China, 16^th-17^th century. Finely cast standing atop a double lotus pedestal above a beaded edge, wearing a monastic robe cascading in voluminous folds, the hems decorated with lotus scroll, two corners of the robe looped into a distinct circular clasp at the left shoulder held by a ruyi-shaped buckle and below a three-stranded knotted rope, the two hands clasped one over the other and held in front of the chest, the undergarment also with an embroidered hem of zigzag motifs from which the two feet in cloth shoes protrude.

Provenance: From an old Viennese private collection.
Condition: Good condition with some old wear, particularly to the lacquer gilding, small nicks, few minuscule losses, minor dents, light scratches.

Weight: 3,605 g
Dimensions: Height 35 cm

His serene face with heavy-lidded downcast eyes, curled brows and beard, and full lips forming a calm smile, flanked by long pendulous earlobes, the tonsured hair arranged in tight curls.

A luohan is a disciple of Buddha who has attained Enlightenment and has achieved the status of the perfected being, but chooses to postpone his accession to Nirvana and remain in the world to aid all sentient beings. The luohan achieves enlightenment through instruction rather than through his own insight and meditation, and as a result, ranks just below the bodhisattva. The term luohan, or 'arhat' in Sanskrit, means 'worthy' or 'venerable' and refers to the Buddha's original disciples, and by extension, to any holy figure who upheld and defended the Buddhist dharma. Originally only four, their numbers increased to sixteen, then eighteen and ultimately to five hundred.

The present figure depicts either Ananda or Kasyapa, two of Buddha’s ten principal disciples, and was likely one of a pair (with the other) or triad (both flanking Buddha). When Kasyapa first met Buddha, he was already in his late eighties. He was a teacher in his own right and had a large following. After an encounter with Buddha, Kasyapa recognized Buddha's superior wisdom and converted along with all of his disciples. He is often portrayed with Ananda, each standing on either side of Shakyamuni Buddha. Ananda was one of Buddha's first cousins, and as such is often depicted as a young man with hands held in anjali mudra.

Literature comparison: A bronze figure of a monk dated to the 17th century, with closely related features to the present lot, is in the collection of the British Museum, accession number 1990,0529.1.

Auction result comparison: Compare a related gilt bronze figure of Ananda, 52 cm high, also dated 16^th-17^th century, at Bonhams Hong Kong in Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art on 29 November 2016, lot 30, sold for HKD 1,740,000. Compare also a related gilt bronze figure of Kasyapa, 42 cm high, at Bonhams New York in Chinese Works of Art and Paintings on 10 September 2018, lot 132, bought-in at an estimate of USD 50,000-70,000. Note that both figures share their cascading robes with hem decoration, the circular clasp at the left shoulder held by a ruyi-shaped buckle, and the distinctive lotus pedestals with their naturalistic overlapping petals above stylized lappets with the present lot.


明代罕見銅鎏金佛陀弟子像，或爲阿難尊者
中國，十六至十七世紀。尊者雙目微合，面帶微笑，雙手合十，表情虔誠。身著寬袍廣袖僧衣，衣紋流暢，法相莊嚴肅穆。雙足立於蓮花寶座之上。通體鎏金保存較好，袈裟及衣擺紋飾突出，技法高超。

來源：維也納私人老收藏。
品相：狀況良好，有一些舊磨損，尤其是漆面燙金、小劃痕、微小缺損、輕微凹痕、輕微劃痕。

重量: 3,605 克
尺寸：高 35 厘米

拍賣結果比較：比較一件相近的銅鎏金阿難尊者，高 52 厘米，十六至十七世紀, 見香港邦翰思 Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art 2016年11月29日 lot 30, 售價HKD 1,740,000。比較一件相似鎏金銅迦葉尊者，高 42 厘米，見紐約邦翰思Chinese Works of Art and Paintings 2018年9月10日 lot 132, 估價USD 50,000-70,000。請注意，這兩位尊者的僧袍都帶有下擺裝飾，左肩上的圓形搭扣由一個如意形的搭扣固定，以及帶有自然主義重疊花瓣的獨特蓮花座與本拍品的荷葉相似。