This iron Buddha from Bowonsa Temple in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province was produced in the Goryeo period. In the late ninth and early tenth century, during the final stages of the Three Kingdoms and Unified Silla periods, the royal court was losing its authority, the centralized system of government was disintegrating, and the overall power was being dispersed. In accordance, Buddhist sculpture became more localized, taking on unique indigenous characteristics in different regions, a trend that carried over into the ensuing Goryeo period.