A LARGE FAHUA GLAZED FIGURE OF A LUOHAN, MING DYNASTY, 16TH-17TH CENTURY

拍品描述

A LARGE FAHUA GLAZED FIGURE OF A LUOHAN, MING DYNASTY, 16TH-17TH CENTURY Scientific Analysis Report: A thermoluminescence analysis report issued by Oxford Authentication on 24 August 2026, based on sample number C126m4, sets the firing date of the three samples taken between 500 and 700 years ago, consistent with the dating above. A copy of the report accompanies this lot. Expert’s note The Luohan displays the rare jianzhi, or ‘sword-finger’ gesture—termed jianjue when employed as a ritual hand-seal—which closely parallels the Indian prana mudra. Associated with the direction of qi, the gesture embodies the interplay of Yin and Yang: raised, as here, its paired fingers express active, expansive Yang; lowered, they express receptive, yielding Yin. Their sword-like form further evokes the Buddhist image of wisdom cutting through ignorance and the Luohan’s power to subdue obstructive forces. Later Shaolin tradition traced related systems of meditative and physical exercise, including the Eighteen Luohan Hands, to Bodhidharma (Damo), himself venerated in China as a Luohan. China. The figure deftly modeled standing on a rectangular platform, with hands before the chest in jianjue (prana mudra), the large domed head with arched eyebrows above eyes gazing ahead, flanked by long pendulous ears, the forehead centered by a raised protrusion, and clad in long flowing monk's robes with wide sleeves covered in a deep aubergine and vibrant turquoise glaze. Dimensions: Height 69 cm Luohan, also known as Arhats or 'Destroyers of the Passions', vary in numbers between 16 and 108 and were depicted in Chinese art from the Tang dynasty onwards. The group of sixteen Arhats was first mentioned in the Indian 'Mahayanavataraka' scriptures, which were translated into Chinese in 437, whilst the full transcript of the sixteen names was given by the pilgrim monk Xuan Zang in in 653, with the additional two that were probably adopted towards the end of the 10th century. Literature comparison: Compare a related smaller sancai glazed figure of an arhat, part of a Parinirvana group, dated 1503 by inscription, 27.9 cm high, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 25.227.3. Compare a related, earlier, larger sancai glazed figure of a luohan showing a similar mudra, dated 1485 by inscription, 121 cm high, in the Beijing Palace Museum, reference number 新00062517. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie’s New York, 15 September 2011, lot 1655 Price: USD 30,000 or approx. EUR 38,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, glazes, and subject. Note the size (55 cm). The result, more than three times the high estimate, suggests that several bidders may have considered the figure earlier than Christie’s dating. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby’s London, 11 May 2011, lot 65 Price: GBP 43,250 or approx. EUR 77,000 (for two) converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, aubergine glaze, and subject.

图片