ticketsMember | Make a donation

The Arhat Vajraputra

15th century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 253
Tibetan Buddhism, imported in China by the Mongol rulers in the thirteenth century, enjoyed further patronage from the fifteenth-century emperors of the early Ming period. This work vividly demonstrates how hieratic Tibetan imagery was transformed under Chinese influence into a more naturalistic style, witnessed most strongly in the Sinicized treatment of landscapes and the placement of figures. This painting, originally part of a set depicting the sixteen arhats (Buddhist saints), portrays the saint Vajraputra, his hand raised in the teaching gesture (vitarkamudra), expounding Buddhist teachings (dharma) to a devotee. Tibetan inscriptions appear on the lower left margin and on the reverse.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 明 佚名 羅漢圖 軸
  • Title: The Arhat Vajraputra
  • Artist: Unidentified artist Sino-Tibetan, 15th century
  • Date: 15th century
  • Culture: Tibet
  • Medium: Distemper on cotton
  • Dimensions: Image: 32 x 20 in. (81.3 x 50.8 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Friends of Asian Art Gifts, 1992
  • Object Number: 1992.198
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Portrait of a Member of the Family (?) of Emperor Tongzhi (1862–74)
Unidentified artist
19th century
Mountains in the Snow, Unidentified artist, Handscroll; Ink and color on silk, China
Mountains in the Snow
Unidentified artist
Liu Songnian
Illustrated Story of Yoshitsune, Unidentified artist, Monochrome woodblock print; ink on paper, Japan
Illustrated Story of Yoshitsune
Unidentified artist
One Hundred Poems of Moritake Illustrated with Comments, Unidentified artist, Two volumes; monochrome woodblock print; ink on paper, Japan
One Hundred Poems of Moritake Illustrated with Comments
Unidentified artist
Illustrated book
Unidentified artist

Related Content

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.