Kumgangsan Sambulam Hermitage Rock Carvings

NORTH KOREA, Kangwon, Kumgang

Located on Kumgangsan (Diamond Mountain), these sculptures were once reputed to be the work of Master Naong, although differences in technique cast doubt on this assumption. The three Buddhas carved in relief, each 3.7 m in height, depict Sakyamuni Buddha, with Amitabha Buddha on the right and Maitreya Buddha on the left. The similar figures wear the same monastic robes but form different mudras. Though they face forward, their feet are shown facing to the left and positioned on separate lotuses. The large faces in composed expressions are characteristic of late Goryeo dynasty (918–1392) during the Chinese Yuan dynasty (1271–1368) occupation of North Korea. An inscription in Chinese characters is found below them.
On the left side of the rock are two similar figures, one holding a medicine bowl and the other a vase, presumed to be the Medicine Buddha and Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. There are also four rows of Buddhas on the back, totaling approximately 60 figures.