▲ This photo of the top view of the "Portable Angbu Ilgu" (sundial) is provided by the Korea Heritage Service (KHS). (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 

SEOUL, Sept. 12 (Yonhap) -- A rare 13th-century Buddhist painting from the Goryeo Dynasty, created during the Mongol invasions to invoke spiritual strength in overcoming national crises, will be designated a state treasure, the Cultural Heritage Administration said Friday.

 

The "Five Hundred Arhats of Goryeo" is one of 500 paintings depicting enlightened disciples of Buddha, believed to have been produced in 1235. The surviving panel shows the arhat Wonsangju seated on a rock gazing at a dragon, rendered in delicate ink brushstrokes. Inscriptions identify its patron as Kim Hee-in and donor as Lee Hyuk-cheom.

 

Another designation is the "Portable Angbu Ilgu," a rare hemispherical sundial first developed by royal scientist Jang Yeong-sil in 1434. The artifact, housed at the Seoul Museum of History, is engraved with a 1908 inscription crediting its maker Kang Moon-su of the Jinju Kang clan.

 

Also to be designated are "Collected Poems of Yu Hang," a 15th-century woodblock edition of writings by scholar Han Soo (1333–1384), and the 16th-century clay-seated Amitabha Buddha statue from Beeam Temple in Sejong.

 

The administration will finalize the designations after a 30-day review period.

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