In Korean art history, the Baekje smile is the common smile motif found in Baekje sculpture and bas-relief. Baekje figures express a unique smile that has been described as both enigmatic and subtle. The smile has also been characterized in many different ways from "genuinely glowing" to "thin and mild" to "unfathomable and benevolent".asianinfo.org
While Goguryeo sculpture was highly rigid, and Silla sculpture was formalized, Baekje sculpture exhibited distinct characteristics of warmth, softness, and used relaxed poses. britannica.com Sometimes, the Baekje style has been attributed to influence from the southern Chinese dynasties. The smile gives the Baekje statues a sense of friendliness and an air of pleasantness that is rarely found in other traditions of Buddhist sculpture. The smile is considered to be unique and distinctive. buddhamuseum.com
See also Archaic smile Baekje Korean art Gilt-bronze Maitreya in Meditation
References
External links Britannica Cultural Development of the Three Kingdoms 9th Century Korean Bronze Buddha Shakyamuni Meditating Bodhisattva – Musée National Des Arts Asiatiques-Guimet – ROK embassy to the US Korean Influence on Japanese Culture