Seated luohan (arhat) in a grotto

China

Not on view

This superb sculpture of lapis lazuli depicts a Buddhist sage meditating in a rocky cave under a craggy tree. The master carver demonstrated his formidable skill by managing to turn the large light gray blotches of the stone into the gnarled tree trunk and the whitish spots into the highlights on the monk’s face.

Seated luohan (arhat) in a grotto, Lapis lazuli, China

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