Mok Sixteen Arhats Statue of Bongeunsa Temple

The wooden Sixteen Arhats enshrined in Yeongsanjeon Hall at Bongeunsa Temple are arranged in two groups of eight, to the left and right of the triad comprising the seated Buddha Sakyamuni with his disciples Kasyapa and Ananda. It is customary for the Sixteen Arhats to be arranged with figures 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 and 15 enshrined on the left, and figures 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 16 on the right, but at present the order of the Sixteen Arhats in Yeongsanjeon Hall at Bongeunsa Temple has been disturbed and differs from their original positions, and four of the sixteen figures are modern replacements. Figure 1 on the right (facing the altar) is a youthful arhat with a shaven monk's head and hands joined in front of the chest in the gesture of respect (hapjang); the shape of the face and features closely resemble those of the principal Buddha Sakyamuni and the disciple Ananda. He wears an inner garment with a round collar beneath his monastic robe (gasa), and on the front of his rock-shaped seat a grotesque animal-mask motif is carved. The next figure wears his robes in the same manner as the previous one, but sits in the royal-ease pose (yunwangjwa) with the right knee raised, his hand resting on the knee. Figure 3 on the right is a modern replacement, seated in a relaxed posture (yuhuijwa) and holding a wish-fulfilling jewel (bojoo) in the left hand. Figure 4 holds a long string of prayer beads (yeomju) in the left hand resting on the knee, while the right hand rests on the right knee with the fingers curled in an amusing gesture. Figure 5 sits neatly with both hands folded together and placed over the abdomen, and figure 6, likewise a shaven-headed arhat, sits in the royal-ease pose with the left knee raised, holding a sutra scroll (gyeonggwon) in the right hand. Figure 7 is a modern replacement, seated in the relaxed posture and scratching his back. Figure 8 holds an open sutra book with both hands. Turning to the arhats on the left, figure 1 has the front of his monastic robe loosened so that the bare upper body is exposed; he is a chair-seated figure holding a child in his right arm. Figure 2 wears a hood over his robe with both hands concealed inside his garment, and the adjoining figure 3 is a modern replacement holding a monk's staff in the right hand and prayer beads in the left. Figure 4, shown holding an open sutra book with both hands, resembles figure 8 on the right. Figure 5 sits with the right knee drawn up close to the body and both hands wrapped around the knee; this type of posture is found in arhat images of the Five Dynasties and Song periods, and in some original examples the figure rests his face against the raised knee. Figure 6 is a modern replacement, seated with the knee raised and the left hand resting on it. Figure 7

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Where it is

Region

Gangnam-gu, Seoul

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산