Unknown
Wooden Phoenixes Joseon dynasty (1392-1910), 18th century

Not on view

Pair of carved and polychromed wooden bird sculptures with outstretched wings, open beaks, and worn gold, green, and red-brown paint, mounted on thin metal display rods

Artist or Maker: Unknown
Title: Wooden Phoenixes
Place Made: Korea
Date Made: Joseon dynasty (1392-1910), 18th century
Medium: Carved wood with paint and gilding
Dimensions: .a) 9 3/8 x 10 1/2 x 6 3/4 in. (23.81 x 26.67 x 17.15 cm); .b) 9 1/2 x 8 7/8 x 7 1/8 in. (24.13 x 22.54 x 18.1 cm)
Credit Line: Purchased with Museum Funds
Accession Number: M.2000.15.136a-b
Classification: Sculpture
Collecting Area: Chinese and Korean Art
Curatorial Notes: Signifying peace and immortality, the phoenix is considered sacred in both Buddhism and Korean culture. Depictions of a phoenixlike bird, known as bonghwang, have been found on wall paintings dating to as early as the Baekche kingdom (18660). As one of the four celestial animals associated with the four cardinal directions, the phoenixlike bird represented the south. The meaning of LACMA’s pair of wood phoenixes departs from ancient associations and has been molded by subsequent cultural beliefs. The pair were likely intended to be hung in a Buddhist temple to maintain tranquility. To make the religion more inviting to the common people, Buddhist ornaments such as these phoenixes were often influenced by folk art.

Buddhist ritualistic implements and ornaments made of wood were common, but few have survived due to the medium’s natural vulnerability to fire. Although the Joseon dynasty suppressed Buddhism, and the phoenix became a symbol largely reserved for use by royalty, the religion was rooted so deeply in society that it could not be completely eradicated.

Virginia Moon

2024
Selected Bibliography: Korean Art Collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, U.S.A. Daejeon, Republic of Korea: National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, 2012.

Unknown
Wooden Phoenixes Joseon dynasty (1392-1910), 18th century

Not on view

Artist or Maker: Unknown
Title: Wooden Phoenixes
Place Made: Korea
Date Made: Joseon dynasty (1392-1910), 18th century
Medium: Carved wood with paint and gilding
Dimensions: .a) 9 3/8 x 10 1/2 x 6 3/4 in. (23.81 x 26.67 x 17.15 cm); .b) 9 1/2 x 8 7/8 x 7 1/8 in. (24.13 x 22.54 x 18.1 cm)
Credit Line: Purchased with Museum Funds
Accession Number: M.2000.15.136a-b
Classification: Sculpture
Collecting Area: Chinese and Korean Art
Curatorial Notes: Signifying peace and immortality, the phoenix is considered sacred in both Buddhism and Korean culture. Depictions of a phoenixlike bird, known as bonghwang, have been found on wall paintings dating to as early as the Baekche kingdom (18660). As one of the four celestial animals associated with the four cardinal directions, the phoenixlike bird represented the south. The meaning of LACMA’s pair of wood phoenixes departs from ancient associations and has been molded by subsequent cultural beliefs. The pair were likely intended to be hung in a Buddhist temple to maintain tranquility. To make the religion more inviting to the common people, Buddhist ornaments such as these phoenixes were often influenced by folk art.

Buddhist ritualistic implements and ornaments made of wood were common, but few have survived due to the medium’s natural vulnerability to fire. Although the Joseon dynasty suppressed Buddhism, and the phoenix became a symbol largely reserved for use by royalty, the religion was rooted so deeply in society that it could not be completely eradicated.

Virginia Moon

2024
Selected Bibliography: Korean Art Collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, U.S.A. Daejeon, Republic of Korea: National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, 2012.