Kashyapa

This monk figure is Kashyapa (also known as Gaseop), the eldest of the Buddha Shakyamuni’s principal disciples. His smiling face and relaxed posture convey benevolence and wisdom. Cavities in the head, torso, and lower body reveal the statue’s use in the Buddhist consecration ritual known as bokjang (腹藏), meaning to store or conceal in the abdomen. While an X-ray scan shows that the head is empty, votive offerings discovered in the body are displayed at left.
Bokjang is performed when creating or restoring Buddhist images. Along with grains, herbs, spices, textiles, and relics, sacred objects such as sutras and Dharani texts are prepared and placed inside the hollow figure. Prayers transform and sanctify the image, reflecting the intimate connection between materiality and devotion in Korean Buddhism.