Luohan in a Garden Setting

Detail of a pattern
Image 1 of 1
Download Image IIIF

Terms of Use

Usage Conditions Apply

At A Glance

  • Period

    ca. 14th century
  • Geography

    China
  • Material

    Ink and color on silk
  • Dimension

    H x W (image): 116.3 x 53.6 cm (45 13/16 x 21 1/8 in)
  • Accession Number

    F1904.337
  • EDAN ID

    edanmdm:fsg_F1904.337

Object Details

  • Description

    Depicting six groups of luohan, celestial beings and servants (44 figures total) in and above a garden landscape. Moving from top to bottom: the first group consists of five celestial beings in the clouds above the scene, the second group consists of seven luohan gathering beside a standing screen, the third group consists of six luohan around a table with a pot, books and scrolls piled on it, the fourth consists of eight luohan on a bridge over a stream, the fifth consists of five luohan with a servant, the sixth consists of eleven luohan with a servant in a pavilion overlooking a lotus pond. One in a series with F1904.336.
  • Provenance

    To 1904
    Yamanaka & Company, to 1904 [1]
    From 1904 to 1919
    Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Yamanaka & Company in 1904 [2]
    From 1920
    Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]
    Notes:
    [1] Original folder sheet note.
    Also see Original Kakemono and Makimono List, L. 486, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. The majority of Charles Lang Freer’s purchases from Yamanaka & Company were made at its New York branch. Yamanaka & Company maintained branch offices, at various times, in Boston, Chicago, London, Peking, Shanghai, Osaka, Nara, and Kyoto. During the summer, the company also maintained seasonal locations in Newport, Bar Harbor, and Atlantic City.
    [2] See note 1.
    [3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.
  • Collection

    Freer Gallery of Art Collection
  • Exhibition History

    Guardians of the Law: Chinese Luohan Painting (December 1, 2003 to May 23, 2004)
  • Previous custodian or owner

    Yamanaka and Co. 山中商会 (1917-1965) (C.L. Freer source)
    Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)
  • Origin

    China
  • 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.

    The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The National Museum of Asian Art welcomes information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

Keep Exploring