[Toronto] The 888 Auction, based in Toronto, Canada, recently unveiled a historically significant artifact, the White Gwanyin Stone Budda from the 4th century in Goguryeo. It is estimated that White Gwanyin(觀音) Stone Budda was founded after ordering the construction of a stone Buddha to pray for the well-being of the people and the peacefulness of the country after the 19th King Gwanggaeto ascended the throne.
The inscriptions on the statue's body are difficult to read in their entirety, but they show that it was created in the 4th century, and the words "Bokdorakse"(福道樂世) and "Goryeo Taewang"(高麗太王) were engraved on the front and back of the inscriptions, respectively.
Experts believe that the inscription dates the stone Buddha to the first year of King Gwanggaeto's reign in 391, the year of the Shinmyo(辛卯). King Gwanggaeto (374-412, October lunar calendar) ruled for 22 years, from 391 in the year of Shinmyo to 412 in the year of Imja, and was known by several names, including Damdeok or An, and also Yeongrak(永樂) of the first era name in Korean history.
Note that there is a one-year discrepancy with the reign of King Gwanggaeto in the Three Kingdoms chronicles.
Interestingly, King Gwanggaeto is also known as the Taewang of Goryeo, and is also mentioned in the tombstone dedicated to him.
It is also interesting that King Gwanggaeto is called King Hotae (好太王) of Goryeo in China and Japan. Goryeo, which emerged after the fall of Goguryeo, is significant in that the history and culture of the two countries were closely perpetuated, as can be seen from the fact that they continued to use the title Goguryeo after the 4th century.
The White Gwanyin stone Buddha was purchased by Sunny Kim, CEO and founder of 888 Auctions, at Sotheby's International in Canada in 2009. "At the time of purchase, I thought it was a stone Buddha from the early Goryeo period, but after 14 years, I realized that it was a Buddha statue from the first year of King Gwanggaeto of Goguryeo," Kim explains. "The White Gwanyin stone Buddha is considered a special royal relic that goes beyond the level of treasure, not only for its aesthetic value, but also because it reflects the heritage of Goguryeo and the beliefs and identity of the people of that time," he said.
