Korean Buddhist Statues in Japan Reunited in Landmark Exhibition After 17 Years

A special exhibition titled "Kyushu Dorae-bul" is currently underway at the Kyushu National Museum in Japan, bringing together over 40 significant Buddhist statues that originated from the Korean Peninsula. Curator Shin Osawa, who has dedicated 17 years to this project, described the exhibition as the realization of a long-held dream.

The exhibition aims to do more than just display these "Dorae-bul", statues that crossed the sea from the Korean Peninsula to Japan before the modern era. It seeks to place them within the broader context of Korean Buddhist art history, spanning the Silla, Goryeo, and Joseon dynasties. This is the first attempt to systematically position these artifacts within their original cultural and artistic lineage.

“

Korean statues that came to Japan across the sea before the modern era are called Dorae-bul in Japan. When I decided to research Dorae-bul, I promised myself that I would gather and exhibit them someday. That was in 2009 when I was a graduate student at Aoyama Gakuin University. After 17 years of deep consideration and waiting, I finally achieved my goal last month.

Among the featured works is a Goryeo Dynasty Avalokitesvara statue, which was returned to Tsushima Island last year after being stolen 13 years prior. The statue became the subject of a decade-long legal dispute after Korean thieves brought it to South Korea, with Buddhist circles arguing it was a relic plundered by Japanese pirates in the 14th century. The exhibition also includes a Unified Silla period gilt-bronze seated Buddha from Kurose Kannon-do on Tsushima, and various Goryeo Dynasty bodhisattva statues.

Osawa emphasized that "Dorae-bul" embody three histories: their origin on the Korean Peninsula, their journey across the sea, and their subsequent history in Japan as objects of faith for common people. He hopes the exhibition will foster joint research between Korean and Japanese academia to uncover the "homeland" and "transnational" histories of these statues, while also showcasing their cherished place in Japanese local faith.

“

Dorae-bul embody three histories: their origin on the Korean Peninsula, their journey across the sea, and their subsequent history in Japan as objects of faith for common people.