五百羅漢 · 第九十二守天藏尊者圖考 = A Koryo painting of the Lohan Such'onjang

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This painting of the Lohan Such'onjang in the collection of Mr Oh ll -Iyorlg is no. 92 from the set of 500 Lohan paintings of the Shingwang-sa, painted in 1235. A further nine paintings have previously been identified from this set.
The painting is ill ink and colour on darkened silk, 64×41cm. It bears the name ofthe Lohan at the top, and a dated inscription in the lower part. The Lohan holds a kyndika in both hands ; there is a uniquely-shaped incense burner on the sutra - table in front of him, and a fantastic rock behind him.
The upper half of his body is large in proportion to the rest. The outlines of the body are fine, while the drapery lines are rather boldly painted. The robe and incense burner are painted in red, and the sutra-table and shoes are in monochrome with traces of colour. Decorative features such as the halo, borders of the kas?ya, and the rock are painted so as to give a three-dimensional effect. Vajra and arabesque designs on the kas?ya are rendered in gold.
The inscription suggests that the series of paintings of the 500 Lohans was a project undertaken bur Kory? generals to pray for Buddhist protection of the nation during the third Mongolian invasion (1235-36). This new set is believed to have been modelled by Hyehan and others after the set of paintings of the Five Hundred Lohans brought from China in 923 during the Later Liang dynasty by Yun Chil. In the process, the Lohens were rendered 'more human-like'. The new set, therefore, may be regarded as 'Koreanized' Lohan paintings in the 13th century Korean painting style.