The sale of the Riahi collection of French furniture by Christie's on November 2nd 2000 in New York was quite successful as it fetched a total turnover of $ 40 million for 59 lots sold, the highest ever-recorded for a reunion of 17th and 18th pieces. As an example the turnover for the sale of the Akkram Ojjeh collection by Christie's in Monaco in December 1999 totalled $ 34 million for 128 lots while that of the Alexander collection sold by Christie's in New York in April 1999 totalled $ 27,5 million for 330 lots.
A 1685 brass and tortoiseshell inlaid table decorated on its top with a marquetry representing a basket of flowers in the manner of Jean-Baptiste Monnoyer made by French furniture maker C. A Boulle fetched a record $ 5,72 million while a writing-table, also by Boulle, went for $ 2,35 million.
A small table with a Sèvres porcelain top, made by French 18th Century designer BVRB fetched $ 2,53 million.
A Louis 15th Savonnerie carpet was sold at a world record price of $ 4,4 million, twice the price it fetched at Christie's in 1994 while a commode by J.P Latz and J.F Oeben, which decorated the bedroom of Louis 15th's daughter in the Château of Choisy-Le-Roi, was bought at $ 4,62 million. Such magnificent inlaid piece of furniture had been bought by Djahanguir Rahi for 1,4 million FF (US $ 189,450) in 1981 at Drouot. The collector had managed to obtain an export certificate from French authorities have offering a set of seats to the Palais Rohan in Strasbourg. Buyers went literally mad on most pieces, notably a Louis 15th porcelain pot-pourri Chinese gilt-bronze mounted vase, which went at $ 1,54 million, three times its high estimate while seven Louis 16th blue vases sold separately in two lots went for $ 688,000 and 215,000.
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