Beschreibung:

China, 18th century. Superbly carved seated on craggy rockwork, a rosary around his left wrist, the skeletal body neatly detailed, the face with heavy-lidded eyes below thick eyebrows, jutted cheekbones, slender lips forming a pleasant smile, a prominent chin, and long pendulous earlobes. The luminous stone is of a distinct, warm and honey-golden tone with small creamy-yellow and gray inclusions. Provenance: From a noted New York private collection. Condition: Overall good condition with minor wear, some losses and small chips, the stone with natural fissures, some of which may have developed into small hairline cracks over time. The organic binding material originally used in the paper and textile base has naturally decomposed over a long period of time. The base should not be removed from the statue unless a professional is consulted. Weight: 102.3 g Dimensions: Height 7.6 cm (incl. base) and 7.2 cm (excl. base), Width 6.5 cm The exceptional coloration and luminosity of this tianhuang stone are skillfully accentuated through its intricately carved details which reveal the layers of subtle golden hues. The combination of carving in the round and low relief detailing effectively captures the light as it shines on and passes through to further intensify the richness of color. Tianhuang is a type of soapstone that is highly valued for its warm yellow tones and lustrous sheen and was considered rival to the finest and purest jade. Apart from being graded by its color, tianhuang was also priced according to its weight rather than size, hence making it one of the most expensive materials to carve. With a matching Chinese papier mâché base dating from the Qing dynasty. Made of paper with clearly recognizable wood fibers and encapsulated by a burlap-like fabric. Expert’s note: The papier mâché base of the present lot was clearly itself crafted a long time ago, employing materials not commonly used for many decades and in a state of preservation (or rather deterioration) that suggests a long aging process of more than a hundred years. Literature comparison: For other examples of emaciated luohans, see a marble sculpture dated to the Jin dynasty and a nephrite jade figure dated to the Qing dynasty, both in the collection of the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, object numbers B60S208 and B60J234, respectively; a bamboo group dated to the 18th century at Sotheby’s New York, 19-20 March 2007, lot 708; and a silver-inlaid bronze figure dated to the 17th century at Christie’s New York, 24 September 2020, lot 912. Auction result comparison: Compare a related tianhuang figure of a luohan and a dragon, of slightly smaller size (6.5 cm long and clearly smaller in height), dated to the Qing dynasty, at Christie’s New York in Dongxi Studio - Important Chinese Jade and Hardstone Carvings from a Distinguished Private Collection on 17 March 2016, lot 966, sold for USD 118,750. Compare also a related tianhuang figure of Guanyin, of slightly larger size (8.9 cm high) but lower weight (83 g), also dated to the 18th century, at Christie’s Hong Kong in Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art on 28 November 2018, lot 2987, sold for HKD 4,300,000. 清代中期田黃雕羅漢坐像 中國，十八世紀。田黃雕刻羅漢坐於岩石上，左手腕上掛著念珠，身體嶙峋，高額頭，濃眉，顴骨突出，雙唇露出淡淡笑容，下巴突出，長長的耳垂。 獨特而溫暖的蜜色石料，帶有乳黃色和灰色脈絡。 來源：美國紐約知名私人收藏。 品相：整體狀況良好，有輕微磨損、缺損失和小磕損；石料有天然裂縫，隨著時間的推移，其中一些可能會發展成細小的裂縫。有機粘合材料經過長時間將自然分解。除非諮詢專業人士，否則不應從雕像上拆下底座。 重量：102.3 克 尺寸：高7.6 厘米(含底座) ，7.2 厘米(不含底座), 寬 6.5 厘米 專家注釋：本拍品的紙漿底座顯然是很久之前製作的，這個粘合材料已經幾個世紀不曾（或不常）被使用，仍舊還保留著（或更確切地說已退化），表明這個雕像已經經過一百多年的自然老化過程。 拍賣結果比較：一件田黃羅雕漢降龍像 (長6.5 厘米，明顯稍低)， 清代，見紐約佳士得 Dongxi Studio - Important Chinese Jade and Hardstone Carvings from a Distinguished Private Collection，2016年3月17日，lot 966, 售價USD 118,750。另一件田黃雕觀音，尺寸稍大 (高8.9 厘米) 但稍輕 (83克), 同樣為十八世紀，見香港佳士得Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art 2018年11月28日lot 2987, 售價HKD 4,300,000。