China, 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, commensurate 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 g
Dimensions: Height 38 cm

Sensitively 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.

Literature comparison:
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 result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 20 September 2005, lot 144
Price: USD 72,000 or approx. EUR 99,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A rare wood head of a luohan, Song dynasty
Expert remark: Note the related size (39.7 cm)

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Bonhams London, 7 November 2019, lot 51
Price: GBP 68,813 or approx. EUR 91,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A rare carved wood head of a Lokapala, Song dynasty
Expert remark: Note the related size (39 cm)



宋代木雕羅漢頭像
中國，960-1279年。刻畫細膩，濃眉闊鼻，眼睛微閉，嘴唇豐滿，兩側長耳垂；笑容慈祥，似在沉思。

來源：比利時魯汶Louis-Pierre Denil收藏；比利時Bertin Verstraete，購於上述收藏；比利時私人收藏，購於上述收藏。Louis-Pierre Denil (1965-2016年) 是國際知名的古董枝形吊燈修復師、收藏家和經銷商。自 1990 年代以來，他一直是比利時宮廷的供應商，包括阿爾貝二世國王和菲利普國王，並與皇室成員成為密友。
品相：品相良好，嚴重磨損、輕微缺口和損失、預期老化裂紋、小刻痕、輕微劃痕。表面覆蓋著多層漆彩，其中僅剩下碎片，可見木芯。

重量：5,215 克
尺寸：高 38 厘米

對細節的一絲不苟從而成功地捕捉到了羅漢富有表情的面容，這尊精雕細琢的頭像以其巨大的尺寸和生動的現實主義而引人注目，細節複雜而自然。

羅漢是釋迦牟尼佛的親近弟子。他們雖在世成佛，卻遲入涅槃，留在人間，護持佛法，依佛陀的教化，幫助眾生求證。 他們被賦予了非凡的精神力量，被認為擁有完美的智慧和對所有存在的洞察力，同時擺脫了慾望的束縛。羅漢像從宋代開始流行起來。見Li Song《From the Northern Song to the Qing，Chinese Sculpture》，紐黑文，2006年，頁389,中指出，在宋代，各種佛教宗派都渴望將他們的血統追溯到釋迦牟尼。

文獻比較：
比較一件非常相近的宋到明初石灰岩羅漢，41.3 厘米高，售於紐約蘇富比，2018年9月12日，lot 14。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：紐約佳士得，2005年9月20日，lot 144
價格：USD 72,000（相當於今日EUR 99,500）
描述：宋代羅漢頭木像
專家評論：請注意相近尺寸 (39.7 厘米)。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：倫敦邦瀚斯，2019年11月7日，lot 51
價格：GBP 68,813（相當於今日EUR 91,000）
描述：宋木雕天王頭像
專家評論：請注意相近尺寸 (39 厘米)。