AN IRON SCULPTURE OF PINDOLA LOHAN WITH THE TIGER
China, Ming dynasty, Jiajing period, 1522

The sculpture depicting a seated male figure, wearing a large robe, an animal that appears to be a tiger between his legs, on the back of the figure a long inscription with the 1522 date.

30 cm high

Provenance: Fabrizio Savi collection, acquired in the early 2000s.
The lohan are disciples of the original Buddha who, through various stages of meditation, have finally attained enlightenment. Based on the reference tradition, their number can vary from a minimum of sixteen to a maximum of several tens. The lohan depicted in this sculpture could be Pindola, an Indian monk who chose to not kill any living being. According to a famous legend, he succeeded in converting to vegetarianism a tiger, which has from then become his faithful companion.