Gyeongju Golgulam Grotto Rock-Carved Seated Buddha

About this place

This is a rock-carved seated Buddha located at the topmost of twelve natural rock caves used as cave temples on the high rock face of Golgulam Grotto. A painting by the Joseon-period artist Jeong Seon (Gyeomjae) titled 'Golgulseokgul' (Cave Rock of Golgul) depicts a wooden antechamber, but today only traces remain in the rock. Above the shaved head rises a high topknot (ushnisha), and the clearly contoured face shows narrowed eyes, a small mouth, and a narrow, long nose — features indicating more stylization than previous works. Compared with the prominent three-dimensionality of the face, the flat body has shoulders rendered nearly horizontally and wide. The neck and upper chest are damaged. The robe folds are mainly regular parallel lines, with V-shaped patterns at the armpits indicating the contours of the arms and body. The carved rock halo shows traces of a head halo with lotus patterns and rhythmic flame motifs around the statue. The flat body and thinly molded stepped robe folds, and the U-shaped underarm folds, are similar to the Bonghwa Chukseo Temple Stone Seated Vairocana Buddha and wooden halo made in 867, suggesting the statue was carved in the late Unified Silla period.