17th Oct, 2024 11:00
TWO-DAY AUCTION: Fine Asian Art, Buddhism and Hinduism
45
A CARVED WOOD FIGURE OF A LUOHAN, PROBABLY AMOGHAVAJRA (705-774), SONG TO YUAN DYNASTY
€3,000
€6,000
A buyer’s premium of 30.00% (including VAT) applies to the hammer price of this lot if your bid is successful.
China, 960-1368. Finely carved seated in ardha padmasana on a pedestal covered by a pleated cloth and raised on a flat base, wearing loose-fitting robes falling in elegant folds, secured by a ring clasp over his left shoulder. The face is set in a deeply contemplative gaze with heavily lidded eyes. The reverse with a large oval aperture. The dark brown wood of an attractive dark color and striated grain.
Provenance: A noted American private collection. Midori Gallery, Miami, Florida, United States, acquired from the above. The Midori Gallery was opened by Sachi Wagner and her husband in 1971 and has been a celebrated source of antique Asian cultural artifacts for over half a century. In the beginning it was used as a bookstore specializing in East Asian culture, art, and philosophy, but slowly developed into an antique shop focusing on Far Eastern works of art. Sachi Wagner is an authority in Asian antiques with more than 50 years of experience, specializing in China and Japan with elements of Korea, Tibet, India, and Southeast Asia. She has garnered a premier collection of paintings and screens, textiles, porcelain and archaic ceramics, sculpture, furniture, netsuke, folk art, and other artifacts.
Condition: Good condition with old wear, natural age cracks, signs of weathering and erosion, few minor signs of insect activity, few small old repairs and minor touchups, nicks, scratches, minor losses.
Weight: 7.3 kg
Dimensions: Height 54.4 cm
Images of luohan, the enlightened followers of the Buddha, became exceedingly popular in China from the Tang period onwards. Because they were often depicted in groups of at least 16, artists began to imbue the different luohan with individualized or distinguishing characteristics of their spiritual states. The portrait-like depictions found in many sculptures of luohan executed in various media from the Song dynasty onwards suggest that some of these depictions may have been portraits of actual monks. In the present case, the subject has been previously identified as Amoghavajra (705-774), in Chinese known as Bukong, who was a prolific translator and became one of the most politically powerful Buddhist monks in Chinese history and is acknowledged as one of the Eight Patriarchs of the Doctrine in Shingon Buddhism.
Literature comparison:
For a Northern Song dynasty dry lacquer figure of a luohan of closely related modelling and seated position, in the Honolulu Academy of Arts, dated to 1100, see Saburo Matsubara, Chungoku Bukkyo Chokukushi Ron (The Path of Chinese Buddhist Sculpture), Tokyo, 1995, pp. 832-3.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 4 April 2016, lot 2875
Estimate: HKD 600,000 or approx. EUR 81,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A rare large carved wood figure of a luohan, Song-Yuan dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the closely related subject and manner of carving.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 22 March 1999, lot 163
Price: USD 23,000 or approx. EUR 40,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A rare lacquered wood figure of a luohan, Song dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the closely related subject and manner of carving. Note the size (64 cm).
China, 960-1368. Finely carved seated in ardha padmasana on a pedestal covered by a pleated cloth and raised on a flat base, wearing loose-fitting robes falling in elegant folds, secured by a ring clasp over his left shoulder. The face is set in a deeply contemplative gaze with heavily lidded eyes. The reverse with a large oval aperture. The dark brown wood of an attractive dark color and striated grain.
Provenance: A noted American private collection. Midori Gallery, Miami, Florida, United States, acquired from the above. The Midori Gallery was opened by Sachi Wagner and her husband in 1971 and has been a celebrated source of antique Asian cultural artifacts for over half a century. In the beginning it was used as a bookstore specializing in East Asian culture, art, and philosophy, but slowly developed into an antique shop focusing on Far Eastern works of art. Sachi Wagner is an authority in Asian antiques with more than 50 years of experience, specializing in China and Japan with elements of Korea, Tibet, India, and Southeast Asia. She has garnered a premier collection of paintings and screens, textiles, porcelain and archaic ceramics, sculpture, furniture, netsuke, folk art, and other artifacts.
Condition: Good condition with old wear, natural age cracks, signs of weathering and erosion, few minor signs of insect activity, few small old repairs and minor touchups, nicks, scratches, minor losses.
Weight: 7.3 kg
Dimensions: Height 54.4 cm
Images of luohan, the enlightened followers of the Buddha, became exceedingly popular in China from the Tang period onwards. Because they were often depicted in groups of at least 16, artists began to imbue the different luohan with individualized or distinguishing characteristics of their spiritual states. The portrait-like depictions found in many sculptures of luohan executed in various media from the Song dynasty onwards suggest that some of these depictions may have been portraits of actual monks. In the present case, the subject has been previously identified as Amoghavajra (705-774), in Chinese known as Bukong, who was a prolific translator and became one of the most politically powerful Buddhist monks in Chinese history and is acknowledged as one of the Eight Patriarchs of the Doctrine in Shingon Buddhism.
Literature comparison:
For a Northern Song dynasty dry lacquer figure of a luohan of closely related modelling and seated position, in the Honolulu Academy of Arts, dated to 1100, see Saburo Matsubara, Chungoku Bukkyo Chokukushi Ron (The Path of Chinese Buddhist Sculpture), Tokyo, 1995, pp. 832-3.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 4 April 2016, lot 2875
Estimate: HKD 600,000 or approx. EUR 81,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A rare large carved wood figure of a luohan, Song-Yuan dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the closely related subject and manner of carving.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 22 March 1999, lot 163
Price: USD 23,000 or approx. EUR 40,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A rare lacquered wood figure of a luohan, Song dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the closely related subject and manner of carving. Note the size (64 cm).
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Auction: TWO-DAY AUCTION: Fine Asian Art, Buddhism and Hinduism, 17th Oct, 2024
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Galerie Zacke is thrilled to present a two-day live auction event showcasing 700 works of art from China, Southeast Asia, India, and beyond.
The flagship auction will take place on Day 1 of the sale (lots 1-278) and features an inspired selection of impressive pieces from notable collections. Highlights include an important white marble torso of Buddha Maitreya from the Tang dynasty (lot 38), a magnificent pair of Imperial zitan ‘elephant’ stands likely originating from the Forbidden City or Summer Palace (lot 89), and an extremely rare gold rain drum from the ancient kingdoms of Cham (lot 238).
The general auction will follow on Day 2 (lots 279-700), offering opportunities for both seasoned collectors and new bidders.
Museum Deaccessions include the Wou Lien-Pai Museum and the Zelnik István Southeast Asian Gold Museum.
Notable Collector’s Provenances include Sir Elton John; Kartika Soekarno-Seegers, the daughter of Sokarno; His Exalted Highness, the Nizam of Hyderabad, Osman Ali Khan (1886-1967); and Xu Yingkui (1830-1903), Viceroy of Min-Zhe, Guangzhou, China; as well as many prestigious names such as Alan and Simone Hartman, Onno Janssens, Dr. Johan Carl Kempe, Nellie and Basil Ionides, David Taylor, and Captain William Alexander ‘Bill’ Palmer CBE DL.
Historic Gallery and Dealership Provenances include Jules Speelman, Sam Bernstein, Jacques Barrère, Michael Goedhuis, Leonardo Vigorelli, Sydney L. Moss Ltd, Ralph M. Chait Galleries, Robert Kleiner, Roger Keverne Ltd, and Spink & Son.
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