Yuzhi Shiliu Luohan Zan, 'uvre ou commande de... Lot 4239

Yuzhi Shiliu Luohan Zan, 'uvre ou commande de l'Empereur: Praise of the Sixteen Luohan ), set of 10 green nephrite jade plaques with inlaid wooden box, China, each rectangular plaque finely incised, gilded and silvered on both sides, the first plaque bearing the framed title flanked by two five-clawed dragons in the clouds above the primordial waves, the back of the same plate adorned with a six-armed deity seated on a lotus, probably Guanyin, the following plates each adorned on one side with a Luohan accompanied by a text, each Luohan represented in a different way, the last plate showing a celestial guardian on one side, clouds on the other, 13.5x7.5 cm (plates). The plaques are accompanied by a wooden box with silver and possibly gold inlays, bearing the title surrounded by bajixiang (''', Eight Buddhist Symbols) as well as a wan and the character shou (longevity), 16.5x10x8 cm (restorations on the box, detached parts). Luohan (Sanskrit: arhat) are Buddha's disciples who have attained enlightenment. However, they remain on earth to defend Buddhist doctrine and await the arrival of the Buddha of the future, Maitreya. There were two ways of depicting the Luohan in China at the time: on the one hand, they were portrayed in a relatively caricatured way, with exaggerated features and expressions, originating with the Buddhist monk Guanxiu (832-912), who inspired entire generations. On the other hand, Luohan were shown with more traditional features, as is the case here; this type of representation seems to be rarer. The text accompanying each Luohan is taken from a work by Ding Guanpeng (active 1708-1796), a painter highly esteemed by the Qianlong emperor. This text is included in the '''' (Siku Quanhu, The Complete Books of the Four Shops), which is the most phenomenal collection of books in Chinese history. The craze for Luohan and their representation reached its peak during the reign of Emperor Qianlong, renowned for his artistic culture, his taste for jade objects and his devotion to Buddhism - the state religion at the time. Provenance: Brigitte Mavromichalis collection A similar set, book-mounted and dated Qianlong, sold at Christie's New York, September 19, 2007, lot 81. Another, also dated Qianlong, sold at Sotheby's, New York, September 22, 2004, lot no. 53. Another, dated Qianlong/Jiaqing, was sold at Christie's, Hong Kong, October 29, 2011, lot 516. Another, dated late 18th - early 19th c., was also sold at Christie's, New York, June 28, 2006, lot 19. A book illustrating the same subject, dating from the late 18th c., is held at the Chester Beatty, Dublin, inv. n°C 1007. (Yuzhi Shiliu Luohan Zan, Work or commission from the Emperor: Praise of the Sixteen Luohan ), a set of 10 green jade plaques with their inlaid wooden box, China, each rectangular plaque finely incised, gilded and silvered on both sides, the first plaque bearing the framed title flanked by two five-clawed dragons in the clouds above the primordial waves, the back of the same plate adorned with a six-armed deity seated on a lotus, probably Guanyin, the following plates each adorned on one side with a Luohan accompanied by a text, each Luohan represented in a different way, the last plate showing a celestial guardian on one side, clouds on the other, 13.5x7.5 cm (plaques). The plaques are accompanied by a wooden box with silver and possibly gold inlays, bearing the title surrounded by bajixiang (''', Eight Buddhist Symbols) as well as a wan and the character shou (longevity), 16.5x10x8 cm (restorations on box, detached parts). Provenance: Brigitte Mavromichalis collection A similar book-mounted set, dated Qianlong, sold at Christie's New York, September 19, 2007, lot 81. Another, also dated Qianlong, sold at Sotheby's, New York, September 22, 2004, lot no. 53. Another, dated Qianlong/Jiaqing, was sold at Christie's, Hong Kong, October 29, 2011, lot 516. Another, dated late 18th - early 19th century, was also sold at Christie's, New York, June 28, 2006, lot 19. A book illustrating the same subject, dating from the late 18th century, is held at the Chester Beatty, Dublin, inv. n°C 1007. Brigitte Mavromichalis Collection (1926-2015)