Red colored soapstone man with dragon and pearl. 4 1/2 inches long by 3 3/4 inches tall by 2 1/8 inches deep.This lot depicts either the Taming Dragon Luohan (降龍羅漢 XianglongLuohan) or Taming Tiger Luohan (伏虎羅漢 Fuhu Luohan). These two additions of the original Indian dieties took place some time between the late Tang Dynasty and early Five Dynasties dynasties period, a time which included a great persecution of Buddhism in favour of Daoism. Out of this oppression arose a fervor for the Luohans as guardians of the Buddhist faith amongst Chinese Buddhists.