PARIS – During the two day marathon auction in Paris, François Curiel, president of Christie’s Europe and Emmanuelle Vidal-Delagneau, auctioneer in charge of the sale, conducted an iconic auction during which landmark results were achieved and totalled € 17.9 million.
104 years after an auction devoted to Asian art took place at the Durand-Ruel gallery in Paris, the second part of the Charles Gillot Collection included admirable examples of 14th Century Mamluk art, 13th and 14th Century French Sculptures and Works of Art and a fine selection of Egyptian Antiquities which was sold in a busy saleroom with more than 60 telephone lines and numerous bidders on the internet. 78% of the buyers were from Europe, 17% from North America and 3% from the Middle East.
“Exactly 104 years after the historical first auction, the second session of the Charles Gillot Collection totalled € 17.9 million at Christie’s. This result illustrates the dynamism and specificity of the French art market, able to unveil long forgotten collections while attracting bids from all over the world, over the million euro threshold” declared Emmanuelle Vidal-Delagneau, auctioneer in charge of the sale.
“The results for Islamic Art were phenomenally strong the whole way through that section of the sale. Major records were achieved, every single lot sold, and the total equalled that for any sale of Islamic Art in France. Throughout the view there had been a very strong lively buzz around this part of the Gillot Collection. This continued through to the sale where lot after lot left the estimate far behind. On every important lot there were numerous telephones lined up, competing against a packed saleroom representing buyers from all over the world. It was a hugely exciting sale to have been asked to present, and a spectacular result to have achieved” added William Robinson, International Head of Islamic Art.