A fine and rare white jade carving of Vajraputra and lion


Yuan DynastyExquisitely carved as the Eighth Luohan clad in tunic and crowned with a diadem over his tonsured and finely incised curly hair, holding onto a rope tied to a tame lion, the mane cascading over the neck and shoulders flanking the knobbly spine reaching the bushy tail, the haunches with flame-scrolls, pierced, the stone of translucent white tone with minor russet inclusions, box. 4.2cm (1 5/8in) long (2).
|元 白玉雕笑獅羅漢Provenance:Durwin Tang Collection來源：鄧德雍收藏The present lot depicts Vijraputra, Xiaoshi ('the luohan who plays with a lion'). Often this subject matter can be confused with that of foreigners bringing tribute. In the present lot superbly carved in a lustrous white jade the luohan is holding onto a rope tied to the joyful lion. Vijraputra was a lion hunter before converting to Buddhism. After attaining enlightenment, a little lion came playfully to his side. The animal seemed to be grateful to him for giving up the life of killing lions, sparing its parents and brothers. Since then, Vijraputra and the lion have become inseparable. The lion, with its roar, symbolises the invincibility of Buddhism.Compare with a related white jade carving of a dancing foreigner and lion, Tang dynasty, illustrated in the Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Jade 5 Tang, Song, Liao, Jin and Yuan Dynasties, Beijing, 2011, p.34, no.16. See also the hair style and diadem on a pale green and russet jade figure of a tribute-bearer, Tang/ Song dynasty, illustrated by Wu Hung and B.Morgan, Chinese Jades from the Mu-Fei Collection, Bluett & Sons Ltd., London, 1990, no.41. However, the manner of carving would suggest a Yuan dynasty date for this lot.此件拍品取料瑩潔白玉，圓雕羅漢引獅。笑獅羅漢與胡人舞獅的形象頗似，其法名為羅弗多尊者，原為獵人，將證得阿羅漢果時，有兩隻幼獅近身感激他放下屠刀。成佛後，二獅常隨，故人稱「笑獅羅漢」。獅子在佛教中亦有護法之責，獅吼威風震懾魔怨，亦可弘揚佛法。北京故宮藏一件唐代白玉胡人舞獅可作參考，見《故宮博物院藏品大系：玉器篇》，卷五，北京，2011年，頁34，編號16。另可比較一件唐或宋代青玉帶皮胡人獻寶雕件，胡人髮型及髪冠與本品類似，惟本品之刀工更近元代風格，見巫鴻及 B.Morgan編，《 Chinese Jades from the Mu-Fei Collection》，倫敦Bluett & Sons Ltd，1990年，編號41。