SEATED ‘LUOHAN’

Description This peaceful character sits serenely on a tall chair, his left leg folded toward his chest. The left forearm rests on the knee, the right on the corresponding thigh. The hands are relaxed: the right touches a rosary depicted in relief on the monk's robe. He has a fully shaved head, full cheeks, a prominent chin crease and large ears with elongated lobes. His eyes are half-closed under a broad brow, while his small mouth hints at a smile. The louhan wears a long, loose monastic robe crossed on the right, with a raised edge and wide folds. The Buddhist monastic mantle (jiasha) rests on his left shoulder. The shape of his face, especially that of his nose, is typical of 10th century depiction, surviving to a lesser extent and with some variations in Song-era paintings.