A RARE AND FINE SOAPSTONE CARVED GROUP OF GUANYIN AND SUDHANA

Signed Yuxuan, 17th century

Footnotes

十七世紀 壽山石雕觀音及善財童子像
「玉璇」款

The signature carved on the present lot reads Yuxuan (玉璇), referring to Yang Yuxuan (楊玉璇), also known as Yang Ji, Xuan, and Yu Rei. He was a renowned stone carver from Zhangpu, Fujian Province, who also worked in Fuzhou, the provincial capital. His remarkable craftsmanship earned high praise from contemporaries, including the Fujian official Zhou Lianggong (1612-1672, 周亮工), who remarked, 'The excellence of his knife work is equivalent to that done by supernatural beings.' The Kangxi period district gazette of Zhangpu also lauded Yang, describing him as a 'capable carver of Shoushan stone', and 'all his [Yuxuan's] figures, birds and animals and his vessels are exquisite in the extreme. Collectors compete to engage him'. Indeed, his extensive body of work spanned seal finials, figures, birds, animals, and vessels, all characterised by delicate and intricate carving. See for example, a tianhuang 'mythical beast' seal, 17th century, signed Yuxuan, illustrated in Anthology of Chinese Art: Min Chiu Society Silver Jubilee Exhibition, Hong Kong, 1985, no.248, which was later sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 16 October 2024, lot 851.

Yang served as an Imperial craftsman in the Inner Palace, gaining widespread acclaim for his mastery in carving figures and animal-shaped seals. He was particularly renowned for his ability to harness the natural colours of Shoushan stone, pioneering the technique of qiaose (巧色), or 'clever colour utilisation.' This innovative approach had a lasting influence on the development of stone carving techniques in the generations that followed. Additionally, Yang is celebrated for pioneering the bo yi (薄意) technique, which involves a light surface carving that preserves much of the stone's natural form. Although shallow in depth, this method allows for intricate designs that maintain the material's integrity, further solidifying his distinctive artistic style. For a discussion of Yang's work, see G.Tsang and H.Moss, Arts from the Scholar's Studio, Hong Kong, 1986, no.45.

Despite his prolific output, only a handful of Yang's works bear his signature. Examples of Yang Yuxuan's signed works are in the Palace Museum, Beijing, including several soapstone figures of luohans (acc.nos.gu00083850; xin00178459; xin00098702; xin00098703). Other signed works by Yang Yuxuan include a soapstone figure of a luohan, once part of the Spencer Churchill collection at Northwick Park, illustrated by G.Tsang and H.Moss, Arts of the Scholar's Studio, Hong Kong, 1989, no.45.

The present lot depicts the encounter between Guanyin and Sudhana, one of the most celebrated episodes in Buddhist literature, particularly in the Gandavyuha Sutra, the final section of the Avatamsaka Sutra. Sudhana, a young seeker of enlightenment, embarks on a journey to visit fifty-three spiritual teachers, among whom Guanyin is one of the most profound. Representing boundless compassion, Guanyin appears to Sudhana in various forms, guiding him towards deeper wisdom and insight. This meeting underscores Guanyin's role as a compassionate bodhisattva who aids beings in their quest for awakening, not through rigid doctrine but by adapting teachings to the needs of the seeker. The story exemplifies the Mahayana ideal of skilful means (upaya) and the transformative power of compassion on the path to enlightenment.

Compare with a related soapstone carved figure of Guanyin, 17th century, illustrated in Between Heaven and Earth: Secular and Divine Figural Images in Chinese Paintings and Objects, London, 1988, no.60. See also a related soapstone carved group of Guanyin and attendants, 17th century, illustrated by M.Cassidy-Geiger, 'Changing Attitudes Towards Ethnographic Material: Re-Discovering the Soapstone Collection of Augustus the Strong', in Abhandlungen und Breichte des Staatlichen Museums fur Volkerkunde Dresden, Frankfurt, 1994, p.55, pl.41a.

See a soapstone figure of Manjusri, signed Yuxuan, 17th century, which was sold at Bonhams New York, 19 September 2022, lot 227. See also a soapstone figure of Vajraputra by Yang Yuxuan, 17th century, which was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 6 April 2016, lot 3686.