18TH/19TH CENTURY

Luohans, also known as arhats, are enlightened Buddhist beings who act as worldly conduits to the state of infinitely expanded consciousness granted by their enlightenment. Images of luohans probably originated in Kashmir, and were first mentioned in the Mahayanavataraka, which was translated into Chinese in AD 437; their names were later identified by the early Tang pilgrim monk Xuanzang in AD 654. Numbers vary in Buddhist tradition, but a group of eighteen was eventually established as the standard Chinese grouping, which became popular in later Chinese art, appearing in a wide variety of medium.