Arhat painting

Japanese: 羅漢図 - らかんず

The statues of the arhats, who are said to have been entrusted with the true Dharma by Shakyamuni when he passed away and commanded to remain in this world and protect it, have been depicted in paintings and sculptures in China, Japan and other countries. Their depiction in painting began during the Six Dynasties period in China, but it was during the Tang period when Xuanzang translated the "Records of the Dharma Journey" that the names and locations of the Sixteen Arhats became clear, and faith in them began. As faith in Shakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism, shifted from the Dharmakaya to the actual Shakyamuni, faith in the arhats became more widespread, and in China from the Song dynasty onwards, and in Japan from the Heian period onwards, numerous works of 16, 18 and 500 arhats were painted, and many of these still remain.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

釈迦が涅槃のとき，正法を付嘱され，この世にとどまって正法を護持することを命じられたという羅漢の像は，中国，日本などで絵画や彫刻にあらわされた。その絵画化は中国の六朝時代に始まっているが，唐時代に玄奘（げんじよう）によって《法住記》が訳出され，十六羅漢の名称，所在地などが明確となり，信仰が始まった。その後，仏教の教主釈迦への信仰が，法身から実在の釈迦へと移り変わるにつれて，羅漢信仰は盛んとなり，中国では宋以後，日本では平安時代以降，十六，十八，五百羅漢などのおびただしい作品が描かれ，現存遺品も数多い。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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