NEW YORK, NY.- Christie’s will present The Collection of Pierre Durand on January 27, a live sale featuring the fine and decorative arts of the late philanthropist and collector who co-founded The Chinese Porcelain Company. The auction is comprised of 243 lots from the contents of Pierre Durand’s New York apartment on Fifth Avenue, which artistically combined walls of gallery-hung Old Master Drawings with contemporary glass by Yoichi Ohira, and contrasted Chinese paintings by Liu Dan with fine French and English decorative arts. Other highlights include important Old Master paintings, Chinese works of art and Chinese export porcelain, as well as entertaining porcelain and silver. Viewing is open to the public by appointment beginning January 22 at Christie’s Rockefeller Center Galleries.

Margaret Gristina, Senior Specialist, Chinese Works of Art, Christie’s, remarks: “The Collection of Pierre Durand offers a glimpse into the gracious home of a true collector. From Old Master paintings to French furniture to contemporary Venetian glass, Pierre was a discerning connoisseur of beautiful objects that caught his fancy and he filled his rooms with a witty and diverse feast of objects to delight the eye. Pierre also avidly pursued the history of each piece he collected and was particularly fond of doing research and uncovering hidden treasures.”

The auction is highlighted by major works such as a large scale Melchior d’Hondecoeter painting (estimate: $250,000-350,000) and a stunning George II over-mantel mirror (estimate: $100,000-200,000), which were fixed anchors in Durand’s home throughout the years. Works on paper in the collection range from Old Master drawings by Pierre-Joseph Redouté, François Le Moyne and Bartolomeo Passarotti to contemporary Chinese inks by Liu Dan and Lee Chun-Yi.

PIERRE DURAND

Pierre Durand was born in Lima, to an Italian mother and a Peruvian father of French descent. First trained as a banker, Pierre met his partner Khalil Rizk at Cornell University in the early 80s, and together they founded The Chinese Porcelain Company in 1984. On a philanthropic note, Pierre was elected to the board of Venetian Heritage in 2002 and served as both treasurer and president over the subsequent years, sharing his expertise in business and his passion for art and architecture to help preserve the treasures of the city he loved. He also served on the boards of the Master Drawings Association Inc. at the Morgan Library, and the American Friends of the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

SELECT HIGHLIGHTS

• MELCHIOR D'HONDECOETER (UTRECHT 1636-1695 AMSTERDAM), A sarus crane, a flamingo, a wild bronze turkey cock, two Paduan fowl, a silver birchen game cockerel, and a hoopoe in a landscape oil on canvas 61 7⁄8 x 69 7⁄8 in. (157.2 x 177.5 cm.) $250,000-350,000

• A PAIR OF CHINESE PORCELAIN FAMILLE VERTE LARGE BUDDHIST LIONS KANGXI PERIOD (1662-1722) 17 1⁄4 in. (43.7 cm.) high $10,000-15,000

• LOUIS-ANDRÉ-GABRIEL BOUCHET (PARIS 1759-1842), Portrait of Eugene Isabey (1803-1886), full-length, with a sword oil on canvas 55 x 38 1⁄4 in. (149.7 x 97.2 cm.) $120,000-180,000

• A SET OF TWENTY-THREE CHINESE PORCELAIN BLUE AND WHITE MOLDED PLATES
KANGXI PERIOD (1662-1722) 9 5⁄8 in. (24.4 cm.) diameter $6,000-8,000

• A GERMAN ORMOLU-MOUNTED MAHOGANY GUERIDON BY DAVID ROENTGEN, CIRCA 1785 30 in. (76 cm.) high, 25 1⁄2 in. (65 cm.) wide $30,000-50,000

• PIERRE-JOSEPH REDOUTÉ (SAINT-HUBERT 1759-1840 PARIS), The branch of a plum-tree bearing fruit with a wasp black chalk, watercolor and bodycolor on vellum 13 x 10 1⁄4 in. (33 x 25.7 cm) $60,000-80,000

• A SET OF FOUR LOUIS XVI CREAM AND GREY-PAINTED FAUTEUILS BY JEAN-BAPTISTE SENE CIRCA 1775 $12,000-18,000

• LIU DAN (B. 1953), Taihu Rock Scroll, mounted and framed, ink on paper 15 x 16 1⁄8 in. (38 x 41 cm.) $70,000-90,000

• A CHINESE PORCELAIN POWDER-BLUE LARGE DISH KANGXI PERIOD (1662-1722), 14 1⁄2 in. (36.9 cm.) diameter $4,000-6,000