- Provenance
- Provenance research underway.
- Label
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This painting comes from a set that depicts the sixteen arhats (rakan in Japanese) who were the original followers of the Buddha in India. The arhats have attained enlightenment, which has freed them from continuous cycles of birth and rebirth; they remain in the world to protect the Buddhist Law. For special ceremonies, a painting of the Buddha was displayed at the center of two ranks of eight paintings or arhats. The arhats shown here are accompanied by a tiger and a dragon, animals that, in East Asian Buddhism, represent cosmic polarities that can be overcome through Buddhist meditation and practice.
- Published References
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- Butsuga Ruijyuu. vol. 1, Japan. .
- Zaigai hiho [(Japanese Paintings in Western Collections]. 3 vols., Tokyo. vol. 2: pt. II, p. 45.
- Collection Area(s)
- Japanese Art
- Web Resources
- Google Cultural Institute
- SI Usage Statement
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Usage Conditions Apply
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
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CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)
This image is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
Usage Conditions Apply
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
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International Image Interoperability Framework
FS-7278_02