A CHINESE SANDSTONE HEAD OF LOHAN TAMRA BHADRA

A CHINESE SANDSTONE HEAD OF LOHAN TAMRA BHADRA

TANG DYNASTY

Carved as an old man with a preternaturally domed head, his earlobes extended and with a deeply furrowed brow, the serene face in deep meditation, his eyes and lips with traces of pigments, raised on a modern stand, 22cm.

Tamra Bhadra is usually designated as the sixth of the Eighteen Lohan or arhats and was said to have been appointed to Ceylon with a retinue of 900 other disciples. He was a cousin of Buddha Sakayamuni and is usually represented in meditative repose with his prayer beads.

Provenance: by repute, purchased from Christie's London.