Group of Lohan with Guardian of the North
Original Language Title五羅漢與天王
CultureChinese
DateMing dynasty (1368-1644)
MediumHanging scroll; ink and color on silk
DimensionsImage: 50 × 29 1/4 inches (127 × 74.3 cm)
Mount: 86 × 30 inches (218.44 × 76.2 cm)
Mount: 86 × 30 inches (218.44 × 76.2 cm)
Credit LineBequest of Laurence Sickman
Object numberF88-41/5
On View
Not on viewCollections
Exhibition HistoryEmperors, Scholars and Temples: Tastemakers of China’s Ming and Qing Dynasties, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, January, 2017 – July 9, 2017.
A group of Luohans—enlightened Buddhist beings—gather to study sutras, or scriptures. Their gathering is similar to gatherings of other scholars who convene to deepen their understanding of music and literature. The two Luohans in the center of the group may be engaging in a philosophical debate, as if they have encountered some difficult-to-understand verses in the sutra scroll. Nearby, the guardian and lion safeguard their discussion. The clouds and ornate details of the painting suggest they are situated in a divine space far removed from the material world.
Laurence Sickman;
Bequeathed by Laurence Sickman to The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, 1988.
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