遼十一 / 十二世紀 鎏金銅迦葉尊者坐像

the richly gilded figure well-cast with a bald head and distinctive facial features, modelled with almond-shaped eyes above high cheekbones and a large prominent nose above thick pursed lips, the forehead with an urna, all framed by a pair of long pendulous earlobes, seated in vajraparyankasana with his hands held together in his lap in dhyanamudra, dressed in a voluminous robe draping elegantly over his shoulders and falling in loose folds over his crossed legs, cast with a square-shaped aperture at the reverse of the head

There is a circular casting flaw of approx. 0.8 x 0.8 cm to the top of the head. There are some typical wear (especially to the extremities and the reverse), dents and scratches, including one of approx. 2.3 cm to the reverse of the head above a square aperture opening.
"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."

此坐像鎏金厚重，刻劃出神。尺寸相近之遼代鎏金銅像，公私收藏中有存，但多為菩薩，著錄未見有其他羅漢例，可見本尊應為中國羅漢造像先例。

檀香山藝術博物館藏一乾漆羅漢像，紀年西夏晚期永安五年（1099），見 Marilyn Leidig Gridley，《Chinese Buddhist Sculpture Under The Liao: Free Standing Works In Situ And Selected Examples From Public Collections》，The International Academy of Indian Culture and Aditya Prakashan，新德里，1993年，頁64，圖97。檀香山羅漢之坐姿、手印、面相、衣褶，皆與本尊極為接近，應屬同代。另有一石雕羅漢，無論坐姿、輪廓、衣褶，均與此類同，宜作對比，見 Osvald Siren，《Chinese Sculpture from the Fifth to the Fourteenth Century》，斯德哥爾摩，1998年，圖版602。材質雖異，三者甚為相似，可推斷年代相約，且以當朝風格為據。

此像杏圓形眼，近似其他遼代鎏金銅佛，例見 Denise Patry Leidy 及 Donna Strahan，《Wisdom Embodied: Chinese Buddhist and Daoist Sculpture in the Metropolitan Museum of Art》，紐黑文，2010年，編號25、26。另有一例，售於紐約蘇富比2006年3月30日，編號276，亦見一遼代三彩羅漢像，形態相若，藏於大英博物館，載於《海外遺珍．佛像一》，台北，1998年，圖版151、152。

羅漢，為佛陀得道弟子，皆了脫生死，證入涅盤。於壽命未盡前，仍住世間，梵行少欲，戒德清淨，隨緣教化度眾。此羅漢，面相獨特，高顴骨，隆鼻，前額皺起，可知其年長，本像或為迦葉佛，是釋迦牟尼十大弟子之一，來自摩揭陀國，見佛祖時，年已八旬，其少欲知足，常修苦行，受眾人膜拜。

禪宗一脈，視迦葉尊者為初祖，阿難尊者繼二祖，二者常侍佛陀兩側，此組合普見於北魏石雕，阿難位右，迦葉居左，例見於龍門石窟賓陽中洞，錄於 Angela Falco Howard、李松、巫鴻及楊泓，《中國古代雕塑》，紐黑文，2006年，頁238，圖3.39。此組合方式，後歷經隋、唐、遼、宋，襲至明朝。