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Wooden Seated Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Statue Designated as a Tangible Cultural Heritage of Busan Metropolitan City

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that, as of today (October 1), the Wooden Seated Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Statue (木造地藏菩薩坐像) has been designated and officially announced as a Tangible Cultural Heritage of Busan.

The newly designated Tangible Cultural Heritage of Busan is the Wooden Seated Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Statue (木造地藏菩薩坐像), housed at Sangnyun Deokhwasa Temple in Dongnae-gu.

This Buddhist statue was created by the monk sculptor Jagyu (自圭). It is a valuable work for understanding the stylistic characteristics of monk sculptors active in the late 17th century, as well as the broader trends in Buddhist sculpture during the late Joseon period. It also serves as a useful reference for the study of Buddhist social history.

• ●Monk sculptor Jagyu: Believed to have begun his training in the late 1660s, Jagyu participated in the creation of the Wooden Seated Triad at Gobangsa Temple in Gimcheon (1670) and the reconstruction of the Wooden Seated Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Statue at Heirangdae, Haeinsa Temple in Hapcheon (1677).

The Wooden Seated Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Statue at Sangnyun Deokhwasa Temple, crafted by Jagyu, is characterized by:

• ●A square-shaped face that narrows toward the chin

• ●Prominent ears

• ●Distinct facial features gathered below a broad forehead

• ●Inner and outer robes folded and crossed to form tiers in front of the abdomen

• ●Two wide garment folds spread across the front of the legs

Additionally, the statue’s features include arched eyebrows leading into a small raised nose, elongated horizontal eyes half-opened, and slightly closed lips that form a faint smile. These give the statue an overall calm and childlike impression.

The creation period of this statue is estimated between 1677, when Jagyu worked on the Ksitigarbha Statue at Heirangdae, Haeinsa Temple, and 1688, when the Amitabha Statue at Cheongryuam, Baegyangsa Temple in Jangseong was produced.

Cho Yu-jang, Director of the Culture Bureau of Busan, stated, “This September, one cultural heritage item was newly designated through the City Cultural Heritage Committee, and as of October 1, Busan holds a total of 576 cultural heritage items. Going forward, our city will continue to actively discover valuable cultural heritage to promote citizens’ enjoyment of traditional culture and share it with the community. In particular, we will make efforts to preserve Buddhist cultural heritage housed in Busan temples so that it can be passed down to future generations.”

Further details on this cultural heritage designation can be found in the official announcements section of Busan Metropolitan City. As of October 1, 2025, the city’s total holdings of cultural heritage stand at 576, an increase of 11 items compared to the previous year.