Five Hundred Arhats No.230 · The Venerable Fragrant-Flame Banner | Traditional Hand-Painted Chinese Ink Zen Buddhist Figure Painting | 100×50cm

Five Hundred Arhats · No.230 The Venerable Fragrant-Flame Banner

'Fragrant-flame banner' raises the true incense of discipline and stillness and the flame of wisdom as a tall standard—clouds of fragrance and flame-light adorning it like a lofty banner; the name marks one who builds the Dharma-banner high with discipline's incense and wisdom's flame. The venerable looks noble and uplifted, possessing the eminence of fragrant-flame adornment, a Dharma-banner raised high, standing supreme through the incense of discipline and the light of wisdom.

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