A fine pair of painted bronze figures of the Lohans Ananda and Kasyapa China, Yuan / Ming dynasty

each finely cast and seated in dhyanasana with the feet hidden within the folds of the long skirts cascading down and projecting out from the bottom of the knees, the robes draped diagonally across the bare chest to reveal projecting nipples and their hands in various mudras, the large bald heads cast with the youthful alert features of Ananda, with his large open eyes and joyful smile, and the more ferocious elderly Kasyapa, with a furrowed brow, intensely staring eyes and rippling curly beard, each figure painted over the exposed flesh in contrasting white and ochre-pink tones while leaving the robes with a warm russet-brown patina

G. Collection, Hotel Drouot, Paris, Works of Art and High Curiosity, 21st to 24th November 1904, lots 1264 and 1265.

Both figures are in good condition with some chips to the paint on the face and body. The paint depicting the facial hair on Kasyapa, particularly above the mouth, has faded and chipped around the articulated curled stubble.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Pairs of figures of Ananda and Kasyapa, the most loyal and intimate disciples of the historical Buddha Sakyamuni, are relatively rare and the present pair, with their finely cast complementary gestures and evocative facial expressions, aided by the pigmentation scheme, is particularly outstanding. The relatively placid and rhythmic treatment of the drapery also appears a pleasant contrast to the more ruffled and ornate depictions from the Song and later Qing periods. It is particularly interesting to compare the treatment of the beard and fierce expression on the Kasyapa, to a related larger example in painted stucco (or ramie fiber) at the Baima Temple, Luoyang, Henan province, dedicated during the Yuan dynasty, see Angela Howard, Chinese Sculpture, New York, 2006, figs. 4.74-5, pp. 437.