LUOHANS IN CAVES.

20th century, China. Nephrite: Grayish yellow-green (celadon) with darker green and brown areas. Inscription: Biboyan: A huge stone like a mountain they are meeting at Biboyan. Over 4000 years have gone by just like that (like the snap of the finger) and the stars did not record spring and autumn as they passed. Learning about truth and calming your desires–whatever happens, do not worry! Nothing is important. The old Monk can see through the entire world. When there is nothing to do, I close my eyes for meditation. Sleepiness is gone, and I still have not fallen asleep. The sound (of the priests chanting) continues while the moon is already in the sky. The dragon, ghost, trees and flowers come to disturb, and there is also the ever troublesome fox (woman) with eyes so very seducing. I should not be a Buddhist Monk and come here listening to other people’s services. Sealed and signed: Monk Jukong. Horizontally-inclined, this mountain setting presents discrete grotto settings for the individual luohan who populate the front of the carving, while at the top, a cloud form drapes over the front and back, in a manner associated with a number of Qing mountains and brush holder carvings. The combination of “The luohan-in-Grotto theme and the swirling clouds are commonly found in (the late Ming-early Qing) period”, according to Ip (Ip, p. 262, #234), and comparable works from both early and mid-Qing are known (Spink IV, p. 123, #172). The association of luohan and caves is illustrated on a grand scale at several actual sites in China, in particular at the Eight Luohan Mountain near the Xi Ling, the Western graves of the Manchu Emperors (Smithies, p. 265); and the famous Fei-lan-feng, in the hills west of the city of Hangzhou and near the great Chan (Zen) Buddhist temple. Ling-yin-ssu, where a Maitreya Buddha rests blissfully in a niche amidst a semicircle of eighteen luohan figures, all individually conceived in terms of pose and appearance. The sculptures, in “living rock” are formed out of a series of natural limestone formations (Edwards). Luohan are associated especially with two schools of Chinese Buddhism, the Tiantai and the Chan. According to Whitfield, the “cult of Lohan” is primarily a post Tang phenomenon, and the usual open-air depiction for the main group of sixteen luohan accorded well with the standard settings accorded Daoist representations of sages and hermits (Whitfield). In the literature, luohan are all provided with individual histories or characteristics and may be identified by associated attributes. Although they are listed in a numerical order in the sets described in Buddhist texts, the exact order may not be followed in a particular art work. Thus, in the example from the 18th century illustrated in the Spink catalogue noted immediately above, the figures have been tentatively identified as the first, third, fifth, seventh, ninth, eleventh, thirteenth and fifteenth members of the set, accompanied by a boy worshipper-attendant. Sometimes the particular luohan is identified by inscription, or at other times, by associated attributes such as a particular animal companion or a physical quirk. It is not uncommon that a specific identification is lacking, and then these images and the standard Daoist recluse images are virtually inseparable. In this carving from the Yangtze River Collection, some of the eight members of the luohan population may be identified, as for example the top left image with the smoking round incense burner, and the long-eyebrowed individual casually posed to the lower right, while others are less distinctly particularized. They are relaxed, some in meditative pose, and all fit compactly into the irregular spaces provided across the carved-out surface. There is less suggestion about internal cavities than found on several other carvings, and the contortions of the boulder are less marked. The cloud formation which drapes the top of the rock continues over to the reverse, which is inscribed at length with a standard Buddhist essay. Reference: The Yangtze River Collection, Later Chinese Jades published by Helga Wall-Apelt, 1993. SIZE: 7.5″ x 17.75″ x 2.5″. (19.1 x 45.1 x 6.4 cm.) CONDITION: Carved in deep relief. Very good. 9-95094 (8,000-12,000) – Lot 31

Auction: FAAA - Wall-Apelt Collection - March 2015

Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

Image	Lot	Price	Description
	31	$0.00	LUOHANS IN CAVES. 20th century, China. Nephrite: Grayish yellow-green (celadon) with darker green and brown areas. Inscription: Biboyan: A huge stone like a mountain they are meeting at Biboyan. Over 4000 years have gone by just like that (like the snap of the finger) and the stars did not record spring and autumn as they passed. Learning about truth and calming your desires–whatever happens, do not worry! Nothing is important. The old Monk can see through the entire world. When there is nothing to do, I close my eyes for meditation. Sleepiness is gone, and I still have not fallen asleep. The sound (of the priests chanting) continues while the moon is already in the sky. The dragon, ghost, trees and flowers come to disturb, and there is also the ever troublesome fox (woman) with eyes so very seducing. I should not be a Buddhist Monk and come here listening to other people’s services. Sealed and signed: Monk Jukong. Horizontally-inclined, this mountain setting presents discrete grotto settings for the individual luohan who populate the front of the carving, while at the top, a cloud form drapes over the front and back, in a manner associated with a number of Qing mountains and brush holder carvings. The combination of “The luohan-in-Grotto theme and the swirling clouds are commonly found in (the late Ming-early Qing) period”, according to Ip (Ip, p. 262, #234), and comparable works from both early and mid-Qing are known (Spink IV, p. 123, #172). The association of luohan and caves is illustrated on a grand scale at several actual sites in China, in particular at the Eight Luohan Mountain near the Xi Ling, the Western graves of the Manchu Emperors (Smithies, p. 265); and the famous Fei-lan-feng, in the hills west of the city of Hangzhou and near the great Chan (Zen) Buddhist temple. Ling-yin-ssu, where a Maitreya Buddha rests blissfully in a niche amidst a semicircle of eighteen luohan figures, all individually conceived in terms of pose and appearance. The sculptures, in “living rock” are formed out of a series of natural limestone formations (Edwards). Luohan are associated especially with two schools of Chinese Buddhism, the Tiantai and the Chan. According to Whitfield, the “cult of Lohan” is primarily a post Tang phenomenon, and the usual open-air depiction for the main group of sixteen luohan accorded well with the standard settings accorded Daoist representations of sages and hermits (Whitfield). In the literature, luohan are all provided with individual histories or characteristics and may be identified by associated attributes. Although they are listed in a numerical order in the sets described in Buddhist texts, the exact order may not be followed in a particular art work. Thus, in the example from the 18th century illustrated in the Spink catalogue noted immediately above, the figures have been tentatively identified as the first, third, fifth, seventh, ninth, eleventh, thirteenth and fifteenth members of the set, accompanied by a boy worshipper-attendant. Sometimes the particular luohan is identified by inscription, or at other times, by associated attributes such as a particular animal companion or a physical quirk. It is not uncommon that a specific identification is lacking, and then these images and the standard Daoist recluse images are virtually inseparable. In this carving from the Yangtze River Collection, some of the eight members of the luohan population may be identified, as for example the top left image with the smoking round incense burner, and the long-eyebrowed individual casually posed to the lower right, while others are less distinctly particularized. They are relaxed, some in meditative pose, and all fit compactly into the irregular spaces provided across the carved-out surface. There is less suggestion about internal cavities than found on several other carvings, and the contortions of the boulder are less marked. The cloud formation which drapes the top of the rock continues over to the reverse, which is inscribed at length with a standard Buddhist essay. Reference: The Yangtze River Collection, Later Chinese Jades published by Helga Wall-Apelt, 1993. SIZE: 7.5″ x 17.75″ x 2.5″. (19.1 x 45.1 x 6.4 cm.) CONDITION: Carved in deep relief. Very good. 9-95094 (8,000-12,000) – Lot 31 Auction: FAAA - Wall-Apelt Collection - March 2015 Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

.red{fill:#B50938;} .white{fill:#FFFFFF;} .blue{fill:#005596;}

LUOHANS IN CAVES.