Page 191 - Sotheby's Important Chinese Art, Sept. 21-22, 2-21, NYC

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A POLYCHROME-PAINTED WOOD FIGURE OF A 明 木雕加彩羅漢坐像
LUOHAN
MING DYNASTY
seated cross-legged atop an integral waisted rocky pedestal,
dressed in heavy robes falling about the body, the hands
clasped together holding a tablet, the fleshy face with an
intensely pensive expression framed by a pair of pendulous
earlobes, traces of red and green pigment
Height 22¼ in., 56.5 cm
$ 15,000-20,000

109
A MARBLE HEAD OF BODHISATTVA between the bodhisattva and the devotee, and encourage
TANG DYNASTY the worshiper to pursue the path towards enlightenment and
salvation.
finely carved in the round, the face with downturned eyes
and delicate lips framed by gracefully arched eyebrows, For examples of other Tang dynasty stone bodhisattva
flanked by a pair of pendulous earlobes, below a dense heads of comparable quality and slender proportions, see
upswept coiffure, the fine locks of hair carefully articulated, four published in Osvald Siren, Chinese Sculpture: From the
mounted on a stand Fifth to the Fourteenth Century, New York, 1925, pl. 465;
Height of head 5 in., 12.7 cm and another in collection of the Tokyo National Museum,
included in the exhibition Chinese Buddhist Stone Sculpture.
PROVENANCE Veneration of the Sublime, Osaka Municipal Museum of
Art, Osaka, 1995, cat. no. 64. See also a fourth example,
Eskenazi Ltd., London, 20th August 1999.
featuring the hair pulled into a high chignon, sold in our Hong
The fleshy face, almond-shaped eyes with lowered lids, and Kong rooms, 5th April 2016, lot 2885.
arched brows that elegantly curve to the bridge of the nose
on the present sculpture are characteristic of Buddhist $ 20,000-30,000
sculpture of the Tang dynasty. The high quality marble and
the ability of the artist to capture the figure’s inner serenity 唐 大理石菩薩首像
are further testament to the period of manufacture, when
the Buddhist faith flourished and adherents spent lavishly 來源：
on devotional works of the highest caliber. The faint smile
and partially-open eyes invite a deep spiritual connection 埃斯卡納齊，倫敦，1999年8月20日

186 SOTHEBY’S COMPLETE CATALOGUING AVAILABLE AT SOTHEBYS.COM/N10748 IMPORTANT CHINESE ART FROM THE COLLECTION OF BRUCE DAYTON AND RUTH STRICKER DAYTON 187