PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE COLLECTION A PARTIALLY PAINTED GRAY STONE FIGURE OF LAOZIMing dynasty, probably 16th century The deified Laozi shown seated with a Daoist cap high on his head with a central unidentified motif to the front and scrolling decoration to each side of a double line in the center, the back and sides of the cap folded upwards forming a high ridge, the smiling figure with furrowed brow, creased eyes and mouth slightly open to reveal his teeth and tongue, his chin with typical tripartite beard, his undergarment, crossed over beneath his beard and tied with a double-tasseled cord which hangs down between his open robe stopping just short of the ground, his outer garments, with a broad dark edging, fall in gentle folds from his shoulders with his hands hidden in the voluminous sleeves rest in his lap, the shoes with turned up toes poke out from under his robe edge, he is seated on a plain square block of stone, a regularly hollowed out hole in his back for the deposit of a votive text or reliquary with a recessed edge for a enclosing panel, the statue with traces of color; with wood stand. 19in (48.2cm) high 明 或爲十六世紀 灰石刻繪老子像 Provenance: Nicholas Grindley, November 2008 Private collection Hong Kong, 2008-2013 Literature: Nicholas Grindley, Exhibition Catalogue , Hampshire, 2008, no. 1 來源: Nicholas Grindley, 2008年11月 香港私人收藏，2008-2013年 出版： Nicholas Grindley, 《展覽圖錄》，漢普郡，2008年，圖版1 For earlier seated limestone figures of the deified Laozi, see Stephen Little, Taoism and the Arts of China , The Art institute of Chicago and the University of California Press, 2000, pp. 182-183, figs. 39-40. See also the footnote to lot 265 in the present sale for further discussion on Laozi in regard to a Northern Qi-Sui dynasty marble head.