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Created page with "*''Built: 751-774, Kim Daesong'' Seokguram is an 8th century Buddhist cave temple grotto which stands atop Mt. Toham, just outside the city of Gyeongju, the forme..."
*''Built: [[751]]-[[774]], [[Kim Daesong]]''
Seokguram is an 8th century Buddhist cave temple grotto which stands atop Mt. Toham, just outside the city of Gyeongju, the former capital of the Korean kingdom of [[Silla]]. A [[National Treasure of Korea]], the temple is considered one of the most significant early Buddhist monuments in East Asia.<ref>Gallery labels, "Silla: Korea's Golden Kingdom," Metropolitan Museum, Dec 2013.</ref>
Commissioned and funded by [[Kim Daesong]] ([[700]]-[[774]]) in honor of his parents from a previous life, the temple was built over the period from [[751]] to 774. It consists of two sections - a short entrance corridor, and a domed main chamber - both constructed of stone slabs which form the floors, walls, and domed ceiling. A large stone Buddha, seated at the center of the domed chamber, is the central object of worship. It is surrounded by reliefs (on the stone walls and ceiling panels) of [[bodhisattva]]s and other Buddhist figures, arranged in a particular fashion. Gwaneum (J: [[Kannon]]) is located directly the behind the Buddha, below slabs depicting the Buddha's [[mandorla]]. Manjusri (J: [[Monju]]) and Samantabrdra (J: [[Fugen]]) stand to either side in front of the Buddha, along with Brahma and Indra, the [[Shitenno|Guardians of the Four Directions]], and depictions of the eight classes of beings.
The stone chamber, upon completion, was covered over with earth to form a mound, resulting in a natural-looking but manmade cave. In the 1960s, a brightly painted wooden temple structure was added onto the cave entrance.
{{stub}}
==References==
*Gallery labels, "Silla: Korea's Golden Kingdom," Metropolitan Museum, Dec 2013.
<references/>
[[Category:Nara Period]]
[[Category:Temples]]
Seokguram is an 8th century Buddhist cave temple grotto which stands atop Mt. Toham, just outside the city of Gyeongju, the former capital of the Korean kingdom of [[Silla]]. A [[National Treasure of Korea]], the temple is considered one of the most significant early Buddhist monuments in East Asia.<ref>Gallery labels, "Silla: Korea's Golden Kingdom," Metropolitan Museum, Dec 2013.</ref>
Commissioned and funded by [[Kim Daesong]] ([[700]]-[[774]]) in honor of his parents from a previous life, the temple was built over the period from [[751]] to 774. It consists of two sections - a short entrance corridor, and a domed main chamber - both constructed of stone slabs which form the floors, walls, and domed ceiling. A large stone Buddha, seated at the center of the domed chamber, is the central object of worship. It is surrounded by reliefs (on the stone walls and ceiling panels) of [[bodhisattva]]s and other Buddhist figures, arranged in a particular fashion. Gwaneum (J: [[Kannon]]) is located directly the behind the Buddha, below slabs depicting the Buddha's [[mandorla]]. Manjusri (J: [[Monju]]) and Samantabrdra (J: [[Fugen]]) stand to either side in front of the Buddha, along with Brahma and Indra, the [[Shitenno|Guardians of the Four Directions]], and depictions of the eight classes of beings.
The stone chamber, upon completion, was covered over with earth to form a mound, resulting in a natural-looking but manmade cave. In the 1960s, a brightly painted wooden temple structure was added onto the cave entrance.
{{stub}}
==References==
*Gallery labels, "Silla: Korea's Golden Kingdom," Metropolitan Museum, Dec 2013.
<references/>
[[Category:Nara Period]]
[[Category:Temples]]