A BAIFURONG SOAPSTONE FIGURE OF XIAOSHI LUOHAN WITH A BUDDHIST LION, 17TH-18TH CENTURYExpert’s note: The present lot depicts Vijraputra, one of the eighteen luohan, who is also known as the ‘laughing lion luohan’ (chinese: xiaoshi luohan) and is always apanied by a Buddhist lion.China. Finely carved as a reclining luohan, leaning with his right arm on a Buddhist lion while holding a ball in his raised left hand, dressed in loose robes open at the chest, the garment falling in folds over the bent knees and arms, embellished with floral sprays and geometrical designs at the hem painted in green, violet, red and blue, the round face with full lips forming a subtle smile framed by a stippled beard, flanked by long pendulous lobes suspending earrings.Provenance: British trade.Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and few small nibbles here and there.Weight: 331.6 gDimensions: Height 8.2 cmThe Buddhist lion with an animated expression and raised head, its mouth open to reveal sharp fangs.The opaque stone is of a creamy white tone suffused with pale gray, amber, and russet inclusions.The 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 freed from the cycle of reincarnation and act as guardians over those who have not.Literatureparison:Compare a related soapstone figure of a luohan, 10.8 cm high, dated to the 17th century, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 2013.167.Auction resultparison:Type: RelatedAuction: San Francisco, 20 June 2014, lot 6578Price: USD 6,875 or approx.EUR 8,100 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A carved soapstone figure of a luohan, 17th/18th centuryExpert remark:pare the related pose, facial expression, pigments, and decoration of the robe. Note the size (9 cm).Auction resultparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Sotheby’s London, 7 November 2012, lot 282Estimate: GBP 6,000 or approx.EUR 7,900 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A carved soapstone figure of a luohan, 17th/18th centuryExpert remark:pare the related pose, facial expression, pigments, decoration of the robe, and size (9.2 cm).十七至十八世紀白芙蓉石笑獅羅漢中國。戲獅羅漢擺件選用芙蓉石雕刻而成，整體色帶微黃，質地堅實老結，採用立體圓雕的手法雕刻。羅漢坐於地上，靠著獅子，一足平放，另一足隨意支起，一手高舉一球；雙目低垂而閉，長耳垂肩，嘴角微有笑意，神態安詳如在冥思。衣服上使用紅綠紫藍四色描繪紋理。一隻小獅伏於羅漢身側，蜷身昂首，圓目闊嘴，意態溫順，惟妙惟肖。