Szilágyi András (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 14. (Budapest, 1994)

FAJCSÁK Györgyi: Luo-han-festmények a Hopp Ferenc Kelet-Ázsiai Művészeti Múzeum kínai gyűjteményéből

books. The smaller composition permitted far greater flexibility for experimentation and play. Some subject-matter was favoured for the albums, such as landscapes in the style of masters of the past, series of seasons and months focused on the main festivals or typical flowers (bird and flower paintings) and alternating mythological and historical figures. Luo-han figures can be seen on twelve leaves of our sixteen-leaf album. One group of the scenes (1-7) based essentially on Buddhist legends used Buddhist symbols and connected to the traditions of earlier Chinese Buddhist art. The other group of the luo-han scenes (8-12) are depicted in the characteristic style of Chinese literati painters and have as their favoured subject-matter representations of the Sages of the Bamboo Grove, depictions of famous literary gatherings, and enjoyments in the garden. 1. One of the disciples of Buddha Shakyamuni was often painted with a palace floating on a cloud risen from his finger (sometimes by snapping his fingers) or from a gracious vase. The typical Chinese building with turned up eaves was the symbol of nirvana, the final goal for every Buddhist.

16 The scene indicates the rapidity with which this luo-han reached enlightenment. One of his attendants is taking pleasure in the sight of the floating palace while the other is looking at the luo-han's finger smitten with his act. The flying lines of the embellishment

17 add movement to the scene. The parallel of this scene can be seen on one of the British Library's album-leaves on which the celestial palace is floating on clouds rising out of a vase.

18 These scenes can surely connect to the figure depicted with a risen up pagoda on the handscroll attributed to Ding Yun-peng. The compositions and some typical details of the various scenes in our album were based on wood cut pictures printed painting manuals, and encyclopaedias spread extensively from the late sixteenth century onwards. Depictions of the luo-han and monk figures published in the Encyclopaedia San-cai-tuhui in 1708 show similarities with our album-leaves. A parallel of the first album-leaf can be found on a portrait of a monk.'

y 2. The white elephant as a symbol of Buddha Shakyamuni, as well as a symbol of wisdom, was often depicted on luo-han paintings in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The Chinese character xiang primarily means elephant, but it has an additional meaning "image of reality" as well. The figure standing besides of the elephant is just opening the skin on his head and his new face becomes visible with an urna on his forehead. The simultaneous appearance of an elephant and a luo-han with forehead drawn aside show an interesting connection with the scrolls depicting elephant's washing or sweeping.

20 The title of these paintings conceals a pun: sao xiang

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. Character sao means sweep, wipe out, obliterate, which in connection with the above-mentioned meanings of the character xiang refer to the eradication of attachment to the phenomenal world. By the display of this luo-han the album-leaf can inspire people to recognize a much more profound reality than our visible but transcient world. 3. A tiger or a luo-han resting on a tiger are frequently depicted on luo-han paintings as well as on monk portraits. The tiger is symbol of a wild and fierce master, while his submission points to the Buddhist believer ruling over his senses. The tiger was represented with foliage collar and apron which can be compared to the similar foliage belt of the luo-han hung from the waist. The figure imitating Daoist Immortals (with a hanging bottle-gourd on his stick, a belt made of leaves, etc.) was accompanied by a servant looked out the scene and hold provisions for the journey in the tied round laquer box.

22 He has fillet, as a small ornament with a central medallion on his forehead. These ornaments, which are similar to some on other leaves of the album, (2,11) can generally be seen on the attendants; however, they were Bodhisattva ornaments on the former Buddhist paintings and sculptures.

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