China or Tibet
17th - 18th century
China or Tibet
17th - 18th century
Pantaka is one of the sixteen arhats, the original disciples of the Buddha. The arhat painting genre found in Tibet was adopted from China and carried with it many aspects of Chinese visual culture. The medium—ink on silk—is itself Chinese. The painting employs a classic Chinese monochromatic ink style (shui mo hua) with a strong use of shading and ink wash. The figural style and landscape, punctuated with wet dots of ink (cun), depicted here are reminiscent of Chinese luohan (arhat) paintings by late Ming to early Qing painters like Ding Yunpeng (1547?–1628). This painting is related to a set kept at Palpung Monastery, in Kham on the southern Sino-Tibetan border, where they are known as the Kyarama Arhats, which translates as “Arhats Atop Rocks.”
The central goal of Buddhism is the liberation of all beings from suffering and the cycle of life, death, and rebirth, known as samsara, through applying the teachings of the Buddha.
A virtuous feeling and deep respect toward an authentic teaching, teacher, or path. Buddhists believe that expansive study, analysis, and meditation are essential steps for cultivating a healthy and enduring devotion.
Himalayan art includes portraits of legendary and historical humans, including accomplished religious teachers (lamas), the Buddha’s original disciples (arhats), and spiritually accomplished tantric masters (mahasiddhas).
Today, Tibetans primarily inhabit the Tibetan Plateau, situated between the Himalayan mountain range and the Indian subcontinent to the west, Chinese cultural regions to the east, and Mongolian cultural regions to the northeast. During the 7th to 9th century, Tibetan rulers expanded their empire across Central Asia, and established Buddhism as the state religion.
Although Tibetan Buddhism was not practiced broadly in China, the imperial centers, such as Beijing and Mount Wutai, emerged as hubs of Tibetan Buddhist cultural production. The emperors of the Mongol Yuan (1271–1368), Chinese Ming (1368–1644), and Manchu Qing (1644–1911) dynasties harnessed Tibetan Buddhist ideas to consolidate their power.
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