PARIS.- The two-day sale of the Rousset Collection of Asian Art on Tuesday 25 and Wednesday 26 October at Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr in Paris made a total of €14.5m in a sale of 371 lots with 98.53% lots sold (100% by value). This collection made four times its pre-sale estimate.

Asaph Hyman, Bonhams Global Head of Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, said: “It is a great honour to have been entrusted with the outstanding Rousset Family Collection. The many fresh-to-the-market objects with exceptional provenance generated strong demand. This, together with attractive estimates, drove spirited competition across the world, with all the top ten lots selling above their high estimates and new auction records established in several categories. The extremely strong prices for Chinese paintings were remarkable. I was delighted that collectors and institutions around the world appreciated the rarity and the quality of the pieces. We now look forward to the series of Asian sales in London next week.”

The Rousset Dynasty

For a century, the name Rousset has been synonymous with scholarship, excellence and taste in the world of Asian Art. In 1920 Robert Rousset visited the Forbidden City in Beijing which sparked his lifelong passion for Asian Art. This led to him acquiring the Compagnie de la Chine et des Indes, a gallery which was subsequently run by three generations of the Rousset family. The collection which was sold these past two days constituted both Robert's and Jean-Pierre's private collections.

Exceptional prices were set in many categories including:

·An important and exceptionally rare large wood figure of a Bodhisattva, Jin Dynasty (1115-1234 AD) sold for €3,342,375. The gentle expression, modelled with gently inward-turning gaze, emphasises the Bodhisattva’s powers as a comforter, while the naturalistic modelling of body and dress stress nearness and accessibility.

·A painted album after Southern Song court artists 18th/19th century containing six paintings after Song dynasty artists including Xiao Zhao, Li Song, Yan Ciping, Ma Yuan, Xia Gui, and Fan Long, and six leaves of calligraphy, with apocryphal seals and signatures, inscription dated to 1813 by Mianning, sold for €1,542,375.




·An important and extremely rare large stone head of a Bodhisattva Northern Qi Dynasty (550 – 577 AD) sold for €1,482,375. Elegantly proportioned and delicately carved, the head is a remarkable example of the high standards achieved in Buddhist portraiture during the Northern Qi period.

·An important and exceptionally rare imperial polychrome lacquer thirty-two dragons Guqin table from the Late Ming Dynasty (first half 17th century) from the Adolphe and Edgar Worch collections, established dealers in Chinese art in Paris since 1888,made a record price of €1,482,375.

·An important and exceptionally rare huanghuali inscribed documentary stone-top table. Late Ming Dynasty (16th century) sold for €504,375. As the poetic inscription on the table suggests, it would have been suited for playing the qin, a Chinese musical instrument or for reading, aiding in study and serving the court. The seal may relate to the famous painter, calligrapher and poet, Wen Zhengming (1470-1559).

·A painting of a court lady and lady-attendant, probably from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) or earlier is an ink and pigment on silk, with apocryphal seal of Song emperor Huizong sold for €504,375. The painting depicts an elegant court lady holding in her hand a sheng or free reed wind instrument, seated outside beside a gnarled rock issuing peony. Behind her, stands an attendant draped in green robes, the relatively large size of the lady indicates her importance compared to the smaller attendant.

Other highlights included:

·An archaic bronze ritual vessel and cover, Fang Hu. Mid-Western Zhou Dynasty (circa 10th-9th century BC) sold for €403,575. Superbly decorated with a monster mask below stylised birds and elephant-shaped handles, this exceptional ritual vessel was used to store wine for the need of the deceased in the afterlife.

·An exceptionally rare stone figure of a Bodhisattva bridging the aesthetic style of the Northern Zhou and Sui dynasties made €403,575.

·A copper alloy head of Buddha from Thailand, Sukhothai school, 14th century achieved an extraordinary price of €176,775 reflecting the taste of the Rousset family.

·A sandstone head of deity, Bayon style 12th-13th century, published and illustrated by Sherman Lee made a record price at €378,375.

·A schist relief panel with scenes of the birth of Buddha, Ancient region of Gandhara, circa 3rd century made €138,975.

·A remarkable white stucco head of Bodhisattva circa 4th century was sold for €111,255.