A FINE AND RARE SINO-TIBETAN GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF A LUOHAN

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A FINE AND RARE SINO-TIBETAN GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF A LUOHAN
15TH CENTURY

Seated on a high stepped waisted rectangular base in a variation of lalitasana, the raised right hand holding a bilvafala, the left lowered and holding a nakula, wearing a loose robe incised with scrolling lotus along the borders crossed diagonally over the chest and falling in folds over the legs, the face with a calm youthful expression, the base decorated with florettes at the corners, the reverse incised with a long Sanskrit inscription and three Chinese characters, yi di dong, 'number one on the east' -19 3/4in. (50.2cm.) high

Lot Essay

Cf. two related figures, possibly all from the same set. The first a figure of the same size and date seated in a casual pose holding his hands out to his side, with a serene face similar to the present example, with flowing drapery detailed with the same hem and seated on an identical throne was included in the exhibition, Kunst Des Buddhismus, Staatliches Museum fur Volkerkunde, Munich, Germany, Catalogue, no. 104; another seated figure from this group also seated on a similar throne holding Buddhist texts in his hand described as the luohan Gopaka and inscribed 'number seven on the east' from the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, is illustrated by Watson, L'Art de L'Ancienne Chine, pl. 107, and also by Rose Kerr, Later Chinese Bronzes, col. pl. 70, p. 86

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