Property of a Lady
A soapstone figure of a Luohan, attributed to Zhou Bin, 17th / 18th century | 十七 / 十八世紀 壽山石雕第十四尊者看書像 《第十四尊者看書》《尚均》款
Auction Closed
March 17, 08:20 PM GMT
Estimate
100,000 - 150,000 USD
Lot Details
Description
A soapstone figure of a Luohan, attributed to Zhou Bin
17th / 18th century
十七 / 十八世紀 壽山石雕第十四尊者看書像
《第十四尊者看書》《尚均》款
superbly carved, the deity seated leaning slightly onto the right hand with the left knee raised supporting the left hand holding an open book, the face with a serene expression detailed with downcast eyes above a broad nose and a slightly upturned mouth, framed by a pair of pendulous earlobes, the hair, eyes, and eyebrows finely incised and painted in black pigment, dressed in a loose robe open at the chest and draped in naturalistic folds, the fabric meticulously incised along the hem with meandering lotus scroll and inset with mother-of-pearl and coral, all above a rockwork base finely incised on the top with a brocade pattern, the underside with a vertical inscription reading dishisizunzhe kanshu (The fourteenth luohan reading a book), followed by a two-character signature reading Shangjun, the stone of a creamy white color variegated with some natural inclusions
Height 3 ¼ in., 8.3 cm
Private Collection, acquired prior to 1993, and thence by descent.
來源
私人收藏，得於1993年之前，此後家族傳承
Brilliantly carved with an exceptional aesthetic and intrinsic charm, the present luohan bears the signature of Shangjun, one of the best known and most talented soapstone carvers of the early Qing period. Zhou Bin, zi Shangjun, was a native of Zhangzhou in Fujian province, where large soapstone quarries are located. Although textual information about him is scarce, and his exact dates are unknown, he is believed to have been active in the Kangxi period (1662-1722) and to have been trained by Yang Yuxuan, another renowned soapstone master. Fang Zonggui in Shoushanshi zhi [Records of Shoushan Stone], Fuzhou, 1982, pp 77-8, notes that Zhou’s works were always prized in artistic circles.
Four luohan belonging to the same set as the present figure have been previously auctioned, all of which came from the same private collection. One depicted in meditation, incised with an inscription dishiqizunzhe ruding Shangjun (The seventeenth luohan in meditation, Shangjun), was recently sold in these rooms, 23rd September 2020, lot 673; the second, holding a lingzhi, and inscribed to the underside with dishiliuzunzhe zhilingzhi Shangjun (The sixteenth luohan holding a lingzhi, Shangjun), was also sold in these rooms, 22nd September 2005, lot 60, and again in our Hong Kong rooms, 2nd June 2016, lot 73, from the Water, Pine and Stone Retreat Collection; the third, holding a ruyi scepter, and inscribed with diqizunzhe zhiyuruyi Shangjun (The seventh luohan holding a jade ruyi, Shangjun), was sold in these rooms, 31st March-1st April 2005, lot 202; and the fourth, identified as the tenth luohan, was sold in the same rooms, 22nd September 2004, lot 50.
Further surviving examples of small figural sculptures from series of luohan, usually seated on elaborate cushions or rockwork base, comprise one included in the exhibition Arts from the Scholar’s Studio, Fung Ping Shan Museum, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1986, cat. no. 44; a figure holding a lion cub and seated on a stepped platform incised with lotus sprays, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 4th April 2012, lot 136; one in the National Museum of Chinese History, Beijing, published in Zhongguo wenwu jinghua daquan, Jinyin yushi juan [Compendium of Chinese art. gold, silver, jade and stone], Hong Kong, 1994, p. 83, pl. 242; and a fourth example, included in the exhibition In Scholar's Taste, Sydney L. Moss Ltd., London, 1983, cat. no. 123.