Bell with the Eighteen Arhats
Porcelain
Bell with the Eighteen Arhats
CHINA; Ming dynasty
According to an inscription on the bell, it was created in 1621. The design is based on the drawing of Arhats by the artist Ding Yunpeng.
The blue and white porcelain bell is 19.6 cm high with a diameter of 14.5 cm at the rim. The crown consists of a dragon with one body and two heads facing opposite directions. The bell curves gently from the shoulder, forming a vertical line down to the flared rim. The shoulder and rim have floral and vine patterns, while the body has depictions of the Eighteen Arhats, all of whom are different in appearance and perform various actions such as conversing, carrying a staff, or exercising. The figures are interspersed between mountains, water, trees, and rocks.
For more details, go to the Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Artifacts, page 12.
Cite this article:
author = Hsingyun and Youheng and Youji and Pokorski, Stefanie and Mankuang and Fan, Wen,
booktitle = {Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Artifacts },
pages = 12,
title = {{Bell with the Eighteen Arhats}},
volume = 18,
year = {2016}}