surpasses all kinds of man-made beauty…the indescribable beauty makes the viewer sigh in front of it… westerners praise Mona Lisa’s smile as the ‘eternal smile’ but if you put it next to the Mireukbosal Bangasayusang, Mona Lisa is no longer smiling, but frowning.”

It is the largest kind of Geumdong Bangasayusang in Korea, whose body is expressed in a simple yet balanced manner. The body is natural, slim and well-rounded at the same time, and is wrapped tightly with a heavenly robe without any wrinkles. The robe covers the legs emphasizing the knees and legs, and slides down naturally. The two ends of the robe coming down from the waist are hidden under the torso through two rings on each side of the legs.

The balanced body proportion, the dynamic and stable posture, and the roundness and plainness of National Treasure No.83 Geumdong Mireukbosal Bangasang are distinctive characteristics of the Baekjae Dynasty artwork. This Bangasayusang was presumably built during the King Mu Period of the Baekjae period (602-641).