Lohan (Arhat) Holding a Peach; Lohan (Arhat) Holding a Fu Dog (1662–1722): Art, History and Details

Lohan (Arhat) Holding a Peach; Lohan (Arhat) Holding a Fu Dog (1662–1722) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

Lohan are disciples of Buddha with supernatural powers and eccentric behaviors. One lohan is holding the peach of longevity (shoutao), the other is holding the fu-dog, symbolizing good luck. With carefree smiles and playful gestures, these two figures embody a humorous attitude and a detachment from worldly affairs. This pair of porcelain figures was perhaps part of a house altar set or a decorative item in a household.

Object facts

• Title: Lohan (Arhat) Holding a Peach; Lohan (Arhat) Holding a Fu Dog
• Date: 1662–1722
• Culture: China, Jiangxi province, Jingdezhen kilns, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Kangxi reign (1662–1722)
• Type: Ceramic
• Technique: porcelain with famille verte overglaze enamel decoration
• Dimensions: Overall: 24.3 x 12.6 cm (9 9/16 x 4 15/16 in.)
• Collection: China - Qing Dynasty
• Department: Chinese Art
• Accession number: 1964.191

A detail from the museum

During the 1600s, porcelain sculptures decorated in famille verte overglaze enamel colors were produced for the domestic as well as export market to Europe.

Collection credit

Severance and Greta Millikin Collection

Further reading listed by the museum

• Catalogue of the Severance and Greta Millikin Collection. Cleveland, Ohio: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1990.

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.