Pindola Bharadvaja, the First Venerable Luohan 賓度羅跋羅墮闍尊者像
date: label: Date
content: 1345
label: Period
content: Yuan dynasty
name: label: Artist
content: Formerly attributed to Wu Daozi (傳)吳道子 (active ca. 710-760)
notes: label: Label
content: The subject of this painting, Pindola Bharadvaja (Binduluo Boluoduoshe), was one of the Buddha's main disciples. He was a vigouous exponent of the Buddhist Law (dharma), and has manifested himself on several occasions to pious Chinese believers. Pindola has a voice like a lion's roar, and is often depicted with extraordinarily long eyebrows, a physical attribute for which he is sometimes named Changmai seng. Pindola was one of the first arhats to be depicted in China, and is the only luohan afforded special worship. He is said to dwell with eleven-hundred luohan protogees in the Western Continent of Apara-godaniya (Xi Qutuoni zhou).
label: Label
content: In this portrait, Pindola is seated below banana leaves and lichen-studded rocks in a chair made of gnarled branches, one of which is shaped like a dragon. He holds an elaborate, long-handled incense burner in his left hand, and a white rosary is wrapped around his left forearm. He has a dignified, but stern, countenance with a prominent nose and jutting chin, which is covered with the stubble of a white beard. He has long white eyebrows and white hair that is streaked with gold. The patches of his robe are decorated with interlocking circles of white dots, while darker strips of fabric bear the repeated symbol of the Wheel of the Law. The folds of his robes, his rumpled leggings, and his sandals of woven straw are rendered with particular attention and skill.
label: Label
content: To learn more about this and similar objects, visit http://www.asia.si.edu/SongYuan/default.asp Song and Yuan Dynasty Painting and Calligraphy.
label: Provenance
content: ?-1959
label: Provenance
content: Eugene Meyer (1875-1959) and Agnes E. Meyer (1887-1970), method of acquisition unknown [1]
label: Provenance
content: 1959-1970
label: Provenance
content: Agnes E. Meyer inherited upon the death of her husband, Eugene Meyer [2]
label: Provenance
content: 1970-1992
label: Provenance
content: Ruth Meyer Epstein (1921-2007), by descent from her mother, Agnes E. Meyer [3]
label: Provenance
content: From 1992
label: Provenance
content: The National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, bequeathed by Ruth Meyer Epstein in 1992 [4]
label: Provenance
content: Notes:
label: Provenance
content: [1] See note 4.
label: Provenance
content: [2] Eugene Meyer died in Washington D.C. on July 17, 1959. Upon his death, his wife, Agnes E. Meyer inherited the entirety of the couple's collection.
label: Provenance
content: [3] The object was part of the Estate of Agnes E. Meyer. Her daughter, Ruth Meyer Epstein inherited the work upon her death.
label: Provenance
content: [4] See Ruth Meyer Epstein’s Deed of Gift, dated July 9, 1992, copy in object file. This work is part of the Museum’s Freer Gallery of Art Collection.
label: Provenance
content: Research updated on June 27, 2024
label: Collection
content: Freer Gallery of Art Collection
label: Exhibition History
content: Guardians of the Law: Chinese Luohan Painting (December 1, 2003 to May 23, 2004)
label: Previous custodian or owner
content: Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer
label: Previous custodian or owner
content: Mrs. Ruth Meyer Epstein (1921-2007)
place: label: Origin
content: China
topic: label: Topic
content: Buddhism
label: Topic
content: Yuan dynasty (1279 - 1368)
label: Topic
content: prayer beads
label: Topic
content: China
label: Topic
content: Pindola
label: Topic
content: Chinese Art
setName: label: Related Online Resources
content: Google Arts & Culture
label: Related Online Resources
content: Song and Yuan Dynasty Painting and Calligraphy
label: See more items in
content: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Ruth Meyer Epstein
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: F1992.41
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): 126.2 x 62.6 cm (49 11/16 x 24 5/8 in)