Painted Banner (Thangka) from a Set of Seven Portraying the Sixteen Arhats (Elders), Early Disciples of the Historical Buddha Shakyamuni

This thangka features four of the sixteen arhats, early Indian disciples of the Buddha Shakyamuni. From the top, Ajita sits with his robe over his head, Kalika holds a pair of earrings, Kanakabharadvaja performs the gesture of meditation (dhyana mudra), and Shri Bhadra sits in meditation on an island, baring one shoulder respectfully. Surrounding the arhats are scenes referencing hagiographic narratives associated with them. The group of seven thangkas to which this work belongs would normally be hung together, placed in a row with a central thangka and three thangkas flanking it on each side. This thangka’s composition and the orientation of the figures directs the viewer’s attention to the left, where the central thangka would normally be placed. The Tibetan inscription on the back of the hanging bar specifies that it is the “first on the left,” indicating that it is to be placed immediately to the proper left (viewer’s right) of the central thangka (1923.968). The thangkas in this set of seven have been preserved with their traditional cloth mount and protective silk curtain.

Arhat sets typically contain twenty-five figures in all, centering on Shakyamuni surrounded by his close attendants Shariputra and Maudgalyayana, the sixteen arhats, the four guardian kings who protect the cardinal directions, and the two devotees Hvashang and Dharmata. Although many of these figures are not worshipped on their own, collectively, they have become a popular grouping for both devotional practice and artistic representation. In painting, they may appear collectively in a single thangka or in sets with one or more figures per thangka.