PARIS.- On 10 October 2017, PIASA will offer for sale the Collection of François Dautresme (1925-2002) – founder of CFOC (Compagnie Française de l'Orient et de la Chine, or French Company of the Orient & China) in 1966.

The 7,500 everyday items and objects of curiosity that form this remarkable ensemble were patiently assembled by François Dautresme during 35 years of travel, exploration and discovery.

A UNIQUE PRIVATE MUSEUM IN EUROPE
‘These objects are inscribed in the natural chain of what man can produce if he is respectful of his past, with its extraordinary manual dexterity and possessed by the rhythms of nature' --François Dautresme

EVERYDAY TREASURES – AN ANONYMOUS HERITAGE
This China pioneer was keen to share and talk about Chinese popular art in his collection, creating a private museum unique in Europe.

From ancestral tradition to the art of the everyday: François Dautresme collected a whole swathe of Chinese culture during his journeys around China. His collection has been the subject of exhibitions at the Fundação Armando Alvares Penteado in São Paolo (2002), the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Bordeaux (2004) and the Espace Fondation EDF in Paris (2010).

It bears witness to a milliennial culture and heritage: the history of popular traditions and techniques, as told by objects reflecting the lifestyle of an entire civilization.

From straw to red lacquer, ceramics to bronze, bamboo to silk and pietradura to Chinese traditional medicine, this singular and enigmatic collection will be exhibited one last time at PIASA, before finding a new destiny in the modern world.