A SOAPSTONE FIGURE OF VIJRAPUTRA, MID-QING DYNASTYExpert’s note: The present lot depicts Vijraputra, one of the eighteen luohan, who is also known as the ‘laughing lion luohan’ (xiaoshi luohan) and is always apanied by a Buddhist lion.China, 18th to early 19th century. Finely carved seated with his right arm leaning on the knee, holding a script in his right hand, the left arm resting on two black books, with a lion cub nestled in the left palm. His emaciated body covered around the waist in a red and black cloth, incised with clouds and key-fret bands to the hems, the pale skin incised with fine veins tinted in orange, and protruding spine. The face with elegant features, a gentle smile, and finely incised locks. The base with a partly obscured date inscription.Inscriptions: To the base, ‘[…] eighth year’.Provenance: Irish trade. The base with a red lacquered collector’s number ‘HC-[…]’. By repute from an old estate.Condition: Very good condition with some wear, mostly to the pigments, small chips, few losses, little nibbling, the base with scratches and a partly obscured mark. The stone with natural fissures which have developed into small hairline cracks.Weight: 412 gDimensions: Height 11.8 cmThe eighteen luohan (arhats) are the original followers of Buddha, who weremanded to await theing of the Future Buddha, Maitreya. Believed by some to have attained enlightenment, they are also regarded as being free from the cycle of reincarnation and acting as guardians over those who have not.Auction resultparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Sotheby’s London, 13 May 2009, lot 15Price: GBP 10,000 or approx.EUR 19,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A creamy-beige soapstone figure of a Luohan, Qing dynasty, 18th centuryExpert remark:pare the related color of the stone. Note the similar size (9 cm).Auction resultparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Christie’s London, 5 November 2013, lot 269Price: GBP 10,000 or approx.EUR 16,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A soapstone figure of a Luohan, 18th centuryExpert remark:pare the related color of the stone. Note the similar size (10 cm).Auction resultparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Sotheby’s Paris, 10 December 2019, lot 36Price: EUR 6,250 or approx.EUR 7,400 adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A soapstone figure of a Luohan, Qing Dynasty, 18th centuryExpert remark:pare the related color of the stone. Note the similar size (9.7 cm).清代中期皂石雕伐闍羅弗多尊者中國，十八世紀至十九世紀初。尊者呈坐姿，右臂倚膝，右手執書，左臂靠著兩壘書冊，左手掌托著一隻幼獅。 他身體骨骼清晰，用紅黑相間的布料圍在腰間，下擺上刻有祥雲紋和雷紋，蒼白的皮膚上經脈可辨，還有突出的脊柱。 表情祥和快樂。底部有部分模糊的日期字樣。專家注釋：伐闍羅弗多尊者是十八羅漢之一，又稱“笑獅羅漢”，常有獅子相伴。款識： 八年