Himalayan Art Resources

Item: Arhat/Sthavira (Buddhist Elder) - 16 Elders: Angaja

གནས་བརྟན། 罗汉
(item no. 86919)
Origin Location Tibet
Date Range 1600 - 1699
Size 101.60x59.06cm (40x23.25in)
Material Ground Mineral Pigment on Cotton
Collection The Brooklyn Museum of Art
Catalogue # acc. #BMA 1993.192.6, Gift of Rosemarie and Leighton Longhi
Notes about the Central Figure

Classification: Person

Appearance: Arhat

Gender: Male

Interpretation / Description

Angaja the Elder (Tibetan: ne ten, yan lag chung. Sanskrit: Sthavira Angaja): the 1st arhat from the set of 16 great arhats.

"On the great snow mountain of Kailash is the noble elder Angaja, surrounded by 1,300 arhats; homage to the One holding an incense bowl and fly whisk." (Sakya liturgical verse).

The Sixteen Great Arhats are generally painted as a set. Typically the full group would include the Buddha Shakyamuni with the 2 foremost disciples, the 16 arhats, the attendant Dharmatala, the patron Hvashang and the Four Guardians of the Directions: Vaishravana, Virupaksha, Dritarashtra and Virudhaka.

Jeff Watt 3-2002

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