A 'FAMILLE VERTE' PORCELAIN SCULPTURE WITH XIANLONG LOHANChina, Qing dynasty, 19th centuryThe deity sitting with legs and arms folded, in the right hand a sphere, wearing trousers, boots and a blouse tied to the chest, all the robes decorated with floral motifs, next to him a bag with a dragon.16,5 cm highProvenance: Italian private collection.Xianlong, literally "the dragon tamer", is one of the Eighteen Lohan (in Sanskrit arhat), that group of disciples of the original Buddha who, despite having reached the enlightenment by following the teachings of the Master, continue to frequent the world to prepare for the advent of Maitreya, the Buddha of the future.