78 - A RARE AND LARGE SCHIST FIGURE OF A YAKSHI, GANDHARA, 2ND-3RD CENTURY

A RARE AND LARGE SCHIST FIGURE OF A YAKSHI, GANDHARA, 2ND-3RD CENTURY Standing with legs crossed on a square base carved with rosettes, her left hand supporting her waist, wearing a pleated sari held together by an elaborate belt, richly adorned in beaded jewelry, the serene face with almond-shaped eyes, aquiline nose, and full lips, flanked by elongated earlobes with floral earrings, the wavy hair with a tiara. Provenance: Arthur Huc (1854-1932). Marcel Huc, inherited from the above. Thence by descent within the same family. Zacke, Vienna, 11 March 2022, lot 555, sold for EUR 32,864 or approx. EUR 40,000 (adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). Collection of Dr. Mons Fischer, acquired from the above. Arthur Huc was the chief editor of La Dépêche 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 Évariste Régis Huc, also known as the Abbé 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”. Dr. Mons Fischer is a seasoned private collector of modern and contemporary art, who has also acquired fine Chinese works of art since the 1980s, eventually building one of the most important collections of its kind in Austria. 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 part of a group of Gandhara stones as follows: “Seconde pièce cave- 32 pierres similaires Gandhara emballés- Bouddha et divers. (Voir suite)” (second room basement: 32 similar Gandhara stones wrapped- Buddhas and various. (see follow up). A copy of the inventory list and cover page are accompanying this lot. Condition: Extensive weathering and wear. Few structural cracks. Some breaks, losses and erosions. Remnants of an old varnish above remnants of soiling from excavation. French Export License: Certificat d’exportation pour un bien culturel Nr. 185465 dated 30 June 2017 has been granted and a copy is accompanying this lot. Weight: 49 kg (total) Dimensions: Height 79 cm (excl. base) With an associated wood base. (2) Rooted in the early narrative reliefs of Bharhut and Sanchi, where the voluptuous yakshi first emerged as a symbol of fertility and abundance, the present figure reflects the enduring appeal of this auspicious female earth spirit as she entered the artistic vocabulary of Gandhara. Reimagined through the region’s distinctive synthesis of Indian iconography and Hellenistic naturalism, the Gandharan yakshi retains the archetypal sensuous form—broad hips, full breasts, and elaborate coiffure—yet is rendered with the supple modeling, subtle facial expression, and refined ornament that typify the Kushan-period atelier. Such figures, often integrated into architectural settings, not only embodied fecundity and prosperity but also bridged the indigenous shalabhanjika motif with the cosmopolitan aesthetic of Gandhara, marking an important chapter in the transmission and transformation of early Buddhist visual culture. Literature comparison: Compare a closely related Gandharan schist relief depicting a Yakshi grasping a tree, dated 2 nd-3 rd century, 96.5 cm high, in the Art Institute of Chicago, reference number 1923.316. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie’s New York, 19 September 2002, lot 20 Price: USD 339,500 or approx. EUR 520,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: An important and rare gray schist figure of Tyche, Gandhara, 2 nd/3 rd century Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, stone, and manner of carving. Note the size (92 cm).