A gilt-copper alloy figure of an arhat, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period | 清乾隆 銅合金鎏金阿羅漢坐像

Missouri Private Collection.

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密蘇里州私人收藏

Footsteps of the Buddha: Masterworks from Across the Buddhist World, Replica Shoes ’s New York, 3rd September 2013, cat. no. 29.

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《 Footsteps of the Buddha: Masterworks from Across the Buddhist World》，紐約蘇富比，2013年9月3日，編號29

The Arhat (luohan) is seated on rectangular patterned cushions draped with a rug, his head gently inclined to his right and hands folded in meditation (dhyanamudra). The hems of his voluminous robe are finely engraved with floral motifs, and a vajra and ring clasp secures the cloak at the chest. His face, hands and neck are painted with matt gold and polychromy. The finely cast and gilded figure, in which the facial expression is depicted with exceptional naturalism, represents one of the Sixteen Arhats, considered to be the Elders of Buddhism and students of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni. The figure is likely to depict either Kanakabharadhvaja or Chudapanthaka, both often shown seated with legs crossed in the diamond posture and hands folded in meditation.

The figure is from the same group as a particularly fine and expressive Qianlong series, of which four are now in the Philadelphia Museum of Art, gifted by Natasha Rambova (acc. nos. 1963-155-7, 1963-155-8, 1963-155-9, 1963-155-10), and two sold in Replica Shoes ’s New York, September 18, 2023, lots 133, 134, also previously in the Rambova collection. Two more examples in the series, from the collection of Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt II, were sold in Replica Shoes ’s New York, March 24, 2011, lots 74, 75

A Qianlong period series would often comprise twenty-five bronzes altogether, in keeping with post-sixteenth century Sino-Tibetan tradition, that would include the Sixteen Arhats together with attendants Dharmatala and Hvashang, Buddha Shakyamuni and his disciples Maudgalyayana and Shariputra, and the Four Guardians of the Directions, Vaishravana, Virupaksha, Virudhaka and Dhritarashtra.

The sculpture is distinguished by exquisite quality, poise and freedom of expression, sculptural traits in common with the Rambova and Vanderbilt examples, with related cushion design and idiosyncratic rendering of the robes with deep folds and a loose collar. Typical of bronzes from the Qianlong period, the face and hands are not fire-gilded but painted with matt gold to create a naturalistic effect in contrast with the burnished mercury gilding of the robes and throne cushions.