PARIS.- The Portier family has chosen to entrust the sale of their personal collection of Japanese art to Beaussant Lefèvre, in association with Christie’s. Consisting of 90 lots, this collection reflects the taste of four generations of experts and collectors, major figures of the Asian art market in France. Connoisseurs will have the opportunity to view part of the collection at Christie’s on June 18 and 19, and the collection in its entirety at Drouot on June 20 and 21, before the sale on the afternoon of Tuesday 21, in Drouot’s prestigious room n. 9, to be auctioneered by M. Beaussant and M. Lefèvre.

Eric Beaussant and Pierre-Yves Lefèvre -auctioneers-, Géraldine Lenain -international director of Asian arts at Christie’s- and Alice Jossaume -expert in Asian arts- have said: “It is a true honour for us to pay tribute to the taste and wisdom of the Portier family, whose expertise has been a reference for the Asian art market for the past four generations. We are glad that this auction will take place at Drouot, where this family of collectors and experts have built this collection. We are exceptionally pleased with this collaboration between Beaussant Lefèvre and Christie’s, which will remain in the books of great Japanese art sales in Paris”.

Highlights of the collection include 8 exceptional Japanese stamps from the Edo period. They are mainly okubi-e (portraits of actors) by some masters of this genre: Toshusai Sharaku (active between 1794 and 1795), Kitagawa Utamaro (1753-1806), Kitagawa Kunimasa (1773-1810) and Utagawa Toyokuni (1769-1825). Each piece was acquired by Henri Portier and his son André (1886-1963), great-grandfather and grandfather to Patrick, Thierry and Emeric Portier, through various auctions held at Drouot in the 1900’s.

With the exception of three exhibitions where some stamps were shown (Utamaro in 1976 and Sharaku, portraits d’acteurs at the Huguette Bérès Gallery, Paris and Toulouse-Lautrec and Utamaro in 1980 at the Mitsukoshi museum, Tokyo), these works have remained out of the public eye since their acquisition over a century ago. The June auction will therefore offer a unique opportunity to admire them.

80 works of Japanese earthenware will also be offered during the sale, reflecting the passion with which the Portier family have been collecting them throughout the 20th century. Some were formerly part of prestigious collections, including that of Louis Gonse (1846-1921), a renowned art historian and expert in Japanese arts. This harmonious ensemble mainly comprises objects such as chawan (tea bowl), chaire (tea box) and kogo (incense box used in Japan during tea ceremony). Together, they perfectly illustrate the links between technique, aesthetics and the art of tea.

For this occasion, a tea ceremony will take place at Drouot in room 9, recently renovated by Erwan Boulloud, on the afternoon of June 20. The Urasenke school will demonstrate the role that each piece holds throughout the ceremony. It is a rare invitation for a few select, privileged attendees, as the tea ceremony usually takes place away from prying eyes.