Japon, période Edo
Large sculpture of a Rakan/ Arhat in lacquered wood
Composed of three non-integral parts: the base, the rakan and the mandorla. He is represented seated in rajalalisana on a rocky base, his right hand turned towards the sky, his left hand incomplete, both of which were originally intended to hold a prayer scroll. He is wearing a kesa. His face is very expressive, animated by glass inlays in his eyes. Behind his head, a halo. At the bottom, in front of the base, an inscription numbering him and thus making him part of a larger series of rakan sculptures: DAI NIBAN (number 2) (wear, repainting, cracks, restorations, skips).
H: 73 cm - W: 48 cm - D: 31 cm
Comparison: For a rakan of the same series, this one bearing the number 187, see Bonham's San Francisco, 15/03/2011, lot 2485.
