National Treasure Hall
Statue of Furuna
National Treasure
Furuna is one of the Ten Great Disciples of Shakyamuni, the historical Buddha. Known as Punna, or Purna in India, Furuna was renowned among the disciples as the greatest preacher of the dharma, or Buddhist doctrine. Here, Furuna is depicted as an older man, and his age is reflected in the many folds of his robes. His expression and clothing, and the way he is looking off to the right, display a high degree of realism. This statue was made in the Nara period (710–794) by the hollow-core dry-lacquer sculpting technique.