Arhat (Nakula), one of a set of sixteen

Object Details

• Artist

  Ryozen (ca. 1328-ca. 1360)

• Label

  Arhats, known in Japanese as rakan, were disciples of the Historical Buddha, Shakyamuni. In some temples in East Asia, they were worshiped along with the Historical Buddha at ceremonies held to honor the wisdom and truth of the Buddha’s teachings, which they helped to spread after his death. This painting depicts one of the sixteen arhats who were the Historical Buddha’s closest disciples. The halo signifies that he has achieved enlightenment and release from cycles of birth, rebirth, and attendant suffering. This set of sixteen paintings plus a central image of Shakyamuni are attributed to the artist Ryozen, a leader of the atelier at Tofukuji, a major Zen Buddhist monastery in Kyoto. Before Charles Lang Freer purchased these works, they were in the collection of the renowned painter and lacquer artist Shibata Zeshin (1807–1891).

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Masters of Mercy: Buddha's Amazing Disciples (March 10 to July 8, 2012)

  Religious Art of Japan (December 18, 2002 to January 4, 2015)

  Life of a Japanese Painting (December 1, 1995 to October 16, 1996)

  Buddhist Art (May 9, 1993 to August 9, 2011)

  Japanese Art (March 12, 1982 to November 3, 1986)

  Japanese Art (February 15, 1981 to March 3, 1981)

• Origin

  Japan

• Credit Line

  Gift of Charles Lang Freer

• Type

  Painting

• Restrictions and Rights

  CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1300s

• Name

  Ryozen

• Place

  Japan

• Topic

  Nakula, Charles Lang Freer collection, Art, Japanese Art, Nanbokucho period (1333 - 1392)

• Culture

  Buddhists, Arhats, Japanese

• Object Type

  Paintings