Page 65 - J.J. Lally Chinese Art CHRISTIE'S March 23 2023 NYC

823 A CARVED WALNUT FIGURE OF 明ǭ十Ն 十六世紀ǭ核桃木羅漢坐像
A LUOHAN
MING DYNASTY, 15TH-16TH CENTURY Ϝ源
藍理捷
紐約
編號
The luohan is shown seated in dhyanasana and wearing long
robes gathered over one shoulder with a ring clasp and falling in
pleated folds over the legs. The face is set in a contemplative gaze
with heavily lidded eyes. The dark brown wood has an attractive
striated grain with a polished patina.
11º in. (28.6 cm.) high, fitted composite stand
$4,000-6,000

EXHIBITED:
J. J. Lally & Co., New York, no. 2564.
Images of luohan, the enlightened followers of the Buddha,
became exceedingly popular in China from the Tang period
onwards. Because they were often depicted in groups of at
least 16, artists began to imbue the different luohan with
individualized or distinguishing characteristics of their
spiritual states. The portrait-like depictions of many sculptures
of luohan in different media from the Song dynasty onwards
suggests that some of these depictions may have been portraits
of actual monks.
A related Ming-dynasty wood figure of seated luohan in the
collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in
Gugong Bowuyuan cangping daxi: diaosu bian 9 (Compendium
of Collections in the Palace Museum: Sculpture 9), Beijing,
2009, pp. 119, no. 90. See, also, Christie's New York,
22 March 2019, lot 1784, for a similarly depicted Ming-
dynasty figure of a luohan in bronze.

822 A PAIR OF POLYCHROME AND GILT- 元 明ǭ十四 十Ն世紀ǭ彩繪泥塑羅漢一對
DECORATED STUCCO FIGURES OF
Ϝ源
LUOHAN 藍理捷
紐約
編號
YUAN-MING DYNASTY, 14TH-15TH CENTURY
Each luohan is shown seated in three-quarters profile on a rocky
base and wearing layered robes painted in red, green, black and
white with gilt borders. The faces are detailed in black and red
pigment and the heads are encircled by red-painted wire halos.
Each: 12√ in. (32.7 cm.) high, composite stands (2)
$4,000-6,000

PROVENANCE:
J. J. Lally & Co., New York, no. 2327.

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