‘LUOHAN TRYPTICH’, JIN NONG (1687-1763) Ink on paper. The three scrolls finely painted with various depictions of luohan, including one riding a dragon, another seated on a gnarled withering tree trunk and exhaling qi as two demons push him forward, and a third riding a tiger and accompanied by two attendants. Each with a silk brocade frame and mounted as a hanging scroll. (3)

Inscriptions: One scroll lower left, signed ‘Jin Nong jinghui’, one artist seal, ‘Jin Nong’.

Provenance: Collection of Hana and Jan Líbal, acquired between 1956 and 1959 during their stay in Beijing while working on the Czech-Chinese dictionary, and thence by descent in the same family.
Condition: Good condition with minor wear, creases, small losses with associated touchups, foxing, staining, larger stains to mountings.

Dimensions: Image size ca. 120 x 30 cm (each)

Expert’s note: The extremely fine manner of the painting as well as the signature on one of the scrolls clearly indicate the present lot is a sketch from the artist’s own hand.

Auction result comparison: Compare with an album of sixteen leaves of the Sixteen Luohan, painted in ink and color on silk, by the same artist, at Christie’s Hong Kong in Fine Classical Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy on 25 April 2004, lot 425, sold for HKD 1,631,750.

金農 (1687-1763)《羅漢》三聯畫
紙本水墨，挂軸。三位羅漢，其中一位騎龍，一位坐在枯樹幹上，兩個惡魔將他向前推，第三幅羅漢騎虎，兩名侍者陪伴。

款識：金農敬繪；一枚鈴印“金農“

來源：Hana 與Jan Líbal，1956 至1959年他們因爲《漢捷字典》編譯而在北京工作，購於那時，在同一家族保存至今。
圖片：Hana 與 Jan Líbal 在北京，上世紀五十年代末
品相：狀況良好，有輕微磨損，摺痕，缺損，起皺，染色，裝裱処污漬較大

尺寸：畫面分別約 120 x 30 厘米

拍賣結果：金農的一個絹本設色《十六羅漢》冊頁見香港佳士得Fine Classical Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy 拍場2004年4月25日 lot 425, 售價HKD 1,631,750.