Monday, July 2, 2012

Sadigh Gallery’s New Ancient Chinese Jade Collection


Sadigh Gallery has recently acquired an estate collection of ancient jade Lohan statues from 1300’s AD.

So what exactly are these Lohans that we are talking of?   Lohans (also known as Arhats) are the 18 followers of Buddhism’s “Eightfold Path”, who have reached the state of complete freedom from worldly desires  and were no longer subject to reincarnation. Their saintly characteristics are sometimes regarded as similar to guardian angels of western world, and are thought to protect people from all kinds of evil.    Each Lohan embodies philosophy of life, and the statues/drawings of them are often placed in Buddhist temples for people to open themselves to spiritual exploration.

The translated names of the eighteen Lohans are: 
Deer Sitting Lohan: Signifies spiritual awakening
Happy Lohan:  Bringer of eternal happiness, dispels any obstacles that prevents one from happiness
Raised Bowl Lohan: The begging bowl signifies humility, and teaches that if one could only be rich spiritually, he/she may reach eternal happiness. 
Raised Pagoda Lohan: Bringer of auspiciousness
Meditating Lohan: Enhances the serenity of the home.
Oversea Lohan: Lohan who spread the teachings of Buddha overseas, the father of Japanese zen Buddhism, and the master of martial arts
Elephant Riding Lohan: Bringer of fortune, the elephant is a symbol of victory over evil forces
Laughing Lion Lohan: Embodies compassion and wisdom. The lion is the powerful protector against worldly disturbances. 
Open Heart Lohan: Represents purity of the mind
Raised Hand Lohan: Bring harmony among the siblings.
Thinking Lohan: Brings blessing through meditation
Scratched Ear Lohan: Symbolizes purification of the sense of hearing in search for peace and quiet. 
Calico Bag Lohan: Protects one from evil of the world
Plantain Lohan: Bringer of the guru
Long Eyebrow Lohan: Embodies virtues and wisdom.
Doorman Lohan: Teaches one that one must practice diligently in order to eradicate the greed, anger and ignorance in one's mind
Taming Dragon Lohan: Symbolizes bravery and wisdom
Taming Tiger Lohan: Teaches one to overcome the “tiger”-- desire, greed, anger and hatred-- in one’s mind.

It is a rare occasion for us to obtain a full collection of  18 Lohan statues that are still in a beautiful condition.  View our collection at our website here:

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