Lohan

Lohan (Sanskrit: arhat) were originally thought to be disciples of Shakyamuni Buddha. They were later interpreted as spiritual beings who had achieved self-realization. They were exemplars for Buddhists, and possessed supernatural powers to help others in their spiritual pursuits. Luohans were usually depicted in eccentric features to show their supernatural characters. Based on different scriptures, luohans often appear in groups of 16, 18, or 500. The labels on the upper right corner indicate that the two drawings displayed here might belong to a set of 500 luohans. The figures were carefully drawn with fine brush strokes, a technique that was popular in depicting Buddhist figures during the 18th century.