Arhat

Object Details

• Artist

  Ryozen (ca. 1328-ca. 1360)

• Label

  This painting portrays an arhat, who is believed to have been among the original disciples of the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni. Through the teachings of the Buddha, arhats have attained transcendent wisdom and enlightenment, which has freed them from the cycles of birth and rebirth. The arhats remain in the world to defend and maintain the Buddhist law, or dharma. In painting, the arhats are shown as slender, ascetic monks with penetrating gazes that represent their divine vision, through which all the universe can be seen. Here, the arhat is accompanied by a human attendant, depicted in smaller scale to denote lower status. The attendants carry offerings of fruit and flowers.

  This painting comes from a set of seventeen, depicting sixteen arhats and the historical Buddha. For special ceremonies in which the arhats were worshiped, the painting of the historical Buddha was displayed at the center of two facing ranks of eight arhats. This set bears inscriptions that link it to Sanshogokokuzenji, a subtemple of the Tofukuji, a Zen Buddhist monastery in Kyoto.

• 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)

  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

  Usage Conditions Apply

  There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1300s

• Name

  Ryozen

• Place

  Japan

• Topic

  Charles Lang Freer collection, Art, Fly whisk, Peach, Japanese Art, Nanbokucho period (1333 - 1392), Woman, Cvapaka, Halo, Kakemono

• Culture

  Buddhists, Japanese

• Object Type

  Paintings