A CHINESE SOAPSTONE FIGURE OF A LUOHAN

17TH/18TH CENTURY

Seated clasping a fly whisk in both hands, with a content expression on his face and the details of his shaven head finely picked out, his loose robe incised with sprays of lotus and etched at the hem with lingzhi-shaped clouds on a stylised wave ground, the design with traces of gilt and pigment, all raised upon a lotus-decorated base carved as a quatrefoil cushion, 11.5cm.

Cf. Sotheby's New York, 20th March 2007, lot 571 for a related soapstone carving of a luohan and a lion cub; see also Bonhams Hong Kong, 4th December 2008, lot 240 for a soapstone luohan with a similar base.