Nahan and Dragon

Artist

Korean (Korean)

Date

18th century

Medium

Ink, color on silk

Dimensions

Image : 25 x 13 1/4 in. (63.5 x 33.66 cm)
Frame : 43 1/4 x 29 3/4 in. (1.1 m x 75.57 cm)

Credit Line

Gift of David Kamansky and Gerald Wheaton

Object Number

2014.23.312

Label

Nahan is the Korean name for Buddhist saints who have achieved enlightenment and vowed to protect the Buddha’s teachings and transmit them to future generations. They are often depicted as ascetic monks, sitting in meditation with intense facial expressions. This painting probably once belonged to a set of either sixteen or eighteen nahan images and was likely made to hang in the meditation hall of a Buddhist temple. The colorful brushwork reflects a style that was brought to Korea from China by Buddhist monks in the 14th century.