Seated Arhat with Two Attendants

Arhat, or Lohan (羅漢 in Chinese), were the disciples of the historical Buddha. Later tradition tended to picture them in sets of 16, 18, or as many as 500. This is one painting from a larger set, with a seated arhat portrayed on a grand scale, overshadowing his own attendant as well as the ferocious figure who approaches him with an offering of a peacock.