National Treasure Gallery: Sixteen Arhats: The Second and Fourteenth of the Sixteen Arhats
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Sixteen Arhats: Fourteenth Arhat (detail), Heian period, 11th century (National Treasure)
Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Room 2
March 10, 2020 (Tue) - April 5, 2020 (Sun)Arhats are holy men who have completed their Buddhist training. The sixteen arhats were purportedly entrusted by the Buddha to maintain the Buddhist Law and save living beings after his death. These exceptional paintings are the oldest extant images of arhats from this grouping. Their characteristics include forms that originated in Tang-dynasty China and an emphasis on the use of gentle colors favored by the Japanese nobility of the 11th century.
| Designation | Name | Creation/ Excavation/ Provenance |
Period | Acquisition/ Ownership/ Accession Number |
CMT | ||
| Highlight | National Treasure | The Second of the Sixteen Arhats | Heian period, 11th century | A-10946-2 | |||
| Highlight | National Treasure | The Fourteenth of the Sixteen Arhats | Heian period, 11th century | A-11085-6 |