What Tajan does

Tajan is a privately held French auction house (Tajan SA) headquartered in Paris's 8th arrondissement, operating for over 30 years under France's voluntary furniture auction law (loi n° 2000-642). The company runs 60+ live and online auctions annually across 17 specialized departments covering Asian Art, Contemporary Art, Impressionist & Modern Art, 20th Century Decorative Arts & Design, Urban Art, Comics & Illustration, Jewelry, Collector's Watches, Books & Manuscripts, Wine & Spirits, Old Master Paintings, Fashion & Luxury Accessories, Photography, and Outsider Art. Tajan appraises more than 30,000 objects per year and sells over 20,000 works annually, with documented record sales including Pierre Soulages at €9,581,800 and a Chinese Yongle vase at €4,358,831.

The company operates a proprietary live auction streaming platform (Tajan Live) integrated with its website, plus a mobile application (Art Valuations) for iOS and Android, an online estimation submission system with photo upload and 48-hour response, and digital catalogues in French and English. Auctions are also distributed through third-party live bidding aggregators including Drouot.com, Interencheres, Invaluable, and Live Auctioneers to extend bidder reach internationally. Tajan is subscribed to the TEMIS centralized payment incident database operated by Commissaires-Priseurs Multimédia for risk management.

Tajan's revenue model is primarily transactional: it charges buyers a tiered commission (27% HT up to €500,000 hammer, declining to 22% and 15% at higher tiers) plus 20% VAT, with specialty rates for Wine & Spirits and Books. Sellers pay no explicit separate fee, as commission is embedded in the transaction structure. Additional revenue streams include storage fees (€4–€8 HT per day for uncollected lots), bespoke inventory services for succession and estate management, and private sales through The Gallery service. The company serves private collectors, estate executors, insurance professionals, and niche specialty collectors across France and Europe, with a network of correspondent offices and 30+ annual valuation days extending reach beyond the Paris headquarters.

Name

Tajan

Legal name

Tajan SA

Website

https://tajan.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Tajan is a privately held French auction house headquartered in Paris, conducting 60+ live and online auctions annually across 17 art specialties including Asian, Contemporary, Modern, and Urban Art, serving thousands of private collectors, estate executors, and niche buyers across Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Auction House Services

NAICS

Art Dealers (45992), Jewelry Retailers (458310), Jewelry Retailers (45831), Jewelry, Luggage, and Leather Goods Retailers (4583)

SIC

Retail-Jewelry Stores (5944), Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600), Jewelry, Silverware & Plated Ware (3910)

akta.pro primary industry

Auction Houses (Luxury Watches & Jewelry) (CRAKAKAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Authenticated Luxury Resale Marketplaces (CRAKAKAA), Pre-owned/Vintage Jewelry & Watch Retail (Resale) (CRAKAGAI), Luxury Small Leather Goods & Wallets (CRAKAFAC)

Keywords

• Art auction services
• Fine art valuations
• Collectibles marketplace
• Voluntary auction house
• Luxury goods auction

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices38 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Buyer's Commission (Premium): Tajan charges buyers a commission (buyer's premium) on top of the hammer price. Standard rates: 27% HT up to €500,000; 22% HT from €500,001 to €3,000,000; 15% HT above €3,000,000. VAT (20%) is added on top. For Wines & Spirits: 22% HT up to €150,000, then 13% HT above. Additional surcharges apply for items from non-EU countries (5.5% HT or 20% HT for temporary admission). Third-party live platform fees are billed separately to buyers.
2. Cataloguing and Seller Services: Tajan acts as agent (mandataire) for sellers, arranging auction sales and retaining commission. The company provides estimation, photography, cataloguing, marketing, and auction services. Sellers pay no explicit separate fee; costs are embedded in the overall transaction structure.
3. Inventory and Appraisal Services: For large collections, Tajan offers bespoke on-site inventory services performed by licensed auctioneers. The service includes on-site inspection, photography, documentation, and valuation. Pricing is handled through direct commercial engagement.
4. Storage and Handling Fees: Unsold lots must be collected within 14 days; thereafter storage fees apply at €4 HT per object per day and €8 HT per bulky item per day. A handling fee of €60 HT is also charged. These fees apply to both buyers and sellers for uncollected lots.
5. Live Platform Surcharges: When buyers bid via third-party live platforms (Drouot.com, Interencheres, Invaluable, Live Auctioneers), Tajan passes through the platform's additional fees: 1.5-5% HT depending on the platform. These are billed on top of Tajan's standard buyer's commission.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Tajan is a French auction house that organizes over 60 live and online auctions per year across 17+ art specialties (Asian Art, Contemporary, Impressionist & Modern, Decorative Arts & Design, Urban Art, Comics, Jewelry & Watches, Books & Manuscripts, Wine & Spirits, Old Masters, Fashion & Luxury Accessories, and Outsider Art). The company provides free confidential valuations, certified inventory services for succession and insurance purposes, in-person valuation days across France and Europe, and discreet private sales through "The Gallery." Tajan also operates a proprietary Tajan Live online bidding platform and an iOS/Android Art Valuations mobile app.

