South Korean Temple to Enshrine Replica of Buddhist Statue Returned to Japan
Axios (Tổng hợp từ english.kyodonews.net)
A South Korean temple that returned a 14th-century Buddhist statue to Japan last year plans to enshrine a replica made from 3D scan data. The statue, originally stolen from a Japanese temple, sparked years of bilateral dispute. The replica aims to preserve cultural heritage and provide a place for local worship.
A temple in South Korea has decided to craft a replica of a 14th-century Buddhist statue for worship after returning the original to a Japanese temple from which it was previously stolen. Sources familiar with the case said Tuesday (May 11) that the replica will be made using 3D scanning data of the original work.
The gilded bronze Buddhist statue, dating from the 14th century, was returned by the South Korean temple to Japanese authorities last year following years of dispute. The incident began when the statue was stolen from a temple in Japan and later surfaced in South Korea, leading to extended bilateral negotiations.
Creating a replica from 3D data is seen as a way to preserve the cultural and spiritual value of the artifact while enabling South Korean Buddhists to continue to have a place for veneration. The temple expects to complete the replica and hold an enshrinement ceremony in the near future.
The case has drawn widespread interest from archaeological and Buddhist circles, as it touches on issues of artifact repatriation and historical tensions between the two neighboring countries.
