明十七世紀 楊玉璇製壽山石雕嵌寶笑獅羅漢坐像 《玉璇》款

exquisitely carved from 'shanbodong' stone of a rich caramel-brown colour in the form of a seated luohan leaning in a relaxed position against a recumbent lion, with a ruyi scepter resting in the crook of one arm, his countenance and serene expression naturalistically rendered, his corpulent body draped in long flowing monastic robes opening at the chest and intricately etched at the hem with swirling clouds on a wave ground and inlaid with semi-precious stones, the lion's tame expression and muscular body finely picked out, intricately incised with a Yuxuan mark between the shoulders

上海收藏，二十世紀初，後家族傳承

There are minute chips to the extremities of the robe, and to the finger on one hand, but otherwise good condition. The colour of the stone in reality is less of a brilliant orange-yellow, and more of a caramel-brown colour.
"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."

Yang Yuxuan, also known by the names Yang Ji, Xuan and Yu Rei, was a native of Zhangpu, Fujian province, and worked as a stone carver in the provincial capital of Fuzhou. His work is praised by one of his contemporaries, the Fujian official Zhou Lianggong, as follows: 'the excellence of his knife work is equivalent to that done by supernatural beings'. Yang's repertoire included carvings of seal knobs, figures, birds, animals and vessels. He is known for the delicate and intricate manner of carving and the carving technique known as bo yi (intentionally thin) is said to have been started by him. The bo yi is a light surface carving where the artists cut the stone into blocks and only lightly carve the surface of the stone in order to preserve as much of the original material as possible. Although the carving remains 'skin-deep' the design can be very elaborate. Yang Yuxuan was a prolific carver but only a very small number of his works are signed. Traditionally, while literary artists, such as poets, writers and calligraphers, were highly venerated and were expected to sign their work, craftsmen such as Yang would generally not have carved their signature on a piece unless it was of particular  importance.

The type of soapstone used on the current sculpture is 'shanbodong', a stone found in the Shoushan region in a river area near Doucheng. In traditional connoisseurship on shoushan, the name reputedly derives from the story of a stone digger called Shanbo who passed away while digging for this precious stone in the Xianfeng to Tongzhi period, and the stone was then named after him. It is characterised by its lustrous transparency, with shiny sandy-type elements visible beneath the mottled caramel-brown and red surface.

Another 'shanbodong' figure by Yang Yuxuan of identical form and size from the Conner Prairie Museum, Indiana was sold at Bonhams Hong Kong, 25th May 2011, lot 366.  

For a soapstone figure of Avalokitesvara by Yang Yuxuan in the Palace Museum, Beijing, see Yang Boda, Zhongguo Meishu Quanji. Diaosu Bian 6. Yuan Ming Qing Diaosu, 1988, p. 143, pl. 154, and, pp. 44-45, where the author points out that the style of carving the robes, and the cut of the knife itself, is exceptional, in that the cut is diagonal, as opposed to the perpendicular style of most Qing carvers, resulting in a more powerful, realistic effect.

Compare also a soapstone carving of a luohan figure by Yang Yuxuan, included in the Oriental Ceramic Society of Hong Kong exhibition Arts from the Scholar's Studio, Fung Ping Shan Museum, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1986, cat. no. 45, and a tianhuang figure of a lion from the collection of Wu Pu Xin, sold in these rooms, 7th October 2006, lot 916