Lone Arhat Statue of Jingwansa Temple

This is a clay statue of Dokseong, the Lone Arhat, currently enshrined in the Dokseonggak Hall of Jingwansa Temple. Dokseong, also called Nabanjonja, is said to dwell on Cheontaesan Mountain in South India; he is one of the arhats who, having received the Buddha's prophecy of future enlightenment, diligently pursue their practice. In Korea, from the late Joseon period he was worshipped either enshrined together with the mountain spirit and the Seven Stars in a Samseonggak Hall, the Hall of the Three Sages, or enshrined separately in a Dokseonggak Hall. The statue, modelled in clay and painted, is enshrined in this way today. Compared with the body the head is large, and the two hands resting on the knees recall the seated stone Buddha of the Chilseonggak Hall. The face is angular, almost square, with the eyes set wide apart, a prominent, high nose and tightly closed lips, expressing well the strong-willed look of an arhat. The kasaya, the monastic robe draped over the body, is fastened left over right, with a metal clasp securing it shown on the left shoulder. The knees are set low in relation to the rather long upper body, making the figure appear elongated, and the two hands rest neatly on the low knees. Although Dokseong is, as a rule, depicted as an aged arhat in Buddhist paintings, it is unusual that he is shown here as a young arhat. This statue is of considerable importance as a clay image of Dokseong, a type of sculpture of which almost no other examples survive in the Seoul and Gyeonggi region, and it is valued as evidence of the characteristics and sculptural style of Dokseong statues of the period.

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Where it is

Region

Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul

Designation

Cultural Heritage Material · 문화유산자료