PARIS.- The Asian Art sale totaled €7,175,000 selling 87% by value, a result far above the presale estimate.

The top lot of the sale was an important Thangka representing the Mandala of Vajravarahi which sold for €607,500 against a presale estimate of €400,000-600,000. This piece was part of the exceptional collection of Lionel and Danielle Fournier which 74 lots realised a great total of €3,588,750.

The afternoon session offered a beautiful group of 25 jades coming from a French collection. The combined total for these jades reached almost €1M. The top lot from this section is an impressive white jade “bridge” Brush rest and its spinach green jade “water” stand from the Qing dynasty which sold for €487,500 against a presale estimate of €80,000-120,000. Other Chinese highlights realised strong prices such as a massive imperial cloisonné enamel “Taotie” vase and cover, Lei from the Qianlong period (1736-1795) which sold for €343,500 and a rare Qingbai figure of a Bodhisattva from the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368) which realised €343,500 against a presale estimate of €80,000-120,000.

The porcelain works of art from different periods attracted many bidders from all around the globe, such as a large Famille verte dish from the Kangxi period which sold for €211,500. Finally, a handscroll for the sleeve composed of 12 erotic sheets and executed by Torii Kiyonaga (1752-1815) circa 1785 sold for €125,000.

Tiphaine Nicoul, Head of Asian art at Christie’s France and Camille de Foresta, Auctioneer of the sale, commented: “We are pleased to have achieved these strong results, demonstrating that international collectors have a continuous interest in rarity, freshness to the market and private provenances such as the Lionel and Danielle Fournier collection which performed so well and the French group of jades which almost reached one million euros. We are particularly honoured to have been entrusted with the Lionel Fournier collection which history is so remarkable. Mr. Fournier brought a lot to the Asian Art world and we were pleased to see that collectors paid a last tribute to a great visionary”.