A luohan and a demon
date: label: Date
content: 1368-1644
label: Period
content: Ming dynasty
notes: label: Label
content: When the historical Buddha was nearing the end of his life on earth and was approaching nirvana, he entrusted the protection of the Buddhist faith to sixteen great luohan, who were to remain as “guardians of the Buddhist law” until the future Buddha arrives. Luohan became popular figures in China in the seventh century, and their numbers varied over time, increasing from the original sixteen to eighteen and eventually growing to five hundred. Accompanied by a standing demon, this seated luohan likely derived from the largest group of five hundred. While the elderly luohan appears assertive yet benign, the fierce-looking demon reminds believers to behave themselves in the present life.
label: Provenance
content: To 1911
label: Provenance
content: Y. Fujita and Company, Kyoto, to 1911 [1]
label: Provenance
content: From 1911 to 1919
label: Provenance
content: Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Y. Fujita and Company, in Kyoto, in 1911 [2]
label: Provenance
content: From 1920
label: Provenance
content: Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]
label: Provenance
content: Notes:
label: Provenance
content: [1] See Original Kakemono and Makimono List, L. 892, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.
label: Provenance
content: [2] See note 1.
label: Provenance
content: [3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.
label: Collection
content: Freer Gallery of Art Collection
label: Exhibition History
content: Buddhist Art (May 9, 1993 to August 9, 2011)
label: Previous custodian or owner
content: Y. Fujita and Company (C.L. Freer source)
label: Previous custodian or owner
content: Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)
place: label: Origin
content: China
topic: label: Topic
content: Buddhism
label: Topic
content: Ming dynasty (1368 - 1644)
label: Topic
content: demon
label: Topic
content: Arhat
label: Topic
content: China
label: Topic
content: halo
label: Topic
content: Chinese Art
label: Topic
content: Charles Lang Freer collection
setName: label: Related Online Resources
content: Google Arts & Culture
label: See more items in
content: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Charles Lang Freer
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: F1911.314
objectType: label: Type
content: Painting
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: CC0
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: Ink and color on silk
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (image): 139.9 x 78.3 cm (55 1/16 x 30 13/16 in)