China, 14th-16th century. Finely carved as a standing arhat with contemplative expression and downcast eyes, flanked by pendulous earlobes, both hands joined in prayer, and dressed in a long flowing robe.

Provenance: From a European private collection.
Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age, expected minor age cracks, flaking and losses to gilt, signs of weathering and erosion, small chips and minor losses.

Weight: 377.3 g
Dimensions: Height 25 cm

Ananda (5th-4th century BC) was the primary attendant of the Buddha and one of his ten principal disciples. Among the Buddha's many disciples, he stood out for having the best memory. Most of the texts of the early Buddhist Sutta-Piṭaka are attributed to his recollection of the Buddha's teachings during the First Buddhist Council.

In the Chan Buddhist tradition, Kasyapa, another of Buddha's principal disciples, is considered the first Indian patriarch, and Ananda the second. The pair are often portrayed on either side of the Buddha. This arrangement is commonly found in caves in China dating from the Northern Wei dynasty (386-535), with Ananda standing to Buddha's right and Kasyapa to the left, as seen in the Central Binyang Cave at Longmen, illustrated in Angela Falco Howard, Li Song, Wu Hung and Yang Hong, Chinese Sculpture, New Haven, 2006, p. 238, fig. 3.39. This standard iconographic arrangement continued through the Sui, Tang, Liao, and Song periods, to the Ming dynasty.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Sotheby's New York, 13 September 2017, lot 116
Price: USD 137,500 or approx. EUR 145,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: a large carved wood figure of Ananda, Ming dynasty
Expert remark: Compare the related pose, long flowing robes, and gilt. Note that this figure is much larger than the present lot.