Thangka of the Arhat Kanakavatsa

The central figure is an elderly monk with a shaven head and a fair complexion, wearing traditional deep orange and red monastic robes that drape over his shoulders and legs. He is seated on a lotus cushion, and his hands are raised, holding a rope or cord that terminates in decorative jewels or tassels. Behind him is a golden halo and a stylized landscape featuring trees and distant mountains, while a smaller, similarly dressed figure sits to his lower right. The painting is framed by intricate brocade borders with floral motifs, characteristic of later Chinese mounting styles.

Kanakavatsa is one of the sixteen original Arhats (Sthaviras) tasked by the Buddha with protecting the Dharma. This thangka serves as a devotional image used in Tibetan Buddhist practice to venerate the lineage of the Buddha's direct disciples.