Following the introduction of the reform of the auctioning profession in France, which became effective from November 29th 2001 and one week after Sotheby's opening sale in the French capital, Christie's started to hold sales in their Paris premises on December 5. Members of the board of the auction house owned by French industrialist François Pinault said they had been waiting for thirty years for such opportunity.
The sale was conducted by François de Ricqlès, a former auctioneer at Drouot who is one of the few people employed by Christie's authorized to do so according to French laws.
The next day, Christie's sold for 1,58 million francs ($ 217,900) a French Transition commode of the 18th Century by Nicolas Petit and 411 245 FF ($ 56,725) a pair of bronze eagles from the studio of French sculptor A.Barye. A canvas produced by French 18th Century painter François Lemoyned titled “The Triumph of Venus” went for 1,69 million FF ($ 233,100).
During an afternoon sale, Christie's sold the Ziesenis collection of porcelain and ceramic works and recorded a 170 000 FF ($ 23,450) bid on a plate from Queen Marie-Antoinette “rich frieze” dinner service that King Louis XVI offered to King Gustav III of Sweden while a plate with flowers and garlands from Madame du Barry's dinner service went for 95 000 FF ($ 13,120).
Meanwhile, in New York on December 5 Phillips recorded a $ 5,5 million bid for a “Boulle” wardrobe, a sister to the one that belonged to Hubert de Givenchy, which was sold by Kugel to Henry Kravis.
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