Five Hundred Arhats No.406 · The Venerable Head of the Worthy | Traditional Hand-Painted Chinese Ink Zen Buddhist Figure Painting | 100×50cm

Five Hundred Arhats · No.406 The Venerable Head of the Worthy

'Head of the worthy' means being foremost among the virtuous, holding the first place among saints and sages, gathering the virtues of the worthy as their guide; the name marks one whose virtue surpasses others, head of the worthy. The venerable has a gentle, noble bearing with a composed look, possessing the composure of foremost virtue, guiding the assembly, gentle and upright, leading beings to the noble path through worthy virtue.

Painted by Li Zongyi in the freehand Chinese ink (xieyi) tradition, the brushwork is fluent and the ink tones layered from dense to pale, capturing the arhat’s spirit in a few assured strokes. The blank paper itself breathes Zen; figure and spirit are one, blending monastic solemnity with the literati’s ease. Each of the Five Hundred Arhats bears its own name and practice, uniting faith, art and collectibility — an original, non-reproducible hand-painted work.

Size: approx. 100×50cm (4.5 square chi) | Traditional hand-painted Chinese ink Zen Buddhist figure painting | On paper