Among the most popular treasures in the National Museum of Korea, these two Pensive Bodhisattvas are probably the greatest highlights. They are more than 1,400 years old, and both are National Treasures. They are also the only objects in the museum displayed in their own independent gallery, called the Room of Quiet Contemplation . The room was designed by Korean architect Choi Wook. You first walk from a bright corridor into a dark passage. While your eyes adjust to the darkness, your mind also begins to calm down. Then you turn right and enter a large hall, but there are only two statues inside. Because there is so much empty space around them, you naturally focus on the statues. The floor rises slightly toward them, at an angle of about one degree. You may not notice it with your eyes, but your body can sense it, so you naturally walk more slowly. Above you are approximately 21,000 aluminium rods. Their different lengths and angles make the ceiling appear tilted and endless, al...
Among the most popular treasures in the National Museum of Korea, these two Pensive Bodhisattvas are probably the greatest highlights.
They are more than 1,400 years old, and both are National Treasures. They are also the only objects in the museum displayed in their own independent gallery, called the Room of Quiet Contemplation.
The room was designed by Korean architect Choi Wook. You first walk from a bright corridor into a dark passage. While your eyes adjust to the darkness, your mind also begins to calm down.
Then you turn right and enter a large hall, but there are only two statues inside. Because there is so much empty space around them, you naturally focus on the statues.
The floor rises slightly toward them, at an angle of about one degree. You may not notice it with your eyes, but your body can sense it, so you naturally walk more slowly.
Above you are approximately 21,000 aluminium rods. Their different lengths and angles make the ceiling appear tilted and endless, almost like a night sky. Nothing in this room feels completely straight or ordinary, creating an almost surreal atmosphere.
Now, look at their posture.
Each figure has one leg resting across the opposite knee and one hand touching the cheek. The Korean name literally means a figure sitting with one leg crossed while thinking deeply.
The pose may remind you of Rodin’s The Thinker. However, Rodin’s figure looks physically tense, while these figures appear calm and peaceful.
This pose is traditionally connected with Prince Siddhartha before he became the Buddha. Although he was born a prince and could enjoy wealth, power and a secure future, he realised that every human being grows old, becomes sick and eventually dies.
He therefore had to make a difficult choice: remain in the palace or abandon everything to search for the cause of human suffering.
Their smiles are not broad smiles. They are very faint. They seem to capture the moment when deep anxiety and inner conflict gradually turn into peace and enlightenment.
The two statues may look similar, but they are quite different.
The statue on the left was made in the late sixth century. It has a more elaborate crown, richer decoration and graceful curved lines.
The statue on the right was made in the seventh century. Its upper body is simpler and more restrained, but the folds below the knee are deeper and more dynamic.
So the left statue shows the beauty of decoration, while the right statue shows the beauty of simplicity and balance.
Here are some lesser-known facts.
Both statues were designated National Treasures on the same day, December 20, 1962. They were formerly called National Treasure No. 78 and No. 83, but these numbers did not represent their value. They were simply administrative registration numbers.
They are similar in size, but very different in weight. The left statue weighs about 37 kilograms, while the right one weighs about 112 kilograms. The later statue was cast with thicker bronze, showing how casting techniques developed over time.
They are also unusually large. Most surviving gilt-bronze Pensive Bodhisattvas are small enough to hold in your hands, but these two are over 80 and 90 centimetres tall. Creating bronze statues of this size and complexity required highly advanced technology.
Finally, the statue on the right closely resembles the famous wooden Pensive Bodhisattva at Kōryūji Temple in Kyoto, Japan.
The Japanese statue was once believed to have been made from Japanese camphor wood. However, after one of its fingers was accidentally broken and examined during restoration, the wood was identified as red pine, a material commonly used on the Korean Peninsula.
An ancient Japanese historical record also mentions that a Buddhist statue was sent from the Korean Peninsula to Japan.
This does not prove every detail of the statue’s origin, but it clearly shows that Korea and Japan were actively exchanging their culture during the sixth and seventh centuries.
So this gallery is not simply a room containing two old statues. Everything—the darkness, the sloping floor, the unusual ceiling, the empty space and the faint smiles—encourages us to slow down and look inward.
We enter the room to observe the statues, but we may leave thinking more deeply about ourselves.
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The National Museum of Korea’s Most Popular Treasures: The Pensive Bodhisattvas
Among the most popular treasures at the National Museum of Korea, the two Pensive Bodhisattvas in the Room of Quiet Contemplation are undoubtedly the greatest highlights.
