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China. Finely carved seated with the left knee raised to support his hand holding a thin vase from which emanates a dragon with scrolling vapor. His face with exquisitely modeled eyes gazing forward as he shows a a toothy smile lined by thin red-painted lips framed by incised wrinkles. The disciple is dressed in a pleated robe under a shoulder cape tied at the neck and richly detailed with inlaid pearls, gilt hems, incised cloud motifs, and a ruyi border. The dragon coils around his arm, its scales neatly rendered, while looking up at his master. (2)
Inscriptions: To the lower back, signed ‘Yuxuan’.
Provenance: An old private collection in Paris, France.
Condition: The figure in superb condition with expected wear and little rubbing to the gilt. The base with ancient wear, several old cracks and repairs, small losses.
Weight: 236 g (excl. stand), 697 g (incl. stand)
Dimensions: Height 9.2 cm (excl. stand), 11.5 cm (incl. stand)
The semi-translucent stone is of an amber-yellow color with pale cloudy inclusions. The matching rockwork base is carved from a marbled red soapstone and richly gilded. (2)
Yang Yuxuan, the Master Soapstone Carver of Minzhong also known by the names Yang Ji, Yu Rei, and Xuan, was born in Zhangpu, Fujian province, and lived most of his life in Fuzhou during the early Qing dynasty. He was later commissioned to work in the Palace workshops during the reign of the Kangxi Emperor, where many of his works graced the Imperial collection. It is recorded in the Jianpu district gazette during the Kangxi period, that Yang Yuxuan specialized in stone carvings, particularly carvings of figures, animals and vessels. His carvings were considered exquisite, and it was said that every living soul wanted to acquire one of his works. The records of Min Xiaoji by Zhou Lianggong notes that "The excellence of his knife work is the equivalent of that done by supernatural beings".
Although Yang Yuxuan was a prolific carver, only a very small number of his surviving works are signed. Traditionally, while literary artists 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. Notable examples of Yang Yuxuan’s signed works are preserved in the Palace Museum, Beijing, suggesting that he was either given specific commissions by the Court, or that his works came to the attention of the Imperial family, either through tributes or gifts. For a detailed discussion on Yang Yuxuan, see Gerard Tsang and Hugh Moss, Arts from the Scholar's Studio, Hong Kong, 1986, p. 87, where another soapstone luohan carving with an identical mark is illustrated.
The Dragon-Subduing Luohan, Xianglong, entered the Chinese group of Eighteen Luohans as one of two additions to the canonical Sixteen, together with Fuhu, the Tiger-Taming Luohan. His identity was never entirely fixed: Su Shi associated him with Nandimitra, while the Southern Song monk Zhipan identified him as Mahakasyapa (Kashyapa), one of Shakyamuni’s principal disciples, an interpretation later endorsed by the Qianlong Emperor. In art, Xianglong is recognized by a dragon—often lured or controlled by the disciple with an implement such as a cintamani pearl, alms bowl, or vase like in the present example—an image proclaiming the supremacy of Buddhist wisdom over untamed natural and cosmic forces; because dragons governed water and rainfall, the subject also evoked the saint’s power to avert drought and restrain floods. In the present carving, the luohan’s broad smile and relaxed posture transform the miraculous encounter into a display of effortless spiritual command, while the warm, honey-toned soapstone lends particular vitality to his rounded features and softly cascading robes.
Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related soapstone figure of a luohan by the same artist with similarly pleated robe illustrated by G. Tsang and H. Moss, Arts from the Scholar's Studio, Hong Kong, 1986, p. 87, no. 45. Compare a related soapstone figure of a luohan by the same artist, 7 cm tall, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, reference number 新00098703.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 3 October 2018, lot 3627
Mid-Estimate: HKD 3,500,000 or approx. EUR 441,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A rare finely carved Tianhuang figure of a luohan and soapstone stand by Zhou Bin, 17th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely
related manner of carving, material and subject. Note the different artist and smaller size (7.8 cm).
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s London, 9 November 2010, lot 96
Price: GBP 46,850 or approx. EUR 86,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A signed soapstone figure of a seated luohan, signed Yu Xuan, 18th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related manner of carving, subject, and signature. Note the similar base.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s Hong Kong, 27 November 2007, lot 1849
Price: HKD 487,500 or approx. EUR 87,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A fine soapstone figure of a seated luohan
Expert remark: Compare the closely related manner of carving, subject, and two-character signature Yu Xuan. Note also the similar size (10.3 cm).
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