An imperial inscribed pale celadon jade ‘Eight Luohan’ screen, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period | 清乾隆　御製青白玉羅漢圖御題詩插屏

Sotheby’s London, 1st November 1984, lot 500.

Superbly carved from pale celadon jade, the present screen is an exquisite example of Imperial jade carving from the Qianlong period. Depicting eight luohans in a mountainous landscape of mystical serenity, the screen would originally have been one of a pair, forming a complete set of sixteen luohans. Luohans, revered as 'Guardians of the Buddhist Law', became popular subjects of artistic representation in China from the Tang dynasty, with standardized groups of sixteen or eighteen luohans becoming prevalent during the Song and Ming dynasties, continuing into the Qing dynasty.

The Qianlong emperor's personal admiration for the luohans is well documented. In 1757, he visited the Shengyin Temple near Hangzhou specifically to view the renowned paintings by the monk-painter Guanxiu (832–912 AD). Deeply moved by Guanxiu's expressive depictions, the Emperor composed poetic inscriptions for each luohan and commissioned the court artist Ding Guanpeng to create faithful reproductions of Guanxiu's originals. These images became prototypes for subsequent Imperial commissions in various materials, including jade, lacquer, kesi textiles, and paintings. The present jade screen stands as a testament to the Emperor’s profound devotion and his refined aesthetic ideals.

The reverse of the present screen is inscribed with an Imperial poem composed by Qianlong Emperor, reflecting his philosophical contemplation and artistic sensibilities. The poem is recorded in Qing Gaozong yuzhi shiwen quan ji [Anthology of imperial Qianlong poems and text], yuzhi wen chu ji [Imperial text, part 1], vol. 29.

"In Praise of Arhats"

Amidst jade cliffs, serene and still—

No trace of divine power, no clinging will.

Transcendent change, unforced, unfolds its art;

When eyes see light or dark, the mind stands apart.

Where is the heart? Seek not its source in vain—

Empty as illusion, free from mortal chain.

The painter’s brush, like sunlight pure and bright,

Reveals their faces, freed from worldly night.

Through this poetic inscription, the Emperor seamlessly blends Buddhist philosophy with artistic critique, celebrating both the luohans’ spiritual liberation and the painter’s skill in manifesting the ineffable through his brushwork. Ultimately, the poem mirrors the Emperor’s own vision of enlightened rulership, harmonizing cultural refinement (文治) with spiritual insight.

A closely related inscribed jade ‘Eight Luohan’ screen, likely the pair to the present lot, from the Estate of Joanne H. Butler, was sold at Sotheby’s New York, 18th March 1977, lot 305 and again at the same rooms, 25th February 1983, lot 272, and subsequently sold in Beijing Chengxuan, 6 November 2007, lot 198.

來源

倫敦蘇富比1984年11月1日，編號500

此玉插屏質溫潤，以浮雕技法雕八羅漢於山水之間，松柏亭閣點綴其中，背面鐫刻乾隆帝御題詩。羅漢俗稱佛法護持者，唐代以來廣泛流行，至宋明時期定型十六或十八尊者尤多。乾隆帝於乾隆二十二年（1757年）親幸杭州聖因寺，觀唐僧貫休所繪十六羅漢圖，深為感動，遂為每尊羅漢題詩，命宮廷畫師丁觀鵬臨摹，並以此為範本，命造辦處工匠以玉石、緙絲、漆器等材質精製，此屏即其中佳例。

屏鐫「御題羅漢贊。翠巖袖手，缾鉢不持。神通變化，無所之施。開眼見明，閉眼見暗。何處徵心，本來弗欠。了心如幻，見身無實。畫師寫照，不殊面壁。」御題詩出自《清高宗御製詩文全集·御製文初集》卷二十九。御題詩文融佛理與藝術鑑賞為一體，讚美羅漢解脫自在之境界，兼頌畫師妙筆生花之功，亦可見乾隆帝文治與禪悟相得益彰的治國理念。

見 Joanne H. Butler 舊藏一件青白玉雕八羅漢插屏，極可能與本品為對屏，曾兩次售於紐約蘇富比1977年3月18日，編號305以及1983年2月25日，編號272，最後售於北京誠軒2007年11月6日，編號198。