From June 6 to 13, the seventh edition of Asian Spring will be held in Paris. Its president, Christophe Hioco, believes that over time this event has contributed to establishing the capital as one of the strongholds of this market. Everything is done to attract collectors and enthusiasts as the program is so attractive. Sixteen French and foreign galleries will exhibit their treasures at the Pagoda, this Chinese-inspired building near Parc Monceau. You will discover, after reserving your ticket on the site spring-asiatique-paris.comGreco-Buddhist style statues from Gandhara, Japanese screens, Chinese Buddhas, Tibetan bronzes, Chinese porcelain, precious lacquer boxes and bronze vases from Japan, Indian gods and apsaras (celestial nymphs) , faces of Angkor…
You will continue your stroll through the premises of around fifteen galleries which will notably exhibit contemporary artists such as the Japanese sculptor Kato Gizan, presented by the Kiyama gallery. Not forgetting the busy schedule of Asian art auctions at the Drouot Hotel, as well as Christie’s, Sotheby’s, Bonhams and Artcurial.
These imperial objects that billionaires fight over
Some objects reach astronomical prices, bordering on reasonable. Like this painting on silk The Card Game by the Vietnamese artist Thang Tran Phenh (1895-1973), from the Hanoi School of Fine Arts, sold for 780,000 euros; this 18th century Chinese lacquer console decorated with a dragon, sold for 524,800 euros, or this Chinese blue and white porcelain vase from the same period, sold for 9 million euros. To tell the truth, these very high amounts mainly concern porcelain, bronzes, jade and objects from China, most of which have an imperial provenance, and which the billionaires of this country are fighting over. In recent years, this surge in prices has also affected the works of Vietnamese artists from the Hanoi School of Fine Arts, founded in 1924 by the Frenchman Victor Tardieu and the Vietnamese artist Nguyen Nam Son. Here again, the rich Indochinese are snapping up at a high price the works of Vu Cao Dam, Thang Tran Phenh, Mai-Thu and Lé Phô, who spent most of their careers in France.
Masterpieces for the price of a Tesla
Arts from other countries are much more affordable. This is the case with Japan. You can buy very well made netsuke (button clasps of traditional costume) or inros (small boxes hanging from the belt) and prints in beautiful colors for less than 2,000 euros, with Nabeshima porcelain being available from 1 000 euros. You can even acquire masterpieces worthy of the Guimet museum for the price of a Tesla. This is how an enthusiast took away an Amida Buddha in lacquered and gilded wood from the Kamakura period (1185-1333) for 40,950 euros. We find this price range for artistic productions from India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Siam, Laos, Cambodia, Burma or Tibet, even if certain exceptional pieces can reach several hundred thousand euros like this Sino-Tibetan Buddha from the Ming period (14th-17th century) sold for 287,200 euros. We can also be interested in the arts of certain long-neglected countries such as Indonesia or the Philippines.
Absolutely avoid general websites. Not only do fakes abound there, but it is also through this means that stolen objects resulting from looting and various trafficking resulting from the conflicts agitating certain regions are sold. It is advisable to go through well-established merchants or auction houses who are required to ensure the authenticity and provenance of the works they offer.
Finally, if you don’t have the soul of a collector but you have objects from your ancestors that you don’t know what to do with, sell them. This is how many sellers entrusted Charlotte Aguttes-Reynier of the Aguttes auction house, a major specialist in Asian artists, with works on silk by painters from the Hanoi School. They pocketed, to their great surprise, very nice sums.