A RARE AND IMPORTANT TERRACOTTA HEAD OF BUDDHA SHAKYAMUNIAncient region of Gandhara, 4th century. The large head is superbly modeled with a serene and meditative expression, almond-shaped eyes beneath finely arched brows, distinct urna, aquiline nose, and full lips forming a gentle, benevolent smile. The hair is in tight curls with a dome-shaped ushnisha on top.Provenance: Arthur Huc (1854-1932). Marcel Huc, inherited from the above. Thence by descent within the same family. Arthur Huc was the chief editor of La Dep?ache 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”.Inventory List: 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: “Serie de vingt deux t?ates en terre-cuite. GANDHARA” (series of twenty-two terracotta heads. GANDHARA). A copy of the inventory list and cover page are accompanying this lot.Condition: Very good condition, especially when considering the dating of this piece. Some firing flaws, minor nicks and dents, material loss to exposed areas, all hardly noticeable due to a light-colored varnish coating which was applied a long time ago. Overall, fully consistent with the age of this sculpture.Scientific Analysis Report: A Thermoluminescence sample analysis has been conducted by Oxford Authentication, TL test no. N116n6, dated 18 October 2016, and is consistent with the suggested period of manufacture, a copy of the thermoluminescence analysis report accompanies this lot (the original is lost).Weight: 8.7 kg (total)Dimensions: Height 35 cm (the head) and 49.5 cm (incl. base)The kingdom of Gandhara lasted from 530 BC to 1021 AD, when its last king was murdered by his own troops. It stretched across parts of present-day Afghanistan and Pakistan. Gandhara is noted for its distinctive style in Buddhist art, which developed out of a merger of Greek, Syrian, Persian and Indian artistic influence. Gandharan style flourished and achieved its peak during the Kushan period, from the 1st to the 5th century. In the first century AD, Gandhara was the birthplace of some of the earliest Buddhist images.The use of hard-fired ceramic instead of stone such as schist was popular during the later Gandharan period from the 4th to 6th centuries AD. Fired clay was expensive in the area, because the wood needed for the firing process was scarce. Therefore, such an expensive sculpture would have been a highly meritorious Buddhist offering. Only very few terracotta statues from this period and of this size have ever been recorded.The masterfully carved head of Buddha is a fine example of the rich cultural interplay and hybrid art styles of the Gandharan empire in the first centuries CE and embodies an idealized, transcendent male form of an earthly prince. Based on Greco-Roman prototypes, his elegant neck is slightly elongated, and his heavy eyelids frame a pair of almond-shaped eyes, his forehead remaining perfectly uncreased, and there is no tension in his rosebud mouth. While activated with energy, movement and life, the Buddha is simultaneously in a state of otherworldly tranquility.The sculptor has also skillfully referenced Buddha's earlier history as Prince Siddhartha by carving openings in the elongated earlobes where, as a prince, he would have worn heavy jewelry. This detail reminds the viewer that, while the Prince's past was centered on excess, the absence of material goods – jewelry and fine clothing – emphasizes the Buddha's renunciation of worldly attachments.Compare the face of this Buddha with that of another in the Peshawar Museum (see H. Ingholt, Gandharan Art in Pakistan, 1957, p.113, fig.223). In both examples, the artist has skillfully carved and polished the face to transform it into human skin. While the face of the published image has been carved in a rather formulaic manner, the present work has been carved by a master of naturalism. The softly rounded cheeks give way to hollows on either side of the skin, the upper and lower lids are nearly spherical to emphasize the eyes, and the pupils are not carved. The quiet contours and gentle shadows model the flawless structure of the face, encapsulating the eternal youthfulness of the Buddha. Almost androgynous in appearance, the Buddha transcends gender, embodying the perfect balance of masculinity and femininity.This head has a high aesthetic value, illustrious provenance, and is in a beautifully preserved condition. It is an important and rare masterpiece of Gandharan art.Mounted on an associated wood base. (2)Auction result comparison: Compare with a related but smaller (28 cm) terracotta head of a Bodhisattva at Christie's New York, Indian and Southeast Asian Art, 19 March 2013, lot 212, sold for USD 75,000, and a related but much smaller (20.3 cm) terracotta head of a Buddha at Sotheby's New York, Images Of Enlightenment: Devotional Works Of Art And Paintings, 17 September 2014, lot 410, sold for USD 62,500.罕見重要陶土釋迦牟尼頭像健陀羅,四世紀。大型佛頭造型優美,沉靜冥思,眉毛下方拱形杏仁狀眼睛,眉間白毫,豐滿的鼻子,溫柔仁慈的笑容。 頭髮緊卷,呈螺髻。來源:Arthur Huc (1854-1932)收藏。Marcel Huc繼承,自此保存在同一家族至今。Arthur Huc是La Dep?achedu Midi的主編,這是當時法國圖盧茲的主要報紙。他還是一位出色的藝術評論家,也是包括Henri de Toulouse- Lautrec在內的幾位藝術家的早期贊助人。 同時,Arthur Huc是一位熱衷於亞洲藝術的收藏家,他的熱情源於他的傳奇祖先Evariste Regis Huc,中文名為古伯察(1813-1860),是法國天主教神父和旅行作家,在他的《韃靼西藏旅行記》書中描述了他在清朝的遊歷以及對蒙古尤其是當時幾乎鮮為人知的西藏的敘述。收藏清單:1954年,圖盧茲法院法警 L. Magniette奉命對Marcel Huc從其父親Arthur Huc繼承的收藏品進行完整目錄彙編,即所謂的“ Inventaire Huc”。 此拍品也在當時列出的收藏清單中“ Serie de vingt deuxt?atesen terre-cuite。 GANDHARA”(二十二個陶土頭像系列,健陀羅)。隨附清單和封面副本。圖片:Arthur Huc (1854-1932)品相:狀況很好,尤其是考慮到這件作品的年代。一些燒製缺陷,輕微的刻痕和凹痕,裸露區域有材料缺損。表面的清漆應爲很久之前所塗,所以現在已經基本看不出來了。總體而言,狀況與該雕塑的年代相符。科學檢測報告:隨附一份牛津熱釋光檢測鑒定報告(原件遺失)。監測報告 no. N116n6,2016年10月18日,與目前斷代一致。重量:縂8.7 公斤尺寸:頭高35 厘米 ;縂49.5 厘米 這件頭像有很高的美學價值,出眾的外觀,並且保存完好,堪稱是健陀羅藝術裏的重要且罕見的傑作。底座。拍賣結果比較:一件相近但稍小 (28 厘米) 陶土菩薩頭像見紐約佳士得Indian and Southeast Asian Art拍場2013年3月19日 lot 212, 售價USD 75,000, ;一件相近但更小 (20.3 厘米) 的佛陀陶土頭像見紐約蘇富比Images Of Enlightenment: Devotional Works Of Art And Paintings拍場2014年9月17日 lot 410, 售價USD 62,500.