Kashyapa

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This standing figure in a monk’s robe is Kashyapa (Korean: Gaseop), the eldest of the two principal disciples of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni. His smiling face and relaxed posture convey benevolence and wisdom. According to the inscription with the votive offerings placed inside, the statue was made on the twenty-ninth day of the third month in 1700, together with a Buddha and arhat figures (Korean: nahan), 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.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.

Metropolitan Museum of Art