Tay Phuong Temple: Sixteen Arhats - Arhats
Lacquered wood
Tay Phuong Temple: Sixteen Arhats - Parshva (right)
Tay Phuong Temple: Sixteen Arhats - Arhat
Tay Phuong Temple: Sixteen Arhats - Arhat
Tay Phuong Temple: Sixteen Arhats - Upagupta
Tay Phuong Temple: Sixteen Arhats - Arhats (detail)
Tay Phuong Temple: Sixteen Arhats
VIETNAM, Hanoi
This set of Sixteen Arhats located in Tay Phuong Temple is popular in Vietnam. They were created in the late 18th century. The poet Huy Can wrote a poem about them in 1960 after observing their individuality.
These Arhats vary in gesture and posture. Some sit while others stand or lean on trees, but all of them are in some kind of action. They are depicted debating, lecturing, meditating, or in contemplation. The depiction of Arhats do not conform to any set style since the sutras do not describe their appearances in detail. Therefore, they are subject to the artist’s own interpretation and vary from region to region. They are usually depicted as monks, but their gestures are not confined by any rules, reflecting the wisdom and pure conduct of real practitioners.
For more details, go to the Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Sculpture St-Z, page 1201.
Cite this article:
author = Hsingyun and Youheng and Lovelock, Yann and Chou, Yuan and Huntington, Susan and Edson, Gary and Neather, Robert,
booktitle = {Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Sculpture St-Z},
pages = 1201,
title = {{Tay Phuong Temple: Sixteen Arhats}},
volume = 13,
year = {2016}}