Product overview

Tajan is a French auction house operating under the law of voluntary furniture auctions (ventes volontaires de meubles aux enchères publiques). The company offers a comprehensive platform for buying and selling art and collectibles through both live auctions and private sales. The core product portfolio includes: (1) Tajan's auction services across 17 specialty departments covering Asian Art, Contemporary Art, Impressionist & Modern Art, Decorative Arts & Design, Urban Art, Comics & Illustration, Jewelry & Watches, Books & Manuscripts, Wine & Spirits, Old Master Paintings, Fashion & Luxury Accessories, and Outsider Art; (2) the Tajan Art Valuations mobile app for iOS and Android enabling on-the-go valuation requests; (3) Online Estimation services for remote artwork evaluation; (4) Valuation Days events held across France and Europe; (5) The Gallery private sale service for discreet transactions; and (6) Tajan Online for live digital auction participation. The company organizes over 60 auctions annually and estimates more than 30,000 objects per year.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tajan Art Valuations App Mobile application for iOS and Android that allows users to request free confidential valuations of works of art and luxury objects from Tajan's specialists, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
• Online Estimation Service Free online valuation service allowing clients to submit photos (minimum 3 photos, up to 5MB JPEG/PNG) and descriptions of artworks for expert assessment, with responses typically within 48 hours.
• Inventory Services Professional inventory services conducted by licensed auctioneers for succession planning, donation, asset sharing, insurance valuation, or collection optimization purposes. Includes on-site inspection, photography, documentation, and valuation.
• Valuation Days (Journées d'Expertise) In-person expert appraisal events held across 30+ cities in France and Europe where Tajan specialists meet clients to evaluate and estimate artworks, luxury objects, and collections free of charge.
• Tajan Online (Live Auctions) Proprietary live auction streaming and bidding platform enabling real-time remote participation in all Tajan sales, covering all auction categories and supporting both integrated live and online-only sales.
• The Gallery (Private Sales) Private sale service offering discreet, off-catalogue transactions for clients seeking confidentiality or transactions outside the public auction calendar, providing tailored acquisition and sale opportunities.
• Asian Art Auctions (Arts d'Asie Department) Specialized auction sales covering Asian art from China, Japan, Korea, India, and Southeast Asia, including ceramics, jade objects, paintings, sculptures, and metalwork.
• Contemporary Art Auctions (Art Contemporain Department) Post-War and Contemporary Art auction sales featuring major 20th and 21st century artists including Pierre Soulages, Alex Katz, Andy Warhol, Willem de Kooning, Karel Appel, and Katharina Grosse.
• Impressionist & Modern Art Auctions (Art Impressionniste et Moderne Department) Impressionist and Modern Art auction sales covering Impressionism, Fauvism, Cubism, Surrealism, and Abstract movements with works by Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Bernard Buffet, and others.
• Decorative Arts & Design Auctions (Arts Décoratifs & Design Department) 20th Century Decorative Arts and Design auction sales specializing in Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and Post-War design, including furniture, objects, lighting, and ceramics.
• Urban Art Auctions (Art Urbain Department) Urban Art and Street Art auction sales featuring pre-cursors of the 1980s New York scene (Dondi, Rammellzee, Futura, Crash) and European scene (Banksy, Invader, JR, Blek le Rat, Cyril Kongo).
• Comics & Illustration Auctions (Bande Dessinée & Illustration Department) Auction sales covering Franco-Belgian comics, manga, original illustrations, original plates, figurines, and animation cels.
• Jewelry & Collector's Watches Auctions (Joaillerie & Montres Department) Auction sales offering haute joaillerie and collector's luxury timepieces.
• Books, Manuscripts & Prints Auctions (Livres, Manuscrits & Estampes Department) Auction sales covering rare books, autographs, limited editions, manuscripts, and graphic arts.
• Wine & Spirits Auctions (Vins & Spiritueux Department) Auction sales featuring fine wines, rare spirits, and cellar collections with dedicated 22%/13% premium tiers and storage at Crayères des Montquartiers in partnership with Les Crayères.
• Old Master Paintings & Drawings Auctions (Tableaux & Dessins Anciens Department) Auction sales covering Old Master paintings and drawings from the 15th to 19th centuries.
• Fashion & Luxury Accessories Auctions (Mode, Maroquinerie & Accessoires de Luxe Department) Auction sales featuring vintage fashion, designer leather goods, and luxury accessories.
• Outsider Art Auctions (Les Francs-Tireurs de l'Art) Annual auction event dedicated to Outsider Art, Art Brut, Naïf Art, and Singulier Art featuring artