Sotheby's Hong Kong presents part of Ferdinand M Bertholet Collection from April 16 to May 3

KOLKATA: Sotheby’s Hong Kong Gallery is presenting part of the Ferdinand M Bertholet Collection, the world’s largest collection of erotic art, from 16 April to 3 May. The exhibition entitled Gardens of Pleasure: Sex in Ancient China, will feature more than 100 pieces of astounding works of art from the Ferdinand M Bertholet Collection, with objects dating from the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD) to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 AD).

These trinkets include works in silk, ivory, bronze, and are whispers and slivers of tantalising tales from days gone by. Within these works, made up of alluring albums and provocative porcelains, an older, more mischievous China unfolds. As a collection, such pieces offer an unparalleled view into an exceptional story of sex in the ancient Middle Kingdom.

Ferdinand M Bertholet, the collector, said in an email statement, "I am very excited about the forthcoming exhibition at Sotheby’s Hong Kong Gallery, which marks my first opportunity to share my collection with the audiences in Asia. I remember when I first began collecting around 35 years ago, I entered an antique shop on the famous Hollywood Road in Hong Kong. In a chest of drawers, I came across entirely by chance a pile of seven large sheets from an album and was amazed to discover they were Chinese erotic paintings of unprecedented beauty. Never before had I feasted my eyes on real objects of such quality. I was overjoyed with this discovery and, somewhere deep within me, a passion was born. Through this exhibition, it feels like bringing back home the remnants of an almost lost heritage, and offering a tribute to the masters of Chinese erotic art."

Nicolas Chow, deputy chairman of Sotheby’s Asia and international head of Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, said in the same statement, "It is with great excitement that we present Ferdinand Bertholet’s collection of Chinese erotic art, which is the finest and largest in existence. It is the first time that an exhibition on the subject of sex in ancient China takes place in this part of the world and the collection is already well-known in the West, having been presented in illustrious museums such as the Cernuschi in Paris and the Museum of Asian Art in Berlin. The objects in the collection span many centuries and various media including album paintings, porcelain figures, bronze mirrors and phalluses. We trust that this exhibition will be an exciting eye-opener for the Asian audience and we encourage everyone to come and experience the gardens of pleasure."