These gilt-bronze statues are among the museum’s most valuable objects. When they have been considered for overseas exhibitions, their insured value has reportedly reached around 100 billion Korean won, showing just how precious they are.
They are also the only treasures in the museum displayed in their own independent gallery. Both are more than 1,000 years old, and both are designated National Treasures of Korea.
Why Is It Called the Room of Quiet Contemplation?
The Room of Quiet Contemplation was designed by Korean architect Choi Wook.
Your experience begins in a bright museum corridor. You then enter a dark passageway. As you move from light into darkness, your eyes gradually adjust, and your mind naturally begins to calm down.
This is not simply a room where ancient objects are displayed. The entire space was designed as a psychological journey, leading visitors away from the noise of everyday life and into their inner world.
When you turn right, you enter a large hall measuring about 330 square metres, or roughly 100 pyeong. However, there are only two statues inside.
Because the room contains so much empty space and only two figures, your attention is naturally drawn toward them. Both statues have one leg resting across the opposite knee and appear to be deeply lost in thought.
Their pose may remind you of Auguste Rodin’s famous sculpture, The Thinker.
Rather than simply delivering historical information, this gallery encourages visitors to concentrate on the two statues and interpret them in their own way.
That is why it is called the Room of Quiet Contemplation.
How the Room Is Designed
Architect Choi Wook included several subtle devices intended to encourage visitors to slow down and enter a deeper state of reflection.
When you enter the room, the walls, floor and ceiling all seem to be slightly tilted.
The floor rises by about one degree as you approach the statues. The slope is so gentle that you may not notice it with your eyes, but your body senses it unconsciously.
As a result, people tend to walk more carefully and slowly instead of quickly passing through the room.
The ceiling also appears to be tilted, but the actual ceiling itself is not dramatically sloped. Instead, approximately 21,000 aluminium rods have been installed above the gallery.
The rods have different lengths and angles, creating the impression that the ceiling is curved, flowing or tilted.
Because it is difficult to see the exact height and boundaries of the ceiling, visitors may feel as though they are standing beneath an endless universe.
Nothing in the room appears completely straight, fixed or standardised. The unusual floor, walls, ceiling, darkness and lighting awaken the senses and create an almost surreal atmosphere.
A Key Viewing Point: The Smile of the Pensive Bodhisattva
The statue on the left does not face directly forward. Its body and face are turned slightly toward the entrance.
As visitors enter the gallery, it almost seems as though the statue is looking toward them and welcoming them.
Instead of visitors simply looking at the statue, the arrangement creates the impression that the statue and the visitor are exchanging glances.
The gallery was also designed with a scale and structure similar to a small theatre.
In a small theatre, even the audience members sitting at the back can still see the actors’ faces and expressions onstage.
In the same way, visitors standing at the far end of the Room of Quiet Contemplation can still see the faces and delicate smiles of the two statues.
What Does the Smile Mean?
The statues are not smiling broadly. Instead, there is only the suggestion of a faint smile around their lips.
This pose is generally associated with Prince Siddhartha, the future Buddha, meditating deeply on the meaning of human life before leaving his palace.
Prince Siddhartha was born into a royal family. He could have enjoyed wealth, power, family life and a secure future.
However, he eventually realised that every human being grows old, becomes sick and ultimately dies. This awareness led him into a profound inner struggle.
Should he remain inside the luxurious palace and enjoy a comfortable life?
Or should he abandon everything and leave in search of the cause of human suffering, ageing, sickness and death?
He stood at one of the most important crossroads of his life.
At first, he must have experienced deep conflict and anxiety. However, once he finally decided to let everything go, his mind would have become calm.
The faint smile of the Pensive Bodhisattva appears to capture this exact moment, when anxiety and inner conflict gradually transform into peace and enlightenment.
What Is the Difference Between the Two National Treasures?
One of the questions tourists ask most frequently is, “What is the difference between these two statues?”
At first, they look very similar. However, when you examine them closely, they have quite different characteristics.
The statue on the left was made in the late sixth century and was formerly known as National Treasure No. 78.
The statue on the right was made in the seventh century and was formerly known as National Treasure No. 83.
The Statue on the Left
The statue on the left wears an elaborate crown and richly decorated clothing.
Its garments are relatively ornate, while the folds flowing downward are calm, soft and carefully arranged.
Its delicate decoration and graceful curves create an impression that is both splendid and elegant.
The Statue on the Right
The statue on the right is simpler and more restrained.
Its upper body has very little decoration, and the lines of the body are clean and minimal.
However, the folds of the garment falling below the knee are deeper, more dramatic and more elaborate.
The simple upper body contrasts with the dynamic folds below, creating a sense of harmony and balance.
The statue on the left represents the beauty of decoration and flowing curves, while the statue on the right demonstrates the beauty of simplicity, restraint and carefully controlled balance.
The Small Projection Behind the Head
When you look behind the head of the statue formerly known as National Treasure No. 78, you can see a small projection.
This was originally used to attach a halo, called gwangbae in Korean.
A halo was a decorative element representing the sacred light radiating from the body of a Buddha or bodhisattva.
The original halo has disappeared, and only the attachment point remains today.
Lesser-Known Facts About the Two Pensive Bodhisattvas
1. They Were Designated National Treasures on the Same Day
Both statues were designated National Treasures on December 20, 1962.
They were formerly called National Treasure No. 78 and National Treasure No. 83. However, these numbers did not represent their artistic value or importance.
They were simply administrative numbers assigned according to the order in which the objects were officially registered.
In other words, a lower number did not mean that an object was more valuable.
2. They Are Similar in Size but Very Different in Weight
Although the two statues are similar in size, their weights are remarkably different.
The statue on the left, formerly National Treasure No. 78, weighs approximately 37 kilograms.
The statue on the right, formerly National Treasure No. 83, weighs approximately 112 kilograms—almost three times as much.
The bronze walls of the left statue range from approximately 0.34 centimetres to 2 centimetres in thickness. The right statue, particularly around its lower section, was cast much more thickly.
The earlier statue was made with extremely thin bronze walls and a fine clay inner core. Because of this, the molten metal did not always flow evenly through the mould, resulting in casting flaws in several areas.
The later statue was made several decades afterward. Although the artisans used a similar bronze material, they mixed sand into the inner clay core and made the bronze walls considerably thicker.
This allowed trapped air and gases to escape more effectively during casting.
As a result, the later statue became almost three times heavier, but its casting was much cleaner and more successful.
This difference shows how metalworking techniques improved from one generation of artisans to the next.
3. They Are Exceptionally Large
More gilt-bronze Pensive Bodhisattva statues have survived than many people realise. However, most of them are small enough to hold in one’s hands.
By comparison, the two statues in the Room of Quiet Contemplation are exceptionally large.
The statue formerly known as National Treasure No. 78 is approximately 82 centimetres tall, while the statue formerly known as National Treasure No. 83 is more than 90 centimetres tall.
Casting a bronze figure of this size required highly advanced technology.
The pose is particularly difficult because the arms and legs are connected at complicated angles. As the size increases, maintaining the statue’s balance and proportions becomes increasingly challenging.
Therefore, these two statues are not only beautiful religious sculptures. They also demonstrate the remarkable bronze-casting skills of artisans during Korea’s Three Kingdoms period.
Their exceptional size becomes even clearer when we compare them with other examples.
The National Treasure Pensive Bodhisattva in the Leeum Museum of Art is only about 17.5 centimetres tall.
Other Pensive Bodhisattvas in the National Museum of Korea measure approximately 28.6 centimetres and 11.1 centimetres.
While most surviving examples are small enough to hold in one’s hands, the two statues in this gallery are large enough to have stood prominently in a Buddhist ritual space.
4. The Connection with the Wooden Pensive Bodhisattva at Kōryūji Temple in Japan
The statue on the right, formerly National Treasure No. 83, is famous for its remarkable resemblance to the wooden Pensive Bodhisattva at Kōryūji Temple in Kyoto, Japan.
There is an interesting story connected with the Japanese statue.
The Kōryūji Pensive Bodhisattva was once known as Japan’s National Treasure No. 1. It was long believed in Japan that the sculpture had been made from camphor wood, a material commonly associated with Japanese Buddhist sculpture.
Then one day, a university student became so captivated by the statue’s beauty that he climbed up and embraced it. During the incident, one of the statue’s fingers broke.
When specialists examined the wood while repairing the damaged finger, they discovered that it was not camphor wood. It was red pine.
Red pine was commonly used for Buddhist sculptures on the Korean Peninsula. In addition, an ancient Japanese historical record mentions that a Buddhist statue was sent from Korea to Japan.
These discoveries have therefore been used as evidence of the close cultural relationship between ancient Korea and Japan.
The two countries were not isolated from each other. Buddhist ideas, sculptures, materials, artistic styles, technologies and possibly even craftsmen travelled across the sea.
The similarity between the Korean gilt-bronze statue and the Japanese wooden statue is therefore an important clue to the active cultural exchange that took place between the Korean Peninsula and Japan during the sixth and seventh centuries.