Lot Essay
The pair together form a set of the 'Eighteen Luohans', the personal disciples of Buddha.
INCISED ZHENGDE FOUR-CHARACTER MARK, LATE QING DYNASTY
Details
A PAIR OF IVORY VASES
incised zhengde four-character mark, late qing dynasty
Each of slender form and oval section, naturalistically carved in high relief with nine luohans in two tiers, each of individual appearance and posture and holding various objects including bells, fly-whisks, scrolls, ruyi-sceptres, cymbals, and a miniature pagoda, and riding a Buddhistic lion, a tiger, a qilin and a mythical horse, amidst a deer holding a lingzhi in its mouth, an ox, a flying dragon and qilin exhaling vapour, all on and amongst cloud-scrolls, the flaring rim with a key-fret band, the shaped base with ruyi-head feet, age cracks
12¾in. (32.5cm.) high (2)
incised zhengde four-character mark, late qing dynasty
Each of slender form and oval section, naturalistically carved in high relief with nine luohans in two tiers, each of individual appearance and posture and holding various objects including bells, fly-whisks, scrolls, ruyi-sceptres, cymbals, and a miniature pagoda, and riding a Buddhistic lion, a tiger, a qilin and a mythical horse, amidst a deer holding a lingzhi in its mouth, an ox, a flying dragon and qilin exhaling vapour, all on and amongst cloud-scrolls, the flaring rim with a key-fret band, the shaped base with ruyi-head feet, age cracks
12¾in. (32.5cm.) high (2)
Literature
The Catalogue of Sassoon Chinese Ivories, compiled by S.E. Lucas, London 1950, vol.2, nos.469-70