A rare limestone carving of a Buddhist acolyte, possibly Jianglong Luohan Northern Song dynasty, 10th-11th century | 北宋十至十一世紀 石灰石浮雕或為降龍羅漢像

Acquired in Paris rive gauche antiquarian district during the 1980s (by repute).

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傳於八十年代得自巴黎左岸古董店區

This finely carved figure, here depicted with exceptional naturalism holding a dragon, probably represents one of the Eighteen Luohan, considered to be the Elders of Buddhism and students of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni. Especially revered by followers of Chan Buddhism, they became an important part of all schools of thought, including Tiantai, Pure Land and esoteric Buddhism. As hermits who enjoyed nature they equally represented all that was revered by Daoist followers. 

It possibly depict Jianlong Luohan [Qinyou] who is known to have tamed a dragon and often depicted either sitting on it or holding it in his grasp as in the present sculpture.

Compare the treatment of the present figure, depicted in high relief and three quarter profile, with the Buddhist procession of three musicians and one dancer preserved at the Freer gallery of Art in Washington D.C., acquired from Yamanaka and Co in 1924 and dated to the Northern Song dynasty, 10th-11th century, published in Agnes E. Meyer, The Charles L. Freer Collection. vol. 12, no. 2, Brooklyn, August 1927. p. 71, and in Martha Davidson, Great Chinese Sculpture in America, 1939 Annual, vol. 37, no. 22, New York, pp. 71-84, 174-176, fig. 26. (fig.1).

Compare a Song dynasty stone Luohan carved with a dragon on its base, from Zhiluo pagoda in Fuxian near Yan'an, Shaanxi, illustrated in Yan’an Songdai shiku yishu [Art from Song caves in Yan’an], Xi’an, 1983, p. 109.

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比較華盛頓D.C. Freer Gallery of Art收藏一佛教石雕例，以高浮雕技法刻劃三樂手及一舞者，1924年購自山中商会，斷代北宋十至十一世紀，載於Agnes E. Meyer，《The Charles L. Freer Collection》，卷12（ 2），布魯克林,1927年8月，頁71及 Martha Davidson，《Great Chinese Sculpture in America》，1939年刊，卷37（ 22），紐約，頁71-84、174-176，圖26 

比較陝西省延安市富县直羅塔藏一例宋代石雕羅漢坐像，刻龍於座，圖載於《延安市宋代石刻藝術》，西安，1983年，頁109