Man wearing a garment with folds, standing on an elaborate staff on rolling waves; man looks up into sky over his proper left shoulder and holds a small flaming ball in his proper right hand; drag in dark clouds at upper right

Bodhidharma Crossing the Sea, 1368-1643

Ink on silkexpand_more

Gift of funds from Joan Wurteleexpand_more  99.17.2

Executed primarily in fine line ink technique (Bai Miao), a Buddhist luohan or arhat is shown riding his walking staff through turbulent waves. He holds a flaming pearl in his right hand and peers over his shoulder at a dragon emerging from a bank of dark, threatening clouds. The affiliation of luohans and dragons comes from early accounts of the miraculous powers of the great patriarchs or Chan Buddhism to control dragons. Dragons were believed to affect rain and thunder and those who could summon dragons could share their power to make rain. Buddhist monks and Daoist sages were both thought to have wonder-working control over the powers of the universe. The swirling waves, clouds, and contorted dragon represent the forces of nature over which an enlightened follower of the Buddhist law (dharma) could gain mastery.

Details
Title
Bodhidharma Crossing the Sea
Role
Artist
Accession Number
99.17.2
Curator Approved

This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know

Zoom in on the left to the detail you'd like to save. Click 'Save detail' and wait until the image updates. Right click the image to 'save image as' or copy link, or click the image to open in a new tab.

Man wearing a garment with folds, standing on an elaborate staff on rolling waves; man looks up into sky over his proper left shoulder and holds a small flaming ball in his proper right hand; drag in dark clouds at upper right