"Head of a Priest," from the Mayan culture, 600 to 900 A.D. (Courtesy of Maître Binoche)

If the auctioneering partnership Binoche Renaud Giquello intended to illustrate the irresistible lure of Drouot as a collector's hunting ground while simultaneously drawing attention to its weaknesses, it succeeded beyond hope on Wednesday as Jean Claude Binoche conducted a sale chiefly focusing on pre-Columbian art.

The 178 pre-Columbian sculptures and vessels varied hugely in quality in typical Drouot fashion, but a small number of good pieces and half a dozen gems made the sale ideal for those who know something about the art and only have limited funds at their command. Lire la suite de l'article de Souren Melikian http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/09/28/arts/melik29.php?WT.mc_id=rssarts

A Mayan decorative ceramic plate from the Classical period, 550 to 900 A.D.  (Courtesy of Maître Binoche)

A ceramic, cylindrical Mayan vase, painted in cream and red. (Courtesy of Maître Binoche)

An Ecuadorian stylized jaguar with a curled up tail, from around 1500 B.C. (Courtesy of Maître Binoche)

A statue of Skanda, the eternal youth, venerated in southern India, dating from the fourteenth or fifteenth century. (Fraysse et Associés)