Page 86 - Fine Chinese Art Christies London May 2018

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PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE EUROPEAN COLLECTION
A slightly smaller inscribed jade “luohan and grotto” group (12.8 cm. high)
94 from the Qianlong period in the British Museum, ref 1930.12 -17.15, is
A GREENISH-WHITE JADE ‘LUOHAN AND GROTTO’ GROUP illustrated by Jessica Rawson in Chinese Jade, London, 1995, p 410, fg 1. In
QIANLONG PERIOD (1736-1795) this book she discusses the origins and signifcance of this group of “luohan
The boulder is fnely carved to one side with a luohan holding a ruyi sceptre and grotto” jade carvings. She writes that it is likely that sets of sixteen or
seated within a rocky grotto, surrounded by wutong trees, attended by a boy eighteen luohan were made and that the subject’s popularity during this
to his side holding a peach. The reverse is intricately carved with branches of period may have been boosted by a woodblock print of a jade carving of a
wutong and pine trees amongst further rocks. The stone is of a very pale even luohan amongst rocks from the Gu yu tu pu, attributed to the Southern Song
tone with a few minor mottled inclusions.
period, but 18th century, and illustrated in Chinese Jade, Fig 2, p 411.
8¬ in. (22 cm.) high
£60,000-80,000 $85,000-110,000 Compare with a slightly smaller Qianlong period pale celadon jade “luohan
€69,000-92,000 and grotto” group (16.8 cm high) sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 27 May 2009,
lot 1971.
清乾隆 白玉羅漢修行圖山子
PROVENANCE
Acquired in Asia in the early 20th century.
來源: 歐洲私人珍藏, 二十世紀初購自亞洲
84 Other fees apply in addition to the hammer price – see Section D of our Conditions of Sale at the back of this Catalogue