This large standing figure in a monk’s robe, whose raised hands are clasped in front, can be identified as Kashyapa (Korean: Gaseop), the eldest of the two principle disciples of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni. The well-articulated, smiling face and relaxed posture convey benevolence and wisdom. It is a particularly fine example of polychrome wood Buddhist sculpture from the late Joseon period. According to the inscription placed with the votive offerings inside the image, the statue was made on the twenty-ninth day of the third month in 1700, together with a Buddha and arhat figures (Korean: nahan; enlightened beings linked to the Buddha’s disciples), at a temple retreat on Mount Duryun in Yeongam district, now part of Daeheung Temple in South Jeolla Province. The monk-sculptor Saengnan, whose works can be found today in Jeolla Province, was among the artists involved in this project.
