Thangka of the Arhat Cucupanthaka

The central figure is an elderly man with a weathered, dark complexion and thin mustache, seated in full lotus position on a lotus base. He wears a vibrant red monastic robe draped over one shoulder and holds a small, ornate bowl in his lap. His right hand is raised in a gesture of teaching or debate (vitarka mudra). To his right, a smaller, bearded devotee in red robes kneels, holding up a golden vessel. The background features lush, stylized flowering trees, dark rock formations, and a swirling mountain stream, all enclosed by an elaborate, patterned silk brocade border typical of Tibetan thangka mounting.

This painting depicts Cucupanthaka, one of the sixteen original Arhats who, according to Buddhist tradition, were tasked by the historical Buddha to remain in the world to protect and propagate the Dharma. The iconography of the bowl-bearing Arhat is common in Vajrayana Buddhist lineage paintings used for meditation and monastic ritual.