Auction house Delorme Collin du Boccage on 19 December 2012 organises an archeological sale of Pre-Columbian and Asian art titled “Tribute to Michel Cohen”. Art Media Agency had the pleasure to meet with Gilles Cohen, his son, and ask him some questions about his father, his collection and the archeological objects’ market.
Art Media Agency (AMA): Can you briefly present the sale scheduled for 19 December 2012?
Gilles Cohen (GC): The 19 December sale will gather around 300 pieces (to be exact 326) coming from prestigious private collections including the ones of Claude Vérité, Lord Kitchener, Charles Bouché, Azzarro, Cazeneuve, Paul Malon, Sevadjian, Barbier Mueller, Jean Lions, Labre, Arthur Sambon, as well as other less known private collections.
Egyptian, Greek, Roman and Asian art will be presented. Objects date from the VI to IV millennium BC to the 19th century with a marble work stylised on Roman period. Price estimations range from some hundreds euro to €400,000 for a marble bust of the Roman Empire period believed to be the portrait of Agrippina.
My father, Michel Cohen, thought this would have been his last Autumn auction, which is why, despite of his death, a team of experts was gathered in order to fulfill his will and pay him a tribute.
The objects will be shown by appointment only, 10 rue Petit, 75019, Paris, until 14 December, and later on at the Hôtel Drouot, room 14, the 18 and 19 December.
AMA: Olivier Collin du Bocage, auctioneer of the sale, describes your father as a “time traveller”. Who really was Michel Cohen?
GC: My father was first of all, an antique dealer, than he established his first gallery in place de Vosges in 1968. He was an expert in archeology but also in Medieval furniture and objects, including other periods, up to the 17th century. He was one of the first to publish a catalogue with object descriptions, photos and prices. He was also one of the first to use scientific methods as thermoluminescence, which allows to date terracotta.
Than he opened numerous galleries, in rue de l’Université, rue de Sévigné, place des Vosges and bought back the Reine Margot in quai de Conti. As you can see my father liked to play Monopoly.
AMA: How did you become the head of Reine Margot?
GC: After studying management, sciences and attending the École du Louvre, my father entrusted me the management of his gallery. He could not take care of everything that is why in 1980s I took over. Since then I organised numerous exhibitions accompanied with catalogues, notably events devoted to wine, antiquity clothes and glasses which are among my specialities. During the sale a very beautiful set of glasses made before the blow molding technique and dated around the 1st century BC will be on offer (lots 139-150).
The next exhibition will be held from 14 December to 30 March 2013, titled “Vanitas vanitatum et omnia vanitas…” and concerning the subject of cabinet of curiosities.
AMA: Let’s go back to the sale on 19 December, what is the origin of the objects?
GC: Some of them come from my father’s collection. I also asked my friends in France and abroad to send me some objects for this sale. The most important contribution is the one of Claude Vérité, known for his three or four former sales.
This is a variegated collection with objects of high quality, as for example the gilt wood statue of Oushebti, a very beautiful set of ceramics and Pre-Columbian objects such as a Vera-Cruz terracotta depicting a Shaman (lot 174) issued from the Yvon Collet collection.
AMA: Experts and scientists’ role is very important when treating this kind of objects. How did you organise it?
GC: A dozen of experts and specialists worked during the preparation of this sale. Three of them contributed particularly: Alexandre Aspa, my expertise staff - Ancient Art Expertise - and an expert in Far Eastern art. Each person consulted two or three specialists and executed scientific analysis. We are as well capable of presenting a condition report.
For example, in case of Romain portraits, numerous French scholars were consulted. The greatest expert in Greek vases, a Princeton scholar, who is able to attribute any kind of vase, was consulted as well.
AMA: How do you proceed with such objects?
GC: This is a question of method. When I see an object, at first I always assume that it is fake and then I try to find the proof that it is not.
This is a very challenging way but the main advantage is that I resist the temptation of identifying an object without being truly convinced of its originality. If I am not convinced without the slightest doubt, I abstain.
AMA: Which lot is the most expensive?
GC: It is the presumed portrait of Agrippina from the Romain period. This marble bust comes from a private Parisian collection and its price is estimated between €400,000 and €500,000.
AMA: Who buys items like this nowadays?
GC: There are connoisseurs and collectors from around the world. More precisely, some people from Qatar or Mr Jean Claude Gandur, who is an exceptional collector and is about to donate his collection to the Museum of Art and History in Geneva. These are people with very good taste who are well advised.
These objects are filled with history and I think that in times lacking stability, like nowadays, these precious items bring reassurance and comfort. Buyers are aware that these objects depict history.
AMA: Are the collectors nationalists?
GC: This is very common. The Chinese, for example, they buy a lot of their patrimony.
AMA: The export regulations of these kind of items are very strict. How to reassure buyers?
GC: Yes, beyond a certain value and age of the object it is necessary to have a passport from the Ministry of Culture in order to export it. We have a number of passports for the items offered on the sale, others in waiting of validation.
Until now, no object has been refused a passport.
AMA: Why are the big archeological sales so rare?
GC: Important Anglo-Saxon auction houses such as, Christie’s, Sotheby’s, Bonham’s manage to organise two or three sales of this kind a year. There are as well French auction houses and Gorny&Mosch in Munich.
AMA: Why did you choose Collin du Bocage auction house?
GC: My father worked with them and since a very long time we have good relations with its director, a young auctioneer. Apart from publishing a catalogue, he did everything it was possible in order to organise this sale-tribute to my father, Michel Cohen, notably in allowing us to exhibit almost all the lots at the office of the Mythes et Légendes, 10 rue Petit, in Paris.
AMA: How does the market looks like in your domain?
GC: Taking into account that archeology is a field one can less speculate about, price variations are minuscule. I have a habit of saying that art pays us back every time we look at it.
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