PARIS.- On Monday, May 11th, the second part of the collection assembled by Christian Levett will showcase a selection from the largest group of ancient arms and armor in private hands. Spanning from the Kingdom of Urartu to the Roman period, and including Classical Greece, this represents a unique opportunity for collectors to acquire museum-quality works that were part of the permanent collections of the Mougins Museum of Classical Art for just over a decade.

On Tuesday, May 12th, within the Antiquities & Islamic Art auction, the collection of Egyptian antiquities assembled by Jean-Jacques Rotthier (1932–2009) will be presented. Reflecting his passion for this civilization and its mysteries, the collection brings together remarkable pieces spanning all periods, from the Predynastic era to the Roman period. A discerning enthusiast and insatiable collector, he devoted most of his life to seeking out the next object to enrich this ensemble.

The first section of the Antiquities & Islamic Art auction, dedicated to antiquities, will also feature a fine Belgian collection of objects from the Mediterranean basin. The auction will conclude with a section devoted to Islamic and Indian arts.

The Christian Levett Collection
From the Mougins Museum of Classical Art, Part II

For more than 10 years, the Mougins Museum of Classical Art (MACM) has been a unique institution, born of the passion of one man: Christian Levett. A collector and patron of the arts, he devoted two decades to gathering exceptional antiquities and sharing them with the public. The adventure began in the 1990s, when Christian Levett discovered the world of auctions. Then, at the dawn of the 2000s, he developed a passion for antiquity and began a substantial collection consisting of sculptures, ceramics, weapons, and jewelry.

In 2011, he opened the MACM in the heart of the medieval village of Mougins. The museum immediately stood out for its original approach: creating a dialogue between antiquity and the great names of modern and contemporary art, from Picasso to Warhol, including Matisse, Chagall, and Hirst. This unexpected juxtaposition offered visitors a fresh perspective on the timeless influence of the ancient world.

The MACM will finally close its doors on August 31th, 2023. But its spirit lives on through a new venture: the FAMM (Women Artists at the Mougins Museum), inaugurated in June 2024 and dedicated exclusively to modern and contemporary women artists.

“I am very proud to present the final auction of my collection of antique weapons and armor, which was once the largest and most famous collection in the world for this period.

This auction also includes a wide range of items related to the Roman army, as well as several helmets that are masterpieces in their category.

This is a tremendous opportunity for new collectors to acquire these marvelous time machines, where the quality of the masters’ craftsmanship is evident to all.

Having spent fourteen years on the Arms and Armor Committee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and eight years on the Board of Trustees of the Ashmolean, I can truly speak with expertise about the importance and excellence of the items presented in this auction.” The Jean-Jacques Rotthier Collection (1932–2009)

The collection of Egyptian antiquities presented on May 12th as part of the Antiquities & Islamic Art auction reflects Jean-Jacques Rotthier’s (1932–2009) passion for this civilization and its mysteries, bringing together remarkable pieces spanning every period, from the Predynastic era to the Roman period.

A discerning amateur and insatiable collector, he devoted most of his life to seeking out the next object likely to enrich this collection. Far from jealously guarding his treasure, Jean-Jacques Rotthier sought early on to share his discoveries with as many people as possible, lending his works to numerous exhibitions across Europe, from Brussels to Paris, via Amsterdam and Venice.

A discreet man, Jean-Jacques Rotthier never wished to associate his name with his generous loans. This sale pays tribute to him today, seventeen years after his passing.

Among the works on display is an exceptional and rare group comprising a mummy-shaped coffin and its wooden sarcophagus painted with the name of Lady Iahtesnakht (est. €120,000–150,000).

Supplemented by a papyrus from the Book of the Dead held at the University of Cologne, this collection constitutes a major source of information on funerary practices from the early Late Period.

For the Middle Kingdom, one of the emblematic elements of funerary furnishings is the wooden model, of which Jean-Jacques Rotthier owned several examples, including a large and remarkable model of a stuccoed and painted wooden boat (est. €30,000–60,000). This piece was notably chosen to illustrate the cover of the exhibition catalogue From the Nile to the Scheldt, to which the collector loaned numerous works.

The Roman period also occupies an important place within the collection, featuring a set of funerary masks as well as a very rare painted linen shroud (est. €50,000–80,000), at the crossroads of Pharaonic traditions and Greco-Roman customs.

Sarcophagi, stelae, bronzes, wooden models, stucco masks, and Egyptian faience pieces: nearly seventy works, passionately assembled and formerly preserved by Jean-Jacques Rotthier, are now offered for auction, to the great delight of their future owners.

In addition to the Jean-Jacques Rotthier Collection, the Department of Antiquities & Islamic Art will present, on May 12th, a selection of archaeological artifacts as well as works of Islamic and Indian art.

The first section, dedicated to antiquities, will feature a fine Belgian collection of objects from the Mediterranean basin, including a remarkable Cycladic female marble idol from the Spedos group (est. €35,000–40,000), dating from 2700–2300 B.C. Standing nearly 18 cm tall, this statuette is characterized by its stylized, slender form and its lyre-shaped head. Also of note is a charming Amlash terracotta zebu (est. €6,000–8,000), from the collection of Iranian architect Mohsen Foroughi (1907–1983).

Finally, Egypt, already magnificently represented in the Jean-Jacques Rotthier collection, will also be featured in the rest of the auction, as evidenced by a large male limestone statue (est. €20,000–30,000), dating from the Old Kingdom and from the collection of archaeologist Raymond Weill (1874–1950).

The section devoted to Islamic art will feature the rediscovery of a Safavid candelabrum (Sham ‘dan) (est. €8,000–12,000), made of a copper alloy, which belonged to Charles Henri Auguste Schefer (1820–1898), whose estate auction was held at the Hôtel Drouot in 1898.

The art of the book will also be in the spotlight, as evidenced by a rare section of a Mughal Quran, dating from the mid-17th century (est. €12,000–15,000), featuring a blend of floral illuminations and delicate calligraphy in black Thuluth outlined in gold.

Finally, this section will also give pride of place to textile arts, notably through a set from the Zaira and Marcel Mis collection, which was the subject of a publication in 2008, including a superb mirror cover (Tensifa), double-sided embroidered with shimmering polychrome silk threads on yellow silk fabric (est. €5,000–7,000).