Artcurial and Lempertz to Sell Rotthier African and Oceanic Art Collection in Paris
On April 6, 2026, Artcurial, in partnership with Lempertz, announced the sale of Belgian collector Jean-Jacques Rotthier's African and Oceanic art collection, to be held in Paris on September 8, 2026, during Parcours des Mondes. The collection, assembled from the 1970s onwards, features nearly one hundred major works, most originating from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and includes highlights such as four monumental Songye statues (est. €40,000–€60,000 each), a rare Luba authority sceptre (est. €20,000–€30,000), and a janus Kuyu figure (est. €40,000–€60,000). The sale follows the success of Rotthier's Egyptian antiquities collection, which achieved nearly €1.5 million with a 100% sell-through rate. An exhibition will be held at Lempertz in Brussels from June 9 to 14, 2026, and at Artcurial in Paris from September 4 to 8, 2026.
The Signal
For collectors and scholars of African art, the Rotthier collection represents a rare opportunity to acquire works from a discreet, scholarly assembly that has largely remained private, with pieces regularly lent to major exhibitions but never shown as a whole. The sale's emphasis on sculptural and spiritual significance over market speculation signals a continued institutional and collector interest in high-quality, historically documented African art, particularly from Central and West Africa. The inclusion of a janus Kuyu figure, of which only one other example is known, underscores the collection's potential to reshape market benchmarks for such rare objects.
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- Artists: Jean-Jacques Rotthier
- People: Jean-Jacques Rotthier, Bernard de Grunne, Pierre Dartevelle, Frans Olbrechts, Stéphane Aubert, Aristide Courtois
- Auction Houses: Artcurial, Lempertz
- Locations: Paris, Brussels
- Prices: €1.5 million, €40,000 – €60,000, €20,000 – €30,000
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