Adam's FINE ASIAN ART Part 1 June 29th 2021

“ Joseph Vallot (1854-1925) was a French astronomer, geographer, naturalist, alpinist and patron of arts and sciences, who studied botanic and geology in Paris and later became the President of the Club Alpin Français. In 1875, he fell in love with Mont Blanc, and soon realized his first ascension in 1881, the first of not less than 34. In 1890, he built-up the first observatory at 4362 meters and later on the so-called “Refuge Vallot”, where he would install a "Salon Chinois" dis- playing Oriental, Japanese and Chinese works of art, a place where would come curious visitors such as Pope Piu XI. In recognition of his contribution to science, he was awarded the Great Prize of Physical Sciences from the Académie des Sciences in 1897. Far beyond his passion for science, mountains and, more specifically, Mont Blanc, Joseph Vallot had a passion for all the beautiful things, with a noted fascination for Asia. Indeed, he assembled an important collection of beautiful jade and stone carvings over decades, which he housed in his villa in Nice, Côte d’Azur. His collection was sold several months after his death at Drouot Paris. November 16th, 17th and 18th 1925, under the ministry of Mr. Lair-Dubreuil assisted by Mr. Portier. Carlos Tornquist attended the auction and bought numerous lots for his collection Ernesto Carlos Tornquist (1842–1908 ) was born in Buenos Aires in 1842, a prominent Argentinian businessman and a cosmopolitan financier considered to be the most significant entrepreneur in Argentina at the end of the 19th cen- tury. Ahead of a diversified business empire, he is known to have played a key role in helping to link Argentina with the trading and financial systems of the first world and founded, amidst other things, the Tornquist Bank, the Plaza Hotel in Buenos Aires (today called the Marriott Plaza Hotel) as well as two cities named after his family’s name (Tornquist Partido and Tornquist City). A member of a family with roots in Sweden and Germany, he was the son of Jorge Pedro Ernesto Tornquist (1801-1876), the consul of Bremen in Montevideo. In 1874, Ernesto Carlos Tornquist took over the running of his brother-in-law’s company which was now renamed Ernesto Tornquist y Cia. He then diversified the activities of the company (initially focusing on exporting wool and leather and importing agricultural machinery) to include investment in sugar, cold-storage, railways etc. A person of influence, Ernesto Carlos Tornquist is also known to have played a crucial role in helping to avoid a war between Argentina and Chile in 1902 by managing the British mediation in the border dispute and by strongly opposing the bellicose Foreign Minister Estanislao Zeballos (1854-1923). He also helped to resolve a conflict with Brazil. Through- out the years, he maintained a close friendship with Argentina presidents Julio A. Roca (1843-1914) and Carlos Pellegrini (1846-1906). He once owned an hôtel particulier in Paris where he would spend a few months each year with his family. A testimony of these regular stays in the French capital is a vitrified photograph of his nine childs taken by Mathieu Deroche (1837-?), a French photographer and miniaturist. There, he would visit antique dealers and attend public auctions thereby assem- bling an important collection notably (but not only) of Asian Art. This is how he bought some important jade carvings once owned by the renowned french astronomer, alpinist and founder of the Mont Blanc Observatory, Joseph Vallot (1854-1925), whose collection, formerly housed in his Nice villa, was sold by Messrs Lair Dubreuil and Portier at Drouot, November 16th, 17th and 18th 1925. Ernesto Carlos Tornquist died in 1908 in Buenos Aires, a city where an avenue is still named after him. His collection was sold at public auction approximately three decades later by O. Ramos Oromy Y Cia, an auction house located in the Argentinian capital, July 27, 28 and 29 1936. Adam’s is proud to present at auction a selection of jade carvings from this prominent collection and reputed name. All our pieces are either listed or illustrated in the 1936 auction catalog. Also to mention that a few of them can also be traced in the 1925 auction catalog. A Private Collection Formerly the property of Joseph Vallot & Ernesto Carlos Tornquist "A Chinese Salon on the Ceiling of Europe”