PARIS.- On 12 December, the Asian Art department will present a sale offering 205 lots mainly coming from European private collections. The sale, estimated 4 to 6 million euros, will include 74 pieces coming from the prestigious collection of Lionel Fournier, a section dedicated to South-Eastern pieces and a beautiful group of Chinese jades coming from a private French collection.

Lionel Fournier was a pioneer in celebrating esoteric Himalayan art. Indeed, when he pursued the family business of selling luxurious skins to prestigious fashion designers, he discovered Eastern Asian countries and their beautiful artistic production. Over the years, Fournier started to acquire several Asian art pieces and more specifically Tibetan, Himalayan and Nepalese works of art such as Thangkas, manuscripts, stone statues and bronzes figures. Fournier did numerous donations to the Musée Guimet which collections have tremendously enlarged thanks to him. Some pieces from the sale have been exhibited for several years at the Musée Guimet until Fournier’s passing. The sale will present some gilt-bronze Tibetan sculptures such as a figure of Samvara (estimate: €60,000-80,000) and a figure of Vajradhara from the 15th century (estimate: €60,000-90,000), as well as another 15th century gold-inlaid silver figure of Hevajra (estimate: €80,000-120,000). Two important Thangkas are also part of this fabulous collection including one representing the mandala of Vajravarahi (estimate: €400,000-600,000.

Tiphaine Nicoul, Director of the Asian Art department: “We are honoured to have been entrusted with the sale of the remarkable collection of Lionel Fournier. It is such a privilege to be able to offer works of art of this quality gathered for decades by a man who dedicated his life to the promotion of Asian Art. Collectors, who are always keen to acquire pieces from prestigious provenance will certainly be attracted by these rare and remarkable works of art”.

The department will also present a very rare and exceptional imperial cloisonné enamel Taotie vase and cover (estimate: €150,000-200,000. This vase, coming from a French private collection, is very close to another lei vessel of the same size and almost the same design which is today part of the Musée des Arts décoratifs’ collections. These similarities could suggest that these two vases were made to be matched as a pair during the Qianlong emperor’s reign.

As early as the 19th century, the cloisonné enamel vessels in particular were a great source of inspiration to the European decorative arts. The lei of the Musée des Arts décoratifs was donated by Mrs Alexandrine Louise Grandjean in 1923 along with many pieces after she deceased in 1911. Her whole collection was essentially formed in the late 19th century. Like Mrs Grandjean’s vase, our present lei vase was probably brought to Europe by the beginning of the 20th century.

The Asian art department is pleased to offer a beautiful French collection of Chinese jades at auction. These remarkable pieces have been collected by a French family in the 1930’s. The highlight of this amazing group is a bridge-form brush rest carved in white jade from the Qing dynasty (18th – 19th century). The details present in this piece prove the talent and dexterity of the artist. White jade has always been considered as the most precious, rare and beautiful stone by Chinese Emperors as they believed in the positive and divine forces that it contains. Its hardness symbolizes intelligence and authority, all qualities attributed to the Emperor (estimate: €80,000-120,000). A white jade Mughal-style cup representing a ram will also be including in this collection. From the 18th-19th century Qing dynasty, this cup is estimated at €30,000-50,000.

Along with the 160th anniversary of the French and Japanese diplomatic relationships, the department dedicated a section to Japanese art. Amongst the highlights of this section, international collectors will discover a beautiful Japanese screen from the 17th century composed of six panels, representing a landscape with large white linen drying in the sun (estimate: €30,000-50,000) and a blue-laced suit of armor from the Edo period, 18th century estimated at €12,000-18,000.

A small but important collection of Shunga (Japanese erotic prints) will also be offered to the connoisseurs. Coming from a private collection, it includes a rare 18th century handscroll for the sleeve (sode no maki) by Torii Kiyonaga (€120,000-150,000).

The Asian art department is pleased to offer a beautiful French collection of Chinese jades at auction. These remarkable pieces have been collected by a French family in the 1930’s. The highlight of this amazing group is a bridge-form brush rest carved in white jade from the Qing dynasty (18th – 19th century). The details present in this piece prove the talent and dexterity of the artist. White jade has always been considered as the most precious, rare and beautiful stone by Chinese Emperors as they believed in the positive and divine forces that it contains. Its hardness symbolizes intelligence and authority, all qualities attributed to the Emperor (estimate: €80,000-120,000). A white jade Mughal-style cup representing a ram will also be including in this collection. From the 18th-19th century Qing dynasty, this cup is estimated at €30,000-50,000.

Along with the 160th anniversary of the French and Japanese diplomatic relationships, the department dedicated a section to Japanese art. Amongst the highlights of this section, international collectors will discover a beautiful Japanese screen from the 17th century composed of six panels, representing a landscape with large white linen drying in the sun (estimate: €30,000-50,000) and a blue-laced suit of armor from the Edo period, 18th century estimated at €12,000-18,000.

A small but important collection of Shunga (Japanese erotic prints) will also be offered to the connoisseurs. Coming from a private collection, it includes a rare 18th century handscroll for the sleeve (sode no maki) by Torii Kiyonaga (€120,000-150,000).