A GRAY SCHIST FIGURE OF A SEATED BUDDHA, GANDHARA, 2ND-3RD CENTURY Seated in dhyanasana with his hands folded in his lap, the deeply incised folds of his sanghati flowing over his shoulders and covering his ankles, his face with downcast, almond-shaped eyes, his hair pulled over the ushnisha, the base supported by four rounded columns, the sides carved with lotus flowers and the front with an elegantly draped canopy. Provenance: Arthur Huc (1854-1932). Marcel Huc, inherited from the above. Thence by descent within the same family. In 1954, L. Magniette, bailiff of the court in Toulouse (Huissier), was ordered to compile a complete inventory of the collection inherited by Marcel Huc from his father, Arthur Huc, the so-called "Inventaire Huc". The present lot is listed in this inventory as follows: "Un Bouddha chevelu - Haut: 61 cm - Voir carnets - Schist" (a haired Buddha - height 61 cm - see notebooks - schist). A copy of the inventory list and cover page are accompanying this lot. Arthur Huc was the chief editor of La Depêche du Midi, at the time the leading newspaper in Toulouse, France. He was also an accomplished art critic and early patron of several artists, including Henri de Toulouse- Lautrec. At the same time, Arthur Huc was a keen collector of Asian art, a passion that he inherited from his legendary ancestor Evariste Regis Huc, also known as the Abbe Huc (1813-1860), a French Catholic priest and traveler who became famous for his accounts of Qing-era China, Mongolia and especially the then-almost-unknown Tibet in his book "Remembrances of a Journey in Tartary, Tibet, and China". Condition: Extensive weathering and wear. Few structural cracks. Some breaks, losses and erosions as visible on the images at www.zacke.at. Remnants of an old varnish coating. Parts of the right hand were broken off and have been reattached. A crack extending from there into the right lower body shows an old filling. The nose shows an old restoration. Finally, a small exposed segment of the garment just below the left hand was also broken off and has been reattached, it also shows some old fillings. Overall the condition must still be considered good, especially give the age of the statue. French Export License: Certificat d'exportation pour un bien culturel Nr. 185422 dated 3.07.2017 has been granted and is accompanying this lot. Weight: 55 kg Dimensions: Height 62 cm (the statue) and 73 cm with the base This magnificent Buddha sits regally, the face with a benign expression and exquisitely delineated features. The folds of the robe are skillfully carved with curved, crisp lines that reveal the contours of the body, emphasizing the fullness of the chest and gentle slope of the shoulders. The throne is also far more elaborate than a simple seat. With an associated wood base. (2) Literature comparison: For another example bearing similar stylistic treatment of the Buddha's drapery, see the Seated Buddha in W. Zwalf, A Catalogue of the Gandhara Sculpture at the British Museum, 1996, cat. no. 26. Auction result comparison: Compare with a related statue of 67 cm at Christies New York in Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian Works of Art, 18 March 2015, lot 4015, sold for USD $137,000. 灰色片岩佛陀坐像，健陀羅，二至三世紀 佛陀結跏趺坐，雙手疊在膝蓋上，衣袍褶皺流暢地從肩膀垂下覆蓋至腳踝，臉上杏仁形雙眼下垂，卷髮上結肉髻。佛像坐於四圓角底座上，側面刻有蓮花，正面飾有優雅的懸垂紋飾。 來源：此像源自法國阿瑟∙胡克（1854-1932）收藏。馬爾塞∙胡克繼承，家族保存。1954年1954年，圖盧茲法院的法警L. Magniette受命對馬爾塞∙胡克從其父親阿瑟∙胡克（即所謂的" Inventaire Huc"）繼承的藏品進行完整的清點。 藏品清單中可見現有拍品。隨附清單拷貝。此像源自法國阿瑟∙胡克（1854-1932）收藏。馬爾塞∙胡克繼承，家族保存。阿瑟∙胡克先生曾是圖盧斯市《快訊》極受歡迎的時政記者，直至1932年去世，他還是一個著名的藝術評論家。同時，他也開始收藏亞洲藝術。其收藏可追溯到額法李斯特∙雷吉斯∙胡克，又名阿貝∙胡克（1813-1860，中文名古伯察Evariste Regis Huc），一個法國傳教士，他在蒙古、西藏及中國的游記《鞑靼西藏旅行记》使他成名。 品相：大面積風化和磨損。 結構裂縫很少。 如www.zacke.at上的圖像所示，有些斷裂、損失和腐蝕。 舊清漆塗層的殘留物。 右手的局部折斷過並重新連接。 從那裡延伸到右下半身的裂縫可以看出舊的填充物。 鼻子顯示出舊時的修復體。最後，左手下方的一小部分裸露衣服也被折斷並重新連接，還顯示出一些舊填充物。 總體而言，仍然認為狀況良好，尤其是考慮到雕像的年齡。 法國出口許可：隨附《出口文化財產》2017年7月3日第185422號文件 重量：55 公斤 尺寸：高62厘米（像），含底座73厘米 拍賣結果比較：一件相近的67厘米佛像2015年3月18日于紐約佳士得《印度、喜馬拉雅及東南亞藝術品》拍號4015，成交價USD $137,000。