A FAHUA FIGURE OF LI TIEGUAI, LATE MING TO EARLY QING China, 16^th-17^th century. Standing on a molded and carved rockwork base, supporting himself on his iron cane, wearing a loose-fitting robe tied at the waist and open at the chest and large belly, his neatly incised hair secured by a band, the fine face with large eyes and scrolling beard and brows, flanked by long pendulous earlobes.

Provenance: Compagnie de la Chine et des Indes, Paris, inventory number 20582, acquired 1968 in Hong Kong. The Compagnie de la Chine et des Indes (China and India Company) in Paris was founded in the early 20^th century by the Blazy brothers, acquired in 1935 by Robert Rousset and later run by his grandnephews Mike Winter-Rousset and Hervé du Peuty. With his sister Suzanne in charge of the porcelain, Robert Rousset developed the business, and the company became one of the most important dealers for Asian art in France, selling pieces to the greatest museums, including the Guimet and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Condition: Extensive wear and traces of use, several old repairs and touchups, losses, the figure reattached to its original base, overall as expected for this type of ware and commensurate with age.

Weight: 1,641 g
Dimensions: Height 32 cm

Auction result comparison: Compare a related fahua figure of a luohan, with a Wanli mark and of the period, but of larger size (46 cm high), at Christie’s London in Chinese Ceramics, Works of Art and Textiles on 12 May 2017, lot 293, sold for GBP 47,500, and a related fahua-type figure of an immortal, dated 18^th-19^th century, of slightly smaller size (27.6 cm high), at Christie’s New York in The Collection of Robert Hatfield Ellsworth Part III – Chinese Works of Art: Qing Ceramics, Glass and Jade Carvings on 19 March 2015, lot 438, sold for USD 75,000. 明末清初法華鐵拐李像
中國，十六至十七世紀。鐵拐李站在雕花石台上，拄著鐵拐杖，身著束腰、敞胸露乳的大袍，頭髮捲曲，眉眼生動，長耳垂。

來源：巴黎Compagnie de la Chine et des Indes公司，庫存編號 20582，1968 年購於香港。 位於巴黎的 Compagnie de la Chine et des Indes公司於 20 世紀初由 Blazy 兄弟創立，1935 年由 Robert Rousset 收購，後來由他的外甥 Mike Winter-Rousset 和 Hervé du Peuty 經營。 Robert Rousset 與他的妹妹 Suzanne 負責瓷器，並大力發展這項業務，該公司成為法國最重要的亞洲藝術品經銷商之一，向最大的博物館出售藝術品，包括吉美博物館和大都會藝術博物館。
品相：廣泛磨損和使用痕跡，幾次舊時修補，缺損，人物造像是重新連接到其原始底座，總體上符合此類造像品相預期並與年齡相符。

重量：1,641 克
尺寸：高32 厘米

拍賣結果比較：萬曆款及年代的一件法華羅漢像，但尺寸稍大 (高46 厘米), 見倫敦佳士得Chinese Ceramics, Works of Art and Textiles 2017年5月12日 lot 293, 售價GBP 47,500; 一件法華仙人像，十八至十九世紀，尺寸稍小 (高27.6 厘米), 見紐約佳士得 The Collection of Robert Hatfield Ellsworth Part III – Chinese Works of Art: Qing Ceramics, Glass and Jade Carvings 2015年3月19日 lot 438, 售價USD 75,000。