Lohan, or arhat in Sanskrit, is a term originating in India. In early Buddhism, lohan referred to a monk who emphasized personal practice. Later, owing to the influence of Mahayana Buddhist traditions, in which bodhisattvas vow to liberate others from suffering, the lohan took on the qualities of protector of Dharma and benefactor of sentient beings. In Buddhism, the lohan’s status is inferior to that of buddhas and bodhisattvas, but all are important themes in Buddhist art, and they have circulated widely in East Asian iconographies, particularly in the form of paintings and sculpture.
 
The earliest representations of lohans in China can be traced back to the works of Southern dynasty painter Zhang Sengyou (479–?). During the Sui and Tang dynasties, lohans were still portrayed as attendants of the Buddha and they tended to be depicted as somber and stiff. By the late Five Dynasties period, the lohan faith had spread, and artists also started to depict them as a distinct subject. Lohan portraits reached their peak in the Song dynasty, when the iconography was no longer bound by the usual solemnity of religious paintings. Instead, lohans were portrayed with a variety of facial expressions and emotions and in various comfortable poses against landscape backgrounds, giving the paintings an ethereal atmosphere. Since the Song dynasty, elements of Zen Buddhism and literature have been integrated into lohan paintings, and the introduction of realist techniques made these figures look more approachable. Later on, artists even combined lohan paintings with legends and novels such as Journey to the West, which contributed further to the popularity of the lohan motif.
 
This exhibition centers around the lohan figure and presents a selection of national treasures, including paintings and sculptures, which put flesh on the stories of how the lohans achieved enlightenment, bringing to life a variety of lohan images. How many lohans in the exhibition do you recognize?