Various Buddhist sutras and images reference an attendant boy who carries out various tasks for the gods of the underworld; in Korean, this boy is called “dongja,” often translated as the “Immortal Child.” Many Joseon-era Buddhist temples had halls related to the underworld, such as Myeongbujeon (冥府殿, “Hall of Judgment of the Dead”), Jijangjeon (地藏殿, “Hall of Ksitigarbha”) and Nahanjeon (羅漢殿, “Hall of the Arahat”). These temple halls often had enshrined wooden statues of the attendant boy, like this one. There are two different general styles of these statues: the boy is either wearing Chinese-style clothing, with his hair tied up into two little buns (or balls) in the back, or he is wearing a Korean traditional overcoat with his hair braided, like a Korean traditional boy. Sometimes the boy has his hands respectfully clasped together, but other times he is holding something, like a flower, fruit, animal, scroll, or (in this case) a lotus leaf. This particular boy has his braided hair hanging down, and he is wearing a long robe that reaches down to the base. The realistic depiction of his pensive eyes (slightly open and looking down), high nose, and his gentle, close-lipped smile makes it seem as if he is alive. The statue and its round base are connected because the statue was carved from a single piece of wood.