the light grey stone with buff coloured areas vividly rendered with a bare head exposing a protruding crown, the face framed by a deeply lined forehead and arched bushy eyebrows extending to a refined aquiline nose, with taut rounded cheeks above a pursed mouth encircled by wrinkles spreading towards the long pendulous ears, the face revealing an expression of quiet power and compassion, wood stand

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In overall good condition with just minor bruises and wear to the fragile extremities, especially the tips of the nose and ears.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The sensitive rendering of the luohan's expressive countenance is particularly finely rendered on this superbly carved head, impressive and unusual for the three-quarter depiction, with the head slightly tilted forward as if in deep contemplation. Its distinctive facial features, specifically the high cheekbones, prominent nose and wrinkled forehead indicate that this luohan is elderly, and appears to represent Kasyapa, who was one of Sakyamuni Buddha's ten principal disciples. Kasyapa came from the kingdom of Magadha and by the time he met Buddha, was already well into his eighties. He was a renowned ascetic and had a large following of his own.

In the Chan Buddhist tradition, Kasyapa is considered the first Indian patriarch and Ananda, the second. They are often portrayed together on either side of Buddha. This arrangement is commonly found in caves in China dating from the Northern Wei dynasty (386-535), with Ananda to Buddha's right and Kasyapa to the left, as seen in the Central Binyang Cave at Longmen, illustrated in Angela Falco Howard, Li Song, Wu Hung and Yang Hong, Chinese Sculpture, New Haven, 2006, p. 238, fig. 3.39. This standard iconographic arrangement continued through the Sui, Tang, L♐iao and Song period♌s, all the way to the Ming dynasty.

Other examples of Song dynasty luohan are illustrated in Osvald Siren, A History of Early Chinese Art, Sculpture, London, 1930, pl. 115A. For a closely related limestone head of a luohan, similarly carved with a prominent forehead and wrinkled forehead, see the example in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, accession number 60.74. For an example sold at auction, see the luohan head from the collection of J.ꦓT. Tai & Co., sold in our New York room🍸s, 22nd March 2011, lot 270.