Lempertz and Artcurial to Auction Jean-Jacques Rotthier African Art Collection in Paris
On April 6, 2026, Lempertz, in partnership with Artcurial, announced the auction of Jean-Jacques Rotthier’s African and Oceanic art collection in Paris on September 8, 2026, during Parcours des Mondes. The sale follows the success of his Egyptian antiquities collection, which totaled nearly €1.5 million with 100% of lots sold. Assembled from the 1970s, the collection comprises nearly 100 works, most from the Democratic Republic of Congo, with highlights including four Songye statues estimated at €40,000–€60,000 and a rare janus Kuyu figure also estimated at €40,000–€60,000.
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The ensemble reflects Rotthier’s personal vision shaped by travels across Africa and decades of exchanges with specialists including Bernard de Grunne and Pierre Dartevelle. Its coherence and quality place it in the tradition of major twentieth-century private collections, providing collectors with a benchmark for Central and West African art through pieces such as the Luba authority sceptre estimated at €20,000–€30,000.
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- People: Jean-Jacques Rotthier, Bernard de Grunne, Pierre Dartevelle, Frans Olbrechts, Stéphane Aubert, Jan-Joris Visser
- Auction Houses: Lempertz, Artcurial
- Locations: Paris, Brussels
- Prices: €1.5 M, €40,000 – €60,000, €20,000 – €30,000
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