Barreres

Mr. Jacques Barrère was born in Paris in 1946. At this time his family is already involved with China. Jacques’ grand-father, Mr. Laden, has been importing modern Chinese ivories and jades as well as silks since the beginning of the 20thcentury. He made a nice fortune, that was unfortunately scattered by his children following inheritance disputes. PHOTO Fig 1

            In the early 1960’s, Mrs. Germaine Barrère, mother of Jacques Barrère, is in a difficult financial situation. Remembering that a few boxes of ivories and jades are still left from her father, she decides to open a booth at Saint-Ouen’s flea market and sell them. It is this very booth that Jacques Barrère took over in 1969. PHOTO Fig 2

In 1969, France is at the end of a period of economic prosperity and the country is overflowing with Chinese works of art imported during the two previous centuries. Opportunities for a young and dynamic art dealer are flourishing. Rapidly, Jacques Barrère decides to replace jades and ivories by more noble fields: porcelain, cloisonné and sculpture in particular for which he develops a very strong taste. PHOTO Fig 3

At this time, the young art dealer is happy to buy according to his taste and usually sells two what he bought one. However, one day, during a visit at the Asian Art museum of San Francisco, Jacques Barrère and his wife now working with him - Mrs. Marie France Barrère - discover with surprise an important Chinese cloisonné that they had sold the year before. It is the wake-up call, from that moment onwards, Mr. Barrère understands that each object must be carefully studied before being sold. He starts studying Chinese art history with passion, and begins to assemble what will become one of the largest Chinese art libraries with over 5000 books today.

Always keeping an eye on prices in public auctions, he spends a fair amount of time in museum to refine his eye. His knowledge allows him to make the most out of his discoveries and commercial success is almost immediate.

At the beginning of the 1980’s, Jacques Barrère moves from the flea market to settle at 36 rue Mazarine, not far from the Louvre museum, were the gallery still is today. He develops rapidly a clientele of international collectors and museums. By the end of the 1980’s, works of art from the gallery can be found in the prestigious collections of museums around the world: Guimet and Cernuschi museum in Paris, Shanghai museum in China, the Miho museum in Japan, Canberra national museum in Australia, Oregon and Brooklyn in the United States, and the Louvre Abu Dhabi.

PHOTO Fig 4,5,6

At the same time the gallery takes part in international art fairs: Biennale des Antiquaires in Paris, Asia week New York and Tefaf Maastricht. PHOTO Fig 7&8

In 1981, while China is reopening to the world, Jacques Barrère, his wife and their son Antoine Barrère make their first travel to China. A first visit among many to come in a country they particularly affectionate. PHOTO Fig 9,10,11,12,13

The 1990’s are marked by the beginning of major changes on the Chinese art market. The prices of Chinese antiquities that had remained rather modest suddenly follow the tremendous growth of the Chinese economy. Within 20 years, the prices are overtaking those of the western art market. This period of change and opportunity witnesses brillant successes in public auctions as well as important cultural initiatives, while the Chinese clientele turned to form the majority of collectors. 

            In 1993, Jacques Barrère discovers very important bronze panels that turned out to belong to the Dong Ding Pavillon of the Summer Palace in Beijng. Realizing the importance of his discovery, he put all his efforts with the support of national museums and the Beijing Relics Bureau, to organize the return in situ of the Dong Ding panels. The operation was a success. PHOTO Fig 14

In 1998, Antoine Barrère joins the gallery, then takes over its direction in 2008. In continuity with his father’s legacy, he brings the fresh vision of a new generation in a globalized art market. In order to get closer to his Chinese clientele, the gallery opens a new space in 2012 at 43 Lyndhusrst Terrace in Hong Kong, run by Mr. Antoine Barrère, who fells in love with the city and decides to move there.

Today, the Jacques Barrère gallery is still searching in Europe and the United States for the most beautiful and rare Asian art objects for an international clientele of connoisseurs, who are looking for top quality pieces with best guaranties.

For its first sale in partnership with Poly Auction, the Jacques Barrère gallery is presenting 15 important sculptures illustrating the varied prosperous periods of the Chinese culture. The Tang dynasty will display a very beautiful sculpture of Guanyin in marble of Xi’an style, capital of China at the time. For the Ming dynasty, a gilt bronze duck is presented showing the technical advancement of the imperial craftmen. Then the Himalayan Kingdoms are represented by a superb Mala Buddha, treasure of the Newar craftmen, who inspired all the productions of the sino-tibetain statuary in major lamaic temples.