A personal collection of Japanese art reflecting the taste of four generations of experts and collectors comes up in Paris on June 21. The Portier family, major figures of the Asian art market in France, will offer 90 lots at Hotel Drout through Beaussant Lefèvre in association with Christie’s. Highlights include 8 exceptional Japanese stamps from the Edo period. They are mainly okubi-e (portraits of actors) by masters Toshusai Sharaku (active between 1794 and 1795), Kitagawa Utamaro (1753-1806), Kitagawa Kunimasa (1773-1810) and Utagawa Toyokuni (1769-1825). Each piece was acquired by Henri Portier and his son André (1886-1963), great-grandfather and grandfather to Patrick, Thierry and Emeric Portier, through various auctions held at Drouot in the 1900’s.
With the exception of three exhibitions where some stamps were shown (Utamaro in 1976 and Sharaku, portraits d’acteurs at the Huguette Bérès Gallery, Paris and Toulouse-Lautrec and Utamaro in 1980 at the Mitsukoshi museum, Tokyo), these works have remained out of the public eye since their acquisition over a century ago.
Kitagawa Utamaro (1753 ? -1806)
Deeply Hidden Love (Fukaku shinobu koi), from the series Anthology of Poems: The Love Section (Kasen koi no bu), with pink mica ground
Oban tate-e (80,000-100,000). © CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LIMITED 2016
Toshusai Sharaku (active circa 1794-1795)
The actor Segawa Tomisaburo II as Yadorigi, the wife of Ogishi Kurando, with dark grey mica ground
Oban tate-e: (50,000-70,000) © CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LIMITED 2016