Page 112 - Bonhams, Fine Chinese Art, London November 3, 2022

The present figure of Ananda is notable for the exquisite quality of
its casting, the refined and well-detailed lotus foliate scrolls adorning
the hem of the robe as well as the superb casting of the clasps and
naturalistic folds of the robe, attesting to the remarkable craftsmanship
practiced during the late Ming dynasty.

A luohan (‘arhat’ in Sanskrit) is a disciple of Buddha who has attained
Enlightenment and has achieved the status of the perfected being, but
chooses to postpone his accession to Nirvana to remain in the world
and aid all sentient beings. The luohan achieves enlightenment through
instruction rather than his own insight and meditation, and as a
result, ranks below the bodhisattva. The term luohan, means ‘worthy’
or ‘venerable’ and refers to the Buddha’s original disciples, and by
extension, to any holy figure who upheld and defended the Buddhist
dharma. Originally only four, their numbers increased to sixteen, then
eighteen and ultimately to five hundred.

Ananda was a first cousin of Gautama Buddha and one of his ten
principal disciples. Amongst the Buddha’s many disciples, Ananda
stood out for having the most retentive memory. He was also praised
by the Buddha for his erudition and compassion. He is therefore also
known as the Guardian of the Dharma, as most of the sutras of the
‘Sutta Pitaka’, or ‘Pali Canon’, are attributed to his recollection of the
Buddha’s teachings during the First Buddhist Council. He is often
portrayed alongside Mahakasyapa, flanking Buddha on both sides.

In the Chan Buddhist tradition, prior to the seventh century, luohans
were generally represented as a pair flanking an image of Buddha,
usually identified as Kasyapa, like the present figure, and Ananda, and
were both two of the ten principle disciples of Buddha and important
figures in the early Buddhist monkhood sangha. In these depictions,
the figures were usually represented with foreign Indian features.
In China, the pair are often portrayed standing on either side of the
Buddha in China, namely, Ananda standing to Buddha’s right whilst
Kasyapa to the left, from at least the Northern Wei dynasty (386-535)
and throughout the Sui, Tang, Liao, Song and Ming periods; see,
for example, the triad formed by Ananda and Kasyapa flanking the
Buddha in the Central Binyang Cave at Longmen, Shanxi, illustrated by
A.Howard, Chinese Sculpture, New Haven, 2006, p.238, fig.3.39.

Compare with a related bronze figure of a luohan, 17th century, in
the British Museum, London (accession no.1990,0529.1). See also a
related but smaller (28cm high) gilt-bronze figure of another disciple,
Jiayezunzhe, 16th/17th century, with similar oval face and floral-
hemmed robe, illustrated in Buddhist Images in Gilt Metal, Taipei,
1993, pp.150-151, no.68.

See also a similar large gilt-bronze figure of Ananda, 16th/17th century,
which was sold at Bonhams Hong Kong, 29 November 2016, lot 30,
and a parcel-gilt bronze figure of Ananda, Ming dynasty, which was
sold at Sotheby’s New York, 17 September 2014, lot 430.

Bonhams Hong Kong, 29 November 2016, lot 30
110 | BONHAMS