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gohyaku rakan@Œά•S—…ŠΏ
KEY WORD :@art history / iconography
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Ch: wubai luohan. Five hundred arhats *rakan —…ŠΏ, a Buddhist art subject developed in China featuring large numbers of Indian wise men usually accompanied by servants. The origin of the grouping is unknown, although several Chinese texts mention rakan as protective saints, who guard the Buddhist law until the coming of *Miroku –νθΣ (Sk:Maitreya), the Buddha of the Future (see *juuroku rakan \˜Z—…ŠΏ). The Chinese belief that Five hundred arhats inhabited a peak beyond the Stone Bridge *Shakkyou Ξ‹΄ on Mt. Tiantai (Jp: Tendaisan “V‘δŽR) is probably an adaptation into popular Buddhism of Taoist legends about the locale as the home of immortals. Tang period Chinese were also familiar with Indian legends of five hundred arhats believed to live on Mt. Buddhavanagiri near Rajagrha. It is not clear whether the number "500" refers to 500 specific individuals or simply indicates a large number. Beginning in the 5c large groups of rakan were depicted as seated, a pose that was also used for portrayal of independent rakan images. By the 10c and 11c, rakan depictions were elaborated with landscape or domestic interior settings as the rakan cult became wide spread. The best-known painting of five hundred rakan is the set of 100 hanging scrolls (divided among Daitokuji ‘ε“ΏŽ›, Kyoto; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; and other collections) by Lin Tinggui (Jp: Rin Teikei —Ρ’λŒ]; act.1174-89) and Zhou Jichang (Jp: Shuu Kijou Žό‹Gν; late 12c). The inscription of 1178 also states that the set was originally commissioned by a merchant family as a gift to a temple, and this type of popular patronage probably lies behind many of rakan paintings. The complete set of scrolls by Lin and Zhou was in Japan by the late 14c as copies were made by the Japanese painter-priest Minchou –Ύ’› (1351-1431) for Toufukuji “Œ•ŸŽ› (1386) in Kyoto and for Engakuji ‰~ŠoŽ› in Kanagawa prefecture. Although all 500 of the rakan were occasionally painted on a single scroll, more frequently depictions were done on a series of scrolls or large wall surfaces. The subject was revived in Ming China and similarly found renewed interest in Edo period Japan. Ike no Taiga's ’r‘ε‰λ (1723-76) screen, *fusuma ‰¦ painting of five hundred rakan at Manpukuji δέ•ŸŽ› is a well-known but unorthodox example. More typical are the 100 scrolls by Kanou Kazunobu Žλ–μˆκM (1815-63) at Zoujouji ‘γŽ›, Tokyo. Rock sculptures of the five hundred rakan were created at temples all over Japan, including Kita-in Šμ‘½‰@ in Saitama prefecture, Rakanji —…ŠΏŽ› in Ooita prefecture, and Sekihouji Ξ•τŽ› in Kyoto.
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