Christian Deydier, the ‘first antiques dealer in Hong Kong to offer a guarantee’, defies market sentiment with new gallery
- The French expert on Chinese bronzes is offering authenticity guarantees on all purchases
- ‘It’s much tougher in France. The Chinese do not come to France to buy so I am here instead’
French dealer Christian Deydier’s decision to open a gallery in Hollywood Road was among the more surprising moves in the Hong Kong art market last year. Given the ongoing unrest, the city is not the top choice for opening a business. And the few remaining antiques dealers who have withstood the ever-rising rents in the historic Hong Kong street are losing business to auction houses and middlemen.
But Deydier, who turns 70 this year, has a history of being at odds with his peers.
The dealer’s formidable reputation is built on an encyclopedic knowledge of ancient Chinese bronze and gold vessels and an impressive client list that includes Stephen Zuellig, who controls the famed Meiyintang collection of Chinese porcelain.
One of his most powerful clients was former French president Jacques Chirac, a lover of Asian art who once asked the billionaire François Pinault to buy four extremely rare Chinese gold artefacts through Deydier for a reported €1 million and donate them to the French state.
The previous year, Deydier had been forced out of the Syndicat National des Antiquaires (SNA) in a bitter and public row after years of being the head of the French union for antiques dealers. Accusations were made on both sides, with a key dispute being Deydier’s disagreement with the board over the SNA’s flagship antiques fair being held every year instead of every other year.