Depicted in this small carving are Pindola (賓頭廬尊者) and his tame tiger. Pindola was one of the eighteen Buddhist ‘arhats’, disciples of Gautama Buddha. Teachings of the Arhats eventually made their way from India to China where these guardians of the Buddhist faith are called Luohan (羅漢). Pindola tamed a ferocious tiger and is said to have excelled in the mastery of occult and psychic powers. The carving shows him with his tiger which seems very tame and almost looks frightened as if he is hiding behind the arhat. The netsuke is signed by the maker Guang Zhi (光之). Height without stand 5.1 cm. Width 4.1 cm. Depth 3.4 cm.