Poupouti

This is the nickname given to Michèle Yoyotte by her husband Jean, evoking the diminutive of the ancient goddess of Heliopolis, also known as "the Golden One". Their union dates back to 1947. the year in which the man who would later succeed Champollion at the Collège de France from 1992 to 1997) began a brilliant career that would establish him as a leading figure in Egyptology, with his name. attached to landmark studies. Both shared a passion for Africa- its history and its relics with a particular

fascination for the banks of the Nile and its pharaohs. Michèle, a regular visitor to art galleries, had a taste for collecting and an insatiable curiosity; Jean,

a devoted researcher, had a thirst for discovery, v y, which he applied

to unlocking the secrets of the objects he viewed as problems to be solved.

Together, they wandered the streets of the Left Bank near the Seine, or the alleys of the Saint-Ouen flea market, always on the lookout for the "rare pearl" that would expand the horizons of their apartment on rue Monge. It was a time ripe for expeditions,

with art market stalls still offering a wide range of quality pieces at prices untouched by speculative fever. These outings were punctuated by passionate encounters and exchanges with renowned gallery owners such as Ernest Ascher, Charles Bouché, Jean-Lou Despras, and the duo Olivier Le Corneur Jean Roudillon. They were also opportunities to add to the inventory of the "Poupouti collection," kept scrupulously and methodically up to date by the diligent hand of the husband. The trove of objects the couple managed to collect between

1956 and 1975 includes numerous pharaonic antiquities, many of which were acquired directly in Egypt, at a time when their trade was not yet prohibited. Each piece tells a story-the story of a king. a high dignitary, a god, ora vanished city-all subjects that the "master's" publications helped to bring to light. These objects also preserve the memory of a doo whose sharp eye could perceive the value of the exceptional pieces that entered the "Poupouti collection."

Olivier Perdu