A SOAPSTONE FIGURE OF A PENSIVE IMMORTAL, QING DYNASTY China, 1644-1912. Carved seated on a rounded rectangular base, one leg resting on the other. His face with a pensive expression as his head rests on his hand, with heavy-lidded eyes and full lips forming a subtle smile. Wearing a cowl and a long flowing robe incised with clouds as well as geometric designs at the hems. The semi-translucent stone of a creamy color with blushes of red. Provenance: From a private estate in New York City, USA. Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, few minuscule nicks, the base with an ancient minor repair, the back of the base with an old fill, the stone with natural fissures, some of which may have developed into minuscule hairline cracks over time. Weight: 1,087 g Dimensions: Height 15.8 cm Expert's note: The present figure bears a striking resemblance to Auguste Rodin's famous bronze sculpture The Thinker, both showing similar pensive expressions, hand and body posture. While it is impossible to say who inspired whom - Rodin or the carver of the present figure - a certain connection is undeniable. Auction result comparison: Compare a related soapstone figure of a Luohan, also dated 17th-18th century and of closely related color, but of smaller size (9 cm high), at Sotheby's New York in Important Chinese Art on 23 September 2020, lot 674, sold for USD 37,800, and another of slightly smaller size (11.1 cm high) carved by Zhou Bin, also dated 17th-18th century, at Sotheby's New York in Important Chinese Art on 11 September 2019, lot 678, sold for USD 150,000. 清代皂石雕刻沉思中的尊者造像 中國，1644-1912年。尊者坐在一個圓形底座上，一腿擱放在另一腿上。右臂支撐在屈支的右膝上，頭靠右手上，臉上帶著沉思的表情，雙眼低垂，微笑。頭戴風帽，長袍飄逸，衣擺下方有雲紋。 乳白色的半透明石料，紅色脈絡。整尊造像神態專注、生動逼真、尊者閒逸自得。 來源：美國紐約私人收藏。 品相：狀況良好，略有磨損，少量細小的刻痕。底座舊時經過小修，底座背面有填充物。石料有天然裂縫，有的可能會隨著時間的推移發展成細小的裂縫 。 重量：1,087 克 尺寸：高15.8 厘米 拍賣結果比較：一件皂石雕刻的羅漢造像，十七至十八世紀，相近的顔色，尺寸稍小 (高9 厘米) 見紐約蘇富比 Important Chinese Art 2020年9月23日 lot 674, 售價USD 37,800, 另一件稍小 (高11.1 厘米) 的周彬作壽山石雕羅漢坐像，十七至十八世紀，見紐約蘇富比 Important Chinese Art 2019年9月11日, lot 678, 售價USD 150,000。