No. 2371. CATALOGUE OF BUDDHIST ART— CASANOWICZ 323 



philosopher to Buddhism, who possibly lived in the second century 

 A. D., and who is counted the fourteenth of the twenty-eight patri- 

 archs of the Mahayana hierarchy. Nagarjuna alleged that he received 

 the book from the Xagas, who dwell in the ocean (for which see 

 above under No. 40), and they received it from the mouth of Gautama 

 and kept it until a generation arose which was capable of understand- 

 ing it. Height, 10 inches; width, 17^ inches; thickness, 7 inches. 

 Tibet. (Cat. No. 237929, U.S.N.M.) Collected by Lieut. Col. 

 L. A. Waddell, archeologist of the Indian Government expedition to 

 Tibet in 1904-5, and presented by the Government of India. 



175. Printing block of wood in Manchu and Chinese characters. — ■ 

 From the library of the Temple of the Colossal Buddha in the palace 

 grounds of Peking. Length, 25 inches; width, 8 inches. Peking, 

 China. (Cat. No. 222152, U.S.N.M.) Lent by Miss Eliza R. 

 Scidmore. 



III. THE BUDDHIST CONGREGATION (SANGHA). 



1. SAINTS AND PRIESTS AND THEIR APPURTENANCES. 



176-177. Pair of arhats. — Wood, lacquered. Seated figures. The 

 term arhat (Chinese, lohan, Japanese, rohan) is in a specific sense 

 applied to the original disciples of Buddha, the apostles, who are 

 variously counted from 10 to 500. More generally it designates a 

 disciple or follower of Buddha who has attained the highest degree 

 of perfection and completed the chain of existence so that he need 

 not be born again. In a still wider sense it is applied to any virtu- 

 ous and learned saint. The chief apostles or missionaries are usually 

 provided with some attribute or emblem, such as a book or scroll, a 

 fly whisk and vase, as seen on these figures, a jeweled snare, a crown, 

 and so on, and receive worship in the temples. Height, 19 h inches. 

 Tokio, Japan. (Plate 68, Cat. No. 130460, U.S.N.M.) 



178. Arhat.— Bronze, gilt. Seated figure, with hands joined in 

 the attitude of veneration. Height, 4 inches. Laos, Further India. 

 (Cat. No. 217668, U.S.N.M.) 



179. Arhat.— Wood, red lacquered and gilt. Kneeling figure, with 

 hands joined. Height, 4| inches. Laos, Further India. (Cat. No. 

 217575, U.S.N.M.) 



180. Arhat. — Bronze. Seated figure, with hands raised in rever- 

 ence. The inscription on the base states that it was dedicated in 

 the year 1151 of Buddha. Height, 4+ inches. Laos, Further India. 

 (Cat. No. 217513, U.S.N.M.) 



181. Arhat. — Wood, lacquered and gilt. Kneeling figure, with 

 hands folded in adoration. Height, 5J inches. Laos, Further India. 

 (Cat. No. 217562, U.S.N.M.) 



182. Arhat. — Wood, lacquered and gilt. Kneeling figure, holding 

 begging bowl, or medicine vase, with both hands of the outstretched 



