During the early Unified Silla period, a set of steles carved with Buddhist imagery was produced in the Yeongi region, which had previously been part of the Baekje Kingdom. Seven of these steles are currently extant, including this one, which depicts Amitabha Buddha and bears an inscription recording its production date, patrons, and the identity of its carved Buddha, making it a crucial resource for the study of Korean Buddhist sculpture. This rectangular stele, made from dark gray pagodite, was originally located in Biamsa Temple in Yeongi-gun, which is now Sejong City. It is carved on all four sides with Buddhist images and the inscription, providing an abundance of useful information for scholars and historians.

In 1960, three Buddhist steles were discovered at Biamsa Temple in Jeonui-myeon, Yeongi-gun, Chungcheongnam-do Province (now Sejong City). These steles are now housed at Cheongju National Museum. One of the three was this stele with an inscription that reveals its production date, the people who commissioned it, and the identity of the Buddha carved on it.

The inscription is engraved on the front, sides, and back of the stele. Through the years, the stele has suffered considerable abrasion, making some parts of the inscription difficult or impossible to read. But the legible characters indicate that the stele was produced in the Gyeyu year of the sixty-year Asian calendar cycle. The inscription further states that the patrons were a group of Buddhists that included a “Mr. Jeon,” who built a temple in honor of the king, government officials, parents from the past seven lifetimes, and all sentient beings. Finally, the inscription mentions the creation of a carving of Amitabha Buddha, Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva, and twenty Nirmana-Buddhas.

The inscription also includes titles of both Baekje government officials, such as Dalsol (達率), and Silla government officials, such as Naemal (乃末) and Daesa (大舍). As documented in History of the Three Kingdoms (三國史記), after conquering Baekje and Goguryeo to unify the three kingdoms, King Munmu of Silla granted former officials of Baekje equivalent positions in Silla. The inscription on this stele indicates that it was produced by former citizens of Baekje shortly after the region was incorporated into Silla territory. Based on this information, the year Gyeyu likely corresponds to the thirteenth year of King Munmu’s reign, which is 673 CE, during the early Unified Silla period.

As mentioned, this Amitabha Buddha stele is one of seven extant steles that were found in the Yeongi region. All seven of these steles are made from the same stone material and show very similar carving styles and techniques, indicating that they were likely produced by the same group of sculptors. Notably, the Yeongi region was once part of Baekje territory, and is quite far from Gyeongju, the capital of Silla. The fact that a significant number of Buddhist steles were found in this region suggests several important points. Based on the production date and the mixture of Baekje and Silla titles in the inscription, it seems that, even after Silla’s unification, the former officials and citizens of Baekje continued to produce Buddhist sculptures according to their own tradition in their local region.

This stele has a rectangular protrusion on the bottom and indentations on the upper surface, indicated that it was originally accompanied by a separate platform and roof stone. The main design on the front shows a central seated Buddha with a robe that drapes down over the pedestal. This central figure is flanked on both sides by a symmetrical arrangement of bodhisattvas and Vajrapani (guardians armed with vajras). Standing between the peripheral figures are arhats, with only their faces and upper bodies visible. Behind the triad is a large double halo with Nirmana-Buddhas and flame motifs carved on the inside and Heavenly Musicians playing music on the outside, adding a touch of extravagance and vibrancy. The design also includes a pair of lions, one on each side of the Buddha’s lotus pedestal. Whereas most lions in such Buddhist images are shown kneeling, these lions are standing with all four feet on the ground and their heads resting on the pedestal.

On each side of the stele are carvings of four Heavenly Musicians emerging from the mouths of dragons, with inscriptions between them. Notably, the bodies of the dragons are facing towards the front of the stele, where the Amitabha Buddha triad is carved. The Heavenly Musicians are realistically depicted playing various traditional wind, stringed, and percussion instruments. For added rhythm and vitality, they are adorned in long, narrow strips of ornamental cloth that wrap around both wrists and hang down in front of the body in a U-shape.

On the back of the stele are twenty Nirmana-Buddhas arranged in four horizontal rows. Between the Nirmana-Buddhas, the names of people who were involved in the creation of the stele are incised.

This stele is linked to another Amitabha Buddha stele that was discovered at Biamsa Temple, which has an inscription that reads “Gichuk year” and also includes the name of Amitabha Buddha. As the two earliest known examples of Buddhist images with the name “Amitabha Buddha” in their inscription, these two steles have great significance in the history of Korean Buddhist sculpture. But this stele with “Gyeyu year” inscription is particularly important, as its inscription also documents that the two attendant bodhisattvas are Avalokiteshvara and Mahasthamaprapta, indicating that the composition and iconography of the Amitabha Buddha triad had already been established.

Together, these two Amitabha Buddha steles show that the faith in Amitabha Buddha had become prevalent by the time of their production, reflecting people’s desire to attain enlightenment and be reborn in the western realm of the Pure Land, where Amitabha Buddha presided.