Recollections: The Chinese Porcelain Company

Celebrating the enduring taste and influence of The Chinese Porcelain Company and its founders, Khalil Rizk and Pierre Durand.

“I met Khalil in the early years of my life in New York, when he had a gallery up on Madison Avenue. At the time I knew him only socially; he was cultured, charming, and witty – he was an ‘Homme du monde.’ Khalil was known for his generosity, great elegance, and impeccable taste. Above all, he was a friend you could rely on. He also had a remnant of the lilting accent from his native Lebanon, which added to his charm. I bought some Chinese porcelain from him before he moved to The Chinese Porcelain Company on Park Avenue. It was there, in the new gallery, where he included a selection of French 18th century furniture and French decorative arts, with Pierre Durand, who was his life partner. They created a world of their own, filled with perfectly elegant, well-chosen, and often signed furniture. I remember all these elegant fauteuils that looked like gazelles ready for flight, which were scattered around flanking consoles or “tables à gibier”, themselves covered in precious Chinese exports or delicate “blanc de Chine”; they understood that 18th century decorative art is greater than the sum of its parts. They were the only dealers in New York who had created a world of great elegance and refinement that was an extension of who they were, and not just a mercantile operation. The closing of their gallery marked the end of this breed of antique dealer in New York City. However, I am comforted by the thought that STAIR is auctioning the elegant and curated vision of The Chinese Porcelain Company. STAIR seems to be one of the few auction houses that celebrate the love and knowledge these delicate witnesses of “the bonheur de vivre” fully deserve.”

They were the only dealers in New York who had created a world of great elegance and refinement that was an extension of who they were, and not just a mercantile operation.

James Cummings

James Cummings worked alongside Khalil Rizk and Pierre Durand at The Chinese Porcelain Company and is co-author of “Chinese Glass Paintings & Export Porcelain”.

“The Chinese Porcelain Company, a jewel-like Park Avenue gallery, showcased museum-quality artwork, scholarly exhibitions and extravagant openings welcoming a constellation of curators, auctioneers, celebrities, and aristocracy. Opening night receptions in the days of pre-digital grandeur were not only lavish events for collectors but benchmarks of taste and social standing. Brooke Astor and Princess Firyal shimmered, while Bill Blass, Prince Michael of Greece and Jerry Zipkin, society’s consummate walker and confidant, personified urbane sophistication.

The Company’s directors and the visionaries behind these events—Khalil Rizk, Pierre Durand, and Conor Mahony—were true gentlemen of impeccable style and charm. To their staff, they became cherished mentors and trusted friends. Their work extended beyond the gallery and abroad to the distinguished art fairs and auction houses of London, Paris, Amsterdam, and Copenhagen. Their generosity and warmth shaped not only the careers but also the lives of all of us fortunate enough to work for them.

Together, this trio revitalized the Chinese export porcelain market and broadened their scope to encompass early Asian sculpture and European decorative arts of the 17th to 19th centuries. This cross-cultural theme created a dialogue between East and West, reflecting the heritage of the founder, Khalil. Half Lebanese, half Italian, and educated in France, he described himself with characteristic wit as a product of multiethnic confusion.

From 1985 to 2000, the company curated thirty-three specialized exhibitions, each accompanied by a richly illustrated and thoroughly researched catalogue designed to educate and inspire its clientele. Synonymous with excellence and connoisseurship, the Company’s influence can be seen to this day in leading museums throughout the United States and distinguished collections around the world.”

The Chinese Porcelain Company, a jewel-like Park Avenue gallery, showcased museum-quality artwork, scholarly exhibitions and extravagant openings welcoming a constellation of curators, auctioneers, celebrities, and aristocracy.