A RARE WOOD HEAD OF A LUOHAN, SONG DYNASTYChina, 960-1279. Superbly carved with a gentle contemplative expression, marked by heavy-lidded eyes below thick arched brows centered by a distinct nose bridge and full lips forming a slight smile, flanked by long pendulous earlobes, the forehead with a characteristic bump.Provenance: The estate of Louis-Pierre Denil, Leuven, Belgium. Bertin Verstraete, Belgium, acquired from the above. A Belgian private collector, acquired from the above. Louis-Pierre Denil (1965-2016) was an internationally renowned restorer, collector, and dealer of antique chandeliers. Since the 1990s, he was purveyor to the Belgian court, including King Albert II and King Philippe, and became close friends with members of the Imperial family.Condition: Good condition,mensurate with age. Extensive wear, minor chips and losses, expected age cracks, small nicks, light scratches. Covered with numerous layers of lacquer applied over many centuries, of which only fragments remain, with a stable wood core underneath.Weight: 5,215 gDimensions: Height 38 cmSensitively modeled with meticulous attention to detail which successfully captures the luohan’s expressive countenance, this superbly carved head is striking for both its large size and vivid realism, with intricate and naturalistic detailing of the gentle curvature of the skull.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 into all existence while being freed from the bonds of desires. Luohan figures became increasingly popular from the Song dynasty. 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.Literatureparison:Compare a closely related limestone head of a luohan, 41.3 cm high, dated Song to early Ming dynasty, at Sotheby’s New York, 12 September 2018, lot 14.Auction resultparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Christie’s New York, 20 September 2005, lot 144Price: USD 72,000 or approx.EUR 99,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A rare wood head of a luohan, Song dynastyExpert remark: Note the related size (39.7 cm)Auction resultparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: London, 7 November 2019, lot 51Price: GBP 68,813 or approx.EUR 91,000 converted