A LIMESTONE HEAD OF LUOHAN EARLY MINGChina, 14th- earlier 15th century. Expressively carved, the full rounded head with sharply articulated eyebrows beneath a receding forehead and an absolutely bald head, the deeply-lidded eyes peering out above a softly rounded nose and a prominent double chin, flanked by long pendulous earlobes, the mottled stone of a variegated brown, ochre and iron-red tone. Modern marble stand.Provenance: From an Italian private collection. Authenticated by Christies in 1983 and dated to ‘Ming Dynasty’. A copy of the Christies valuation list from 1983 including this head is accompanying this lot. In a later written statement, Christies Paris experts have narrowed their dating to ‘Beginning of the Ming Dynasty’.Condition: Superb condition with fine natural patina. Old wear and some minor dents here and there, as visible on the images in the catalogue and online on . Dimensions: Height 36 cm including the base and 25 cm excluding the base.Sensitively modeled with meticulous attention to detail which successfully captures the Luohan's expressive countenance, this superbly carved head is striking for both its good size and vivid realism. By skillfully carving the head in the round, intricate and naturalistic detailing of the gentle curvature of the skull is captured, which is further articulated with fluid natural white lines in the limestone. The crisply delineated wrinkles on the cheeks and around the eyes and mouth, as well as the receding forehead and facial folds, not only indicate his old age and wisdom but also add a stunning layer of three-dimensionality. Furthermore, a powerful and meditative aura is imparted through the large, somewhat enraptured pupils within the deep-lidded eyes. Luohan, or arhats, were close personal disciples of Shakyamuni Buddha. Although they attained Buddhahood during the course of their lives, they delayed entering Nirvana and remained on earth to protect the Buddhist dharma and to aid others in seeking enlightenment according to the instruction of the Buddha. Invested with extraordinary spiritual power, they are believed to possess perfect wisdom and insight of all existence while being freed from the bonds of desires. Luohan figures became increasingly popular from the Song dynasty (960-1279). Li Song in 'From the Northern Song to the Qing', Chinese Sculpture, New Haven, 2006, pp. 389, suggests that during the Song dynasty, various Buddhist schools were eager to trace their lineages to Shakyamuni; thus Luohan, with their direct connections to the Historical Buddha, became the ultimate iconographic bridge to the Indian founders of Buddhism. Also, with the growing patronage of Buddhist iconography in exchange for spiritual merit, Luohan figures of imposing size and realistic physiognomy, such as the present example, were increasingly produced in various mediums, such as ceramic, stucco and stone. They would have been displayed in groups of sixteen, eighteen or even five hundred in temples and caves to encourage devotees to reach a state of deep meditation.Compare a related head of a Luohan, in the Museum Volkenkunde in Leiden, illustrated in Hai-wai yi-chen / Chinese Art in Overseas Collections: Buddhist Sculpture 1, Taipei, 1986, pl. 14 (fig. 2) and a head of a Luohan attributed to the Ming dynasty, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, accession number 60.74.明初石灰石羅漢頭像中國,十四至十五世紀。精緻的雕刻,圓潤的頭部,眉毛清晰,眼睛深陷,圓形鼻子柔和,兩側是耳朵削長。石色斑駁,棕色、赭色和鐵紅色肌理相間。現代大理石底座。來源:意大利私人收藏,1983年經佳士得檢驗,斷為明代,隨附當年檢驗證書。在另一封文件裏,巴黎佳士得的一位專家後來有認爲此頭像為明代早期。 品相:品相極好,天然包漿良好。舊磨損和輕微凹陷,細圖. 尺寸:高36 厘米含底座;25 厘米不含底座