Eighteen Arhats

CHINA; Qing dynasty

This masterful line drawing by Yan Hongzi was kept in the imperial palace during the Qing dynasty. Based on descriptions in the Records of Nandimitra’s Discourse on Abiding Dharma, it depicts the Eighteen Arhats divided into two groups. On the left side of the picture, one Arhat pours water out of a vase, while two others stare intently upwards at a heavenly palace. Two more Arhats look down at a playful auspicious creature, while above them, a smiling Arhat with a large belly holds a staff over his shoulder. Moving to the right, an Arhat strokes the head of the tiger while beside him, another Arhat holds up an incense burner. On the right side of the painting, an Arhat holds a bowl from which a smoke-shrouded dragon rises, causing the other four figures to look upwards. Many of the Arhats are dressed in distinctive robes painted with fine, quivering lines.