Page 34 - Bonhams Cornette Saint Cyr, Property from the estate of Jean-Pierre Rousset (1936-2021)
P. 34

The Rousset family has always had strong ties with the Musée
                                                             Guimet. Mike continues the family tradition with great friendship and
                                                             integrity. As president of the friends of the museum, I am happy to
                                                             count him among our members. In 1928, five pieces from Siam - two
                                                             busts and three Buddha heads from the Ayutthaya period - entered
                                                             the collections of the Place d'Iéna institution. As major donors
                                                             throughout the 20th century, the Roussets have a special place in the
                                                             history of French national collections.

                                                             As Jeannine Auboyer, curator in charge of the Chinese Art
                                                             department at the time, wrote: "Inaugurated on 26 June (1978) by
                                                             the Director of the Museums of France, Mr Hubert Landais, Mr
                                                             Robert Rousset's donation is a well-known event in the history of
                                                             the Musée Guimet's collections. (...) Bringing together pieces of this
                                                             quality requires almost half a century of "chasse à l’objet", choosing
                                                             them with discernment so that, when brought together, they form a
                                                             homogeneous whole despite their disparity of origin or period, which
                                                             is what Mr Rousset has achieved. This is what he has offered to the
                                                             national museums. (...) Like any true collection of art objects, this one
                                                             reflects the taste of the person who assembled it. This reflection, the
                                                             expression of this taste, will be perpetuated for a long time to come
                                                             and communicated to all those who come to admire the grace and
           Art gallery of the Compagnie de la Chine et des Indes  beauty of these carefully and wonderfully selected works”.2
           39, avenue de Friedland
           Paris 8th arrondissement                          Remarkable in its coherence and quality, this donation of funerary
                                                             statuettes was the subject of a book published in 1997 by the Musée
                                                             Guimet /Réunion des Musées Nationaux and in collaboration with
                                                             Jean-Pierre, Compagnons d'Éternité. A nod to Jean-Pierre Rousset.

           The historic gallery at 39, avenue de Friedland was a reference for all
           lovers and collectors of Asian art in the world for almost a century.
           For Jean-Pierre, it was his whole life. He was one of those experts
           who loved to share and transmit knowledge. He continued, even in
           retirement, to come to the office every day. He missed the market
           and the objects. It is not that he lacked them at home, his apartment
           was full of treasures. After uncle Robert’s death, his private collection
           was divided equally between Jean-Pierre and his sister. Anne-Marie's
           part was sold with great success after her death in 2019 (1), Jean-
           Pierre's is being sold today.

























           Mike Winter Rousset (left), Jean-Pierre Rousset (middle),
           Hervé du Peuty (right)

           (1) Arts d’Asie, Succession de Madame Anne-Marie Rousset,   (2) Jean-Paul Desroches, La Donation Robert Rousset au Musée
           Cornette de Saint Cyr, 15 October 2020, Paris.    Guimet, La Revue du Louvre et des
                                                             Musées de France, 1 - 1979- XXIXème année, p. 60.

           32  |  BONHAMS
   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39