A FINE SOAPSTONE FIGURE OF A SEATED LUOHAN

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A FINE SOAPSTONE FIGURE OF A SEATED LUOHAN
QING DYNASTY, LATE 17TH EARLY 18TH CENTURY

Shown seated on a simulated rockwork dais of beige, ochre and russet tone, the luohan depicted with a serene expression, his features framed by his curled beard and moustache and with curled sideburns extending over his ears, his hands joined together and raised above his right knee to support an alms bowl, the coral, pearl, turquoise, and onyx inlaid edges of his layered robes engraved with floral scrolls on a waive ground and filled in with black pigment, the robes left open at the chest exposing his dhoti, the back of the robe incised with a lingzhi sprig below the two-character signature Yu Xuan the stone of pale beige tone with russet inclusions
4 1 8 in. (10.3 cm.) high, box

Sale room notice

Please note that the hands of this soapstone figure have been repaired.

Lot Essay

The Yu Xuan signature is generally attributed to the famous Fujian soapstone carver Yang Ji who was believed to be active during the early Kangxi period. This superb carving shows several of the characteristics of Yang's works, the rendering of the robes, the heavy jowled face and the exquisite detail.

Compare with another luohan signed by Yang Yu Xuan with similar pronounced facial features and treatment of facial hair illustrated by G. Tsang and H. Moss, Arts from the Scholar's Studio, Hong Kong, 1986, p. 87, no. 45; and another Yu Xuan signed luohan supporting a miniature pagoda above his raised knee in the Palace Museum, Beijing (unpublished); and to the unsigned luohan from the Mary and George Bloch collection, offered at Christie's New York, 19 September 2007, lot 51.

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