Lot 3
East Asia, China, Qing Dynasty, ca. 18th century CE. A superb pair of painted wooden lohan figures, each seated on a backless, raised pedestal and draped in the modest robe of a Buddhist monk, its folds gracefully cascading over the shoulders, arms, and legs. The robe crosses at the neck and is fastened at the shoulder with a round clasp, its simplicity emphasizing the lohans' renunciation of worldly possessions. One figure conceals both hands within the voluminous sleeves of his robe, suggesting meditative stillness, while the other holds a small bowl in his left hand and rests his right hand gently on his knee in a gesture of grounded presence. Their finely modeled faces convey a gentle and introspective presence, accentuated by deeply set glass eyes that gaze outward in calm serenity beneath arched brows. Size (both the same): 9" L x 12" W x 25.9" H (22.9 cm x 30.5 cm x 65.8 cm)
Both figures display the physical traits traditionally associated with lohans: a cranial protuberance symbolizing spiritual wisdom and elongated earlobes indicating their enlightened state. Lohans - the Chinese term for arhats, enlightened disciples of the Buddha - are revered as protectors of the Buddhist faith. According to Mahayana Buddhist belief, they have achieved enlightenment through rigorous spiritual practice and are free from suffering, disease, and the cycle of death and rebirth. Unlike bodhisattvas, who delay enlightenment to assist others, lohans have already attained liberation but choose to remain in the world as exemplars of spiritual discipline and guides for sentient beings. Though considered semi-divine, lohans are not portrayed as idealized deities. Instead, they are often rendered with individualized features and expressive faces that reflect distinct personalities and spiritual depth, as seen in this sensitively carved pair.
Historically, carved figural statues held profound cultural and religious significance in China, serving not merely as decoration but as vital conduits for spiritual inspiration, solace, and ancestral veneration. These sacred objects populated homes, clan halls, temples, and public spaces, where altars and shrines honored familial ancestors and a pantheon of deities. The size and opulence of these dedicated spaces reflected a family's standing, with even modest homes featuring altars for expressing Confucian piety through ancestor worship. Wealthier families often dedicated entire rooms to elaborate shrines, housing images and ancestor tablets - inscribed placards acting as spiritual seats for the deceased, sometimes even found in temple halls where monks offered prayers for their well-being in the afterlife.
Central to imbuing these carvings with spiritual potency was the "eye opening ceremony," a consecration ritual performed by a senior priest or monk. This process, involving practices like dotting the eyes with cinnabar, pricking them, or anointing them with liquids, was believed to awaken the statue's senses, enabling it to perceive and respond to devotees' prayers. Before this ritual, a cavity carved into the statue's back was filled with sacred documents, a dated paper script honoring the donors and commemorating the event, prayers, and symbolic items representing inner organs, then sealed. The completed, veiled statue was then solemnly carried to the temple for the complex consecration, a communal event believed to imbue the inert carving with life force (chi or qi) and invite the deity's spirit to reside within. This animated state was believed to persist as long as the cavity remained sealed, making intact statues with their original contents exceptionally rare and deserving of continued reverence.
Provenance: private Los Angeles, California, USA collection, acquired from 1990 - 2005
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#192449
- Condition: Some chips, nicks, and abrasions as shown, as well as stable fissures and areas of old, inactive insect damage. Otherwise, intact and very nice with liberal remaining pigment and light patina throughout. Prayer niche in verso is intact.
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