Description: Ink and colors on silk. China, Qing dynasty, end of the 19th century
A delicate painting; eccentric, exquisite and featuring very charismatic facial expressions. Buda, an incarnation of the future Buddha, dominates the composition. A luohan is sitting on a mythical turtle in front of him, another is sitting on a mythical creature with two horns, talons, a gold-yellow mane and a uniquely expressive head. The person in the green gown and sitting on a large cushion is rather enigmatic. The large square seal center top, Qianjing Gongbao 乾 精 宮 寶, “Precious palace treasures”, takes up an important space in the image. To the right of this is a larger round seal, Guxi Tianzi 古 希 天 子, “Antique rarity, belonging to the Son of Heaven (tianzi)”. On the left is a three-row inscription in black ink. The scroll is made from fine wood. WITH THE IMPERIAL SEALS 乾 精 宮 寶 and 古 希 天 子