A SOAPSTONE CARVING OF PINDOLA QING DYNASTY |

seated petting a tiger with one hand and holding a ring in the other, dressed in loose robes open at the chest to reveal bony ribs, the wrinkled face with pronounced cheekbones, deep-set eyes, and curly beard, flanked by pendulous earlobes and surmounted by an ushnisha, the feline with alert ears and head turned up to face the luohan, the folds of skin and fur deftly carved, the stone a greenish beige with a swath of pale orange at the back, traces of black pigment and gilt

Ralph M. Chait Galleries, New York, 21st January 2005.