THE BIRTH OF MODERN VIETNAMESE ART

This journey began with a shared passion alongside Christophe Fumeux, specialist, collector, bibliophile, and devoted historian.

Our ambition was to narrate, through works of art, paintings, and historical objects, the birth of the Indochina School of Fine Arts—not only the renowned institution in Hanoi, but also its southern counterparts, from Thủ Dầu Một to Gia Định.

Presented across four themed sales at Drouot, this project brought together both historical artefacts and artistic masterpieces, each chapter illustrating the remarkable dialogue between the French academic tradition and Vietnam's rich artistic heritage.

Our most recent sale, achieving a total of €840,000 including buyer's premium, crowned our commitment and established expertise in a field that remains largely overlooked beyond its most celebrated artists.

As the only Parisian auction house entirely dedicated to this specialty, we have established ourselves as the leading reference in the field. Our in-depth expertise and extensive market knowledge enable us to provide collectors with authoritative advice and access to an exceptional collecting area.

HUẾ BLUE-AND-WHITE PORCELAIN

The auction house is also a recognised specialist in the field of so-called Huế Blue-and-White porcelain, having already achieved numerous auction records in this category.

Produced in China from the early eighteenth century for the Trịnh and Lê Lords of northern Vietnam and the Nguyễn Lords of the South, these porcelains—later inaccurately termed Bleus de Huế by Louis Chochod in the early twentieth century—were prestigious imperial commissions of the highest importance.

Whether lavishly decorated to celebrate the authority of the Son of Heaven or adorned with tranquil lakeside landscapes, refined floral motifs, and, on occasion, poems composed by their original patrons, these exceptional porcelains reflect the sophistication of Vietnam's scholarly elite. Their decoration transcends ornamentation to become a rich symbolic and poetic language of remarkable intellectual depth.

Originally produced exclusively for the Imperial Court, Huế Blue-and-White porcelains gradually became powerful symbols of prestige among high-ranking officials and Vietnam's aristocratic families. Their production came to an end during the first half of the twentieth century.