A SOAPSTONE FIGURE OF A LOHAN, BY ZIXIU 17TH CENTURY

the masterfully carved cream and russet Shoushan stone the work of the celebrated Zixiu, the seated lohan in meditative pose dressed in loose fitting monastic robes finely etched at the hem with a floral scroll on a stylised wave ground, inlaid with alternating pearls and turquoise glass beads, a ruyi sceptre held in his right hand while the other holds a fly-whisk, the head with downcast eyes and benevolent smile, slightly bent down to acknowledge the recumbent lion affectionately resting at his side, the back inscribed in archaic script with the two characters Zixiu, the stone with smooth patina, set on a toffee-coloured pierced rock base

Sotheby's Hong Kong, 30th October 2000, lot 261.

Apart from two pearls that have fallen out on the robe, the overall condition is very good. The actual size is about 10% smaller than the catalogue illustration.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Chinese carvers rarely signed their work and to find a piece with the maker's name signifies the patronage he enjoyed in this form of art. Although a number of figural carvings can be found signed by the carver Zixiu, little is known about him. For a detailed discussion of the possible dating of Zixiu's works see Gerard Tsang and Hugh Moss, Arts from the Scholar's Studio, Hong Kong, 1986, pp. 160 and 162, where a lohan figure is illustrated, pl. 135, together with another figure, pl. 136, both bearing the signature 'Zixiu'. Zixiu's carving style is generally recognizable by the execution of the faces, the detailed carving of facial hair and the use of pearls and pale turquoise glass beads for decoration. For further examples of his work see a seated figure of a lohan sold in our London rooms, 13^th May 2009, lot 9, together with a seated figure of Budai also bearing Zixiu's signature, lot 17. 

For further examples of soapstone figures see those carved by a contemporary of Zixiu and member of a group of carvers who produced soapstone figures of this type called Zhou Bin. A finely carved figure of a seated lohan signed by Zhou Bin in the National Museum of Chinese History, Beijing, is illustrated in Zhongguo wenwu jinghua daquan: Jin yin yu shi juan, Hong Kong, 1994, p. 83, pl. 242; and another was included in the exhibition In Scholar's Taste, Sydney L. Moss Ltd., London, 1983, cat. no. 123, where this type of soapstone carving is discussed.  See also a group of three soapstone figures, from the collection of Sir Hans Sloane which entered the British Museum, London, on his death in 1753, published in R. Soame Jenyns, Chinese Art. The Minor Arts II, London, 1965, p. 270, pl. 182. Jenyns, ibid., p. 270, notes that one of the pieces illustrated, either the seated lohan with the begging bowl or the one standing must be Sloane's 'Chinese idol with pott (sic)' which he acquired before 1718.