The two characters, Shangjun, is the designation of the renowned master carver Zhou Bin, a native of Zhangzhou Fujian province who was active during the mid-17th century. Sculptural figures bearing a Shangjun mark are very rare as the revered artist is better known for his extremely fine carving of archaistic birds and dragons, such as the tianhuang seal sold in these Rooms, 2 November 1999, lot 723; and one within a group of twelve tianhuang seals offered in the present sale, lot 720.

Compare with two devotional figures bearing the same carver's name, both included in the exhibition Arts from the Scholar's Studio, the Oriental Ceramic Society of Hong Kong, 1986, and illustrated in the Catalogue, no. 44, a soapstone Luohan; and the other a tianhuang Guanyin, no. 165. The seated Luohan bears an inscription on the base written in clerical script, Gumin Zhou Bin Shangjun shi zhi, 'Made by Zhou Bin, Shangjun of Gumin (Fujian)'; and the Guanyin and acolyte group is carved with four characters, Shiyu Pingan, 'It rains peace', and the signature, Shangjun.