1천년 걸쳐 일본 흘러간 한반도 불상, 한자리에…“17년 만에 이룬 꿈”

Over a thousand years ago, Buddhist statues were brought from the Korean Peninsula to Japan, now referred to as "arrival statues." The term caught the attention of a graduate student at the Ayaya University Graduate School named Osa and Shin in 2009. Over the next 17 years, she carefully studied and waited, finally achieving her goal last month.

The special exhibition "Kusshu Arrival Statues" opened on July 7th at the Dajihoo Kusshu National Museum in Japan's Fukui Prefecture and runs until the 30th. During an interview with Hangeul, she reflected on the exhibition's significance, both for its recognition and its criticism. Out of the more than 100 arrival statues from Matsuoka and Kusshu, 40 key works were selected to be displayed together for the first time, contextualizing them within the history of Korean Buddhist art.

Among the displayed statues, a 13-year-old seized Han dynasty statue from the Seosan Bulsae Sa Temple in Matsuoka was a highlight. Other notable pieces included a 8th-century gilt bronze Buddha statue, an 11th-century wooden statue of the Bodhisattva Jizō, and a 14th-century Bodhisattva from a Sa Temple in Kusshu. These statues, along with others, were brought together to represent the history of Korean Buddhism and its connection to Japanese culture.