We are immensely proud to have been entrusted by Sam Myers with the stewardship of his collection, one that has traveled across the globe and already inspired countless scholars, connoisseurs, and enthusiasts. As one of the most prestigious and important collections this gallery has ever handled, being chosen to represent it over our many competitors is an undeniable privilege.
The first opportunity to present this collection, however, was given to Sotheby’s London. Despite the collection’s historical significance, the November 2021 sale faced considerable challenges, including COVID-19, Brexit, and unusually high reserve prices, resulting in mixed outcomes—quite the opposite of earlier, highly successful appearances of objects from the collection at major auctions. Accordingly, London was ruled out as the venue for future sales.
Myrna Myers in her office in Paris
Myrna outside her gallery in Paris
In the first decade of this century, Myrna Myers was securing the legacy of the collection she had built. She achieved this through major donations: most notably, her extensive, well-documented, and widely exhibited textile collection to the Musée Guimet, as well as substantial contributions to the Musée des Arts Asiatiques in Nice, a museum “greatly indebted to her,” according to its director Adrien Bossard. Beyond these gifts, numerous sales to museums took place, often at symbolic prices more akin to donations than commercial transactions.
Sam and Myrna at the Old Summer Palace in Beijing
Sam and Myrna at the Taj Mahal
After Myrna’s passing in 2012, Sam Myers continued this work with extraordinary dedication. He spearheaded a project of grand scale: the traveling exhibition and comprehensive publication of their collection, realized under the direction of Jean-Paul Desroches, general curator at the Musée Guimet, and Myrna’s professor at the Ecole du Louvre. This exhibition, which included many of the objects now offered in this sale, brought the collection to the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, the Musée Pointe-à-Callière in Montréal, the Fondation Baur in Geneva, and the Musée des Arts Asiatiques, and was accompanied by two state-of-the-art catalogs, Two Americans in Paris and The Beginning of the World. Now 90 years old, Sam remains committed to safeguarding and sharing the collection that defined both his and Myrna’s life. Their mutual passion for Asian art, deepened by their devotion to each other, not only enriched their own lives but also left a lasting impact on countless museums, exhibitions, and scholarly publications, along with their visitors and readers.
Sam at his office in Versailles
Jean-Paul Desroches, general curator at the Musée Guimet
The Myers Collection is the largest and most important private collection of Chinese jade in the West, with many of its most significant pieces entirely unknown to the public. For Sam and Myrna, it was always essential to maintain a core of outstanding jades, most originating from old, distinguished collections and acquired during the 1960s and 1970s. These jades have rarely been seen and remain a wellguarded secret. It is uncertain how many will appear at auction in the coming years, but several certainly will.
A room in Sam Myers’ home in Versailles, one of many containing hidden treasures
Alex and Max Zacke
This auction celebrates the magnificent artworks and enduring legacy of two collectors whose vision and generosity have shaped the understanding and appreciation of Asian art for generations to come. We hope you find as much joy in looking through our first catalog of the Myers Collection as much as we did in preparing it
