Eungjinjeon Hall Stone Arhat Statues of Mahasa Temple

These stone arhat statues are enshrined before the arhat painting in Eungjinjeon Hall of Mahasa Temple. Of the original sixteen figures, only twelve survive today; the remaining four have been newly added in recent times. "Arhat" is a shortened form of the Sanskrit "arhan", meaning a sage who has severed all worldly afflictions, attained enlightenment, and thereby become worthy of receiving offerings from the people of the world. All twelve arhat statues are carved from granite and finished with a coating of white clay and oil. On the face and head, black, red, white and green pigments are used to render the facial features and hairline. Most figures sit in the full lotus posture, though some adopt the half-lotus posture, and all wear a long monastic robe draped with a surplice. Their attributes typically include a fly-whisk, a sutra, or a wish-fulfilling jewel, and the sixth arhat statue from the left bears a tiger depicted across its folded legs. The stone arhat statues of Eungjinjeon Hall at Mahasa Temple were made in the late Joseon period, and are valuable material for examining the style and lineage of Buddhist art in the Busan and Gyeongnam region at that time.

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Where it is

Region

Yeonje-gu, Busan

Designation

Cultural Heritage Material · 문화유산자료