The "Gilt-bronze Pensive Maitreya Bodhisattva," a treasured collection piece of the National Museum of Korea, is being reborn as an artwork.
The Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation (KOMSCO) announced that it will begin accepting pre-orders for its currency intaglio print "Pensive Bodhisattva" starting May 21.
The "Pensive Bodhisattva" intaglio print recreates the Gilt-bronze Pensive Maitreya Bodhisattva—which gained widespread popularity through the National Museum Foundation's Mu:ds brand—as a new artwork using KOMSCO's currency manufacturing technology. It marks the third collaboration in the series, following "Inwangjesaekdo" and "Maenghodo."
The "Pensive Bodhisattva Intaglio Print" incorporates KOMSCO's proprietary currency manufacturing technology. The work, rendered using only lines and dots, applies intaglio printing technology that produces a textured, raised feel when touched by hand. This is a representative element used as an anti-counterfeiting technology.
Microtext is also embedded within the image, serving as an anti-forgery feature by causing letters to break apart or appear as lines or dots when copied or printed.
All works commonly feature microtext including "KOMSCO," "Pensive Bodhisattva," and "Korea," while an illustration of the Pensive Bodhisattva seated atop a lotus flower is hidden as a micro-image, adding an element of discovery for viewers.
The intaglio prints come in four versions: large, medium, small A, and small B. In addition to the existing small version, the newly released small B—which adds a frame mat—broadens consumer choice. Production is strictly limited to a total of 1,750 pieces: 250 large, 500 medium, and 500 each of the two small versions.
