Tiger-Taming Arhat by Wei Kaitong; Qing dynasty
Shoushan stone
Wei Kaitong
CHINA; Qing dynasty
Wei Kaitong was a sculptor who is believed to be active during the rule of Emperor Kangxi (reigned 1661–1722) of the Qing dynasty. A student of Yang Rui, he was an expert in carving Arhats and Buddhas. He preferred to carve from the Shoushan stone in Fuzhou, Fujian because of its bright color and smooth, crystal-like surface.
Of Wei’s collection of works, only a few still exist today. The figurine of Tiger-Taming Arhat is his only work collected at the Palace Museum in Beijing. The Arhat is seated with one hand holding a ring and another hand leaning against a tiger. The figure’s garment spreads into flat folds and the face is realistic, reflecting Wei’s highly skilled technique in sculpting.
For more details, go to the Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: People, page 289.
Cite this article:
author = Hsingyun and Youheng and Youlu and Pokorski, Stefanie and Yichao and Mankuang and Miaohsi,
booktitle = {Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: People },
pages = 289,
title = {{Wei Kaitong}},
volume = 19,
year = {2016}}