Page 12 - Bonhams French Netsuke collection London November 4, 2020

Foreword from the Collector

French collector Monsieur V. has always been passionate about many different aspects of
the visual arts. As a young man he studied Decorative Arts at the École du Louvre in Paris,
developing a particular liking for sculpture, and since 1962 he has been professionally involved
in sourcing the best fabric and carpets from the Middle East. His love of other art forms, not
only sculpture but also carpets—especially from Iran—has never waned, but it was in 1979,
during a visit to San Francisco’s Avery Brundage Museum, that he first discovered netsuke. At
the time he had never dreamed of becoming a collector, but as soon as he returned to Paris he
wanted to find out as much as he could about the origin and function of these small sculptures.
He was initiated into the world of collecting thanks to the formidable and scholarly character
of Alain Ducros, whom he met by chance at the latter’s gallery on Rue de la Beaune. Ducros
helped him with his first purchases and would soon assist with further acquisitions at public
auctions in France and overseas.

Monsieur V. recalls two particularly inspiring episodes that stand out from those early years.
The first came in 1982, when Monsieur V. was able to spend a whole unforgettable day
exploring exceptionally high-quality pieces from the Baur Collection in Geneva. At that time,
the visitor to the museum was left alone unsupervised, free to pull open drawer after drawer,
full of treasures, handling each piece at leisure. To this very day, those netsuke by Tomotada,
Masanao, Tametaka, Toyomasa, and other masters are still ingrained in his memory.

The second episode took place in 1983, when he was trying to make contact with other
collectors and was introduced to a lady from Lyon who agreed to meet him at the shop of
an antique dealer whom she frequented, arriving with two shoe boxes brimming over with
small objects wrapped in newspaper. Her name was Madame Grandvuinet and, 20 years
later, Monsieur V. had the opportunity to buy two of those beautiful pieces when she sold her
collection in London, the Dutchman (lot 30), and a group of shishi by Kokei.

Over the years, thanks to friendships formed with dealers and other specialists, as well as
reading up as much as he could on the subject, Monsieur V. has developed his knowledge
and expertise. Having discovered the universe of Japanese culture, in 1983 he also became
a member of the Association Franco-Japonaise and always looked forward eagerly to their
quarterly publications. Among all the numerous netsuke carvers, he acquired a natural affinity
for Tametaka, Minko, and Kokei.

As more and more netsuke owned by famous collectors such as Barbanson, Corbin, Beasley,
Newstead, and others passed into his own collection, the time has now come for Monsieur V.
to disperse his pieces and afford others the chance to enjoy these superb miniature sculptures
as much as he has.