羅漢像|Rakan

Shōun Genkei

1688–95 · One of a set of five hundred; wood with lacquer, gold leaf, and paint · Asian Art

Arhats (Japanese: rakan) are disciples of the Buddha who have achieved enlightenment, serving as role models for Zen monks. They are often portrayed with highly individualized facial expressions, suggestive of an extreme ascetic lifestyle. This statue is one of five hundred created over nearly ten years by the monk-sculptor Shōun Genkei for the Ōbaku temple Gohyaku Rakanji, originally on the eastern outskirts of Edo (present-day Tokyo).

Artist

Shōun Genkei

Date

1688–95

Medium

One of a set of five hundred; wood with lacquer, gold leaf, and paint

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Fletcher Fund, 1927