Announcement of National Treasure Designation for Gohung Neungnasa Wooden Seated Shakyamuni Triad and 16 Arhats Statues

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[Goheung=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Hyung-kwon] Goheung-gun, Jeollanam-do (Governor Song Gwi-geun) announced on the 1st that the ‘Wooden Seated Shakyamuni Triad and 16 Arhat Statues of Neunggasa Temple in Goheung’ has been preliminarily designated as a national treasure.

The Cultural Heritage Administration announced the preliminary designation of the ‘Wooden Seated Shakyamuni Triad and 16 Arhat Statues of Neunggasa Temple in Goheung’ as a national treasure the day before. These are wooden Buddha statues and 16 Arhat statues enshrined in Eungjindang Hall of Neunggasa Temple in Jeomam-myeon, Goheung-gun.

After a 30-day preliminary announcement period, the designation will be finalized as a ‘Treasure (寶物)’ following a review by the Cultural Heritage Committee. With this, Goheung-gun is set to have its ninth nationally designated cultural asset.

Neunggasa Temple in Goheung is said to have been originally established as Bohyeonsa Temple. It was destroyed during the Jeongyujaeran War and was rebuilt and renamed Neunggasa by Monk Byeokcheon in the mid-17th century.

The wooden Seated Shakyamuni Triad and 16 Arhat statues enshrined in Eungjindang Hall of Neunggasa Temple in Goheung are late Joseon Dynasty Buddhist statues created in 1685 by sculptor Monk Saeknan, Monk Doheon, and others. The preliminary designation of these statues was prompted by the ongoing treasure designation review of the seated Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva and the Ten Kings of the Underworld statues held at Deokrimsa Temple in Gwangju Metropolitan City, which required a comparative study of works by the same artist, leading to a full investigation.

According to the inscription found in the reliquary (腹藏) of the Wooden Seated Shakyamuni Triad and 16 Arhat statues of Neunggasa Temple, the statues were commissioned in June 1685 by Monk Sanggi (尙機) of Neunggasa Temple on Palyoung Mountain in Heungyang-hyeon, Jeollado, and were primarily created by Saeknan as the chief sculptor along with his colleagues and disciples.

Neunggasa Temple in Goheung was Saeknan’s main temple and base of activities. The Seated Shakyamuni Triad and 16 Arhat statues in Eungjindang Hall are significant as major Buddhist works he produced during his long residence at this temple.

Besides creating the statues in Eungjindang Hall, Saeknan actively participated in various Buddhist projects at Neunggasa Temple, including sponsoring the temple bell in 1698, sponsoring the publication of the Seonmun Yeomsong Seolhwa (禪門拈頌說話) in 1707, and sponsoring roof tiles in 1730.

The Seated Shakyamuni Triad and 16 Arhat statues of Neunggasa Temple are of high research value due to their rare iconographic composition as Eungjindang statues, featuring a triad of Shakyamuni Buddha, Maitreya Bodhisattva, and Cintamanicakra Bodhisattva, along with the six great Bodhisattvas composed of Manjusri, Samantabhadra, Ananda, and Kassapa.

This iconography is notable in the history of sculpture as it originated from the Eungjindang statues of Songgwangsa Temple in Suncheon in 1624 and later became widely popular in the Honam region through Saeknan’s influence.

If the Wooden Seated Shakyamuni Triad and 16 Arhat statues of Neunggasa Temple are designated as national cultural assets, it is expected to boost the ongoing mid- to long-term preservation and management plans for Neunggasa Temple and help attract more visitors.

A Goheung-gun official stated, “This is an addition of a national cultural asset to Neunggasa Temple, a representative traditional temple of Goheung-gun,” and added, “We hope that research on sculptor Saeknan, who was active based at Neunggasa Temple, will become more active.”

Nationally designated cultural assets in Goheung-gun include the Treasure Yu Mong-in’s Royal Merit Document, the Main Buddha Hall of Neunggasa Temple, the Large Buddhist Banner of Geumtapsa Temple, and the Bronze Bell of Neunggasa Temple. Natural monuments include the Nutmeg Tree Forest of Geumtapsa Temple and the Evergreen Forest of Oenarodo Island. Historic sites include the Buncheong Ware Kiln Site in Undaeri, Goheung, and scenic sites include Geumgangjukbong Peak on Jijukdo Island in Goheung.

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