Tiger-taming arhat
Painting
17th century-18th century (painted)
17th century-18th century (painted)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The Tiger-taming arhat, by an unknown court artist, Qing dynasty, late 1600s-1700s, hanging scroll, ink and colour on silk with details in gold, 170cm x 91cm
The painting, which comes from a set of religious images used in the "water and land" ritual—a Buddhist ceremony conducted for the salvation of "all the souls on land and sea"—is distinguished by its high level of craftsmanship, intricate detail, and lavish use of precious mineral pigments. An inscription at the lower right, 'Respectfully commissioned by the imperial prince Zhuang', attests to the fact that the painting was the product of the imperial workshop. Judging from the style, it was probably commissioned by the first holder of that title, the powerful Manchu prince Boggodo (1650–1723), whose great-grandfather Nurhaci (1559–1626) was the Qing dynasty's founder.
The painting, which comes from a set of religious images used in the "water and land" ritual—a Buddhist ceremony conducted for the salvation of "all the souls on land and sea"—is distinguished by its high level of craftsmanship, intricate detail, and lavish use of precious mineral pigments. An inscription at the lower right, 'Respectfully commissioned by the imperial prince Zhuang', attests to the fact that the painting was the product of the imperial workshop. Judging from the style, it was probably commissioned by the first holder of that title, the powerful Manchu prince Boggodo (1650–1723), whose great-grandfather Nurhaci (1559–1626) was the Qing dynasty's founder.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Tiger-taming arhat (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Ink and colour on silk |
| Brief description | Pap, China, paintings and drawings. Painting, hanging scroll, Tiger-taming arhat, painted by an unknown court artist, China, late 17th to early 18th century. |
| Physical description | The hanging scroll is distinguished by its high level of craftsmanship of meticulous drawing and colouring and lavish use of precious mineral pigments. The scroll, constructed in standard hanging scroll form, is vertically mounted with an upper stave and a roller at the bottom. Both stave and stave are made of hard wood. The picture is backed with three or four layers of xuan paper. Border strips of yellow have been attached to all four sides. Narrower strips of silk in dark blue are further added between the picture and the yellow silk strips. Protective flap, made of modern heavy cloth with printed pattern, is attached at the back. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | The Tiger-taming arhat, by an unknown court artist, Qing dynasty, late 1600s-1700s, hanging scroll, ink and colour on silk with details in gold, 170cm x 91cm The painting, which comes from a set of religious images used in the "water and land" ritual—a Buddhist ceremony conducted for the salvation of "all the souls on land and sea"—is distinguished by its high level of craftsmanship, intricate detail, and lavish use of precious mineral pigments. An inscription at the lower right, 'Respectfully commissioned by the imperial prince Zhuang', attests to the fact that the painting was the product of the imperial workshop. Judging from the style, it was probably commissioned by the first holder of that title, the powerful Manchu prince Boggodo (1650–1723), whose great-grandfather Nurhaci (1559–1626) was the Qing dynasty's founder. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | FE.2-2010 |
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| Record created | February 9, 2010 |
| Record URL |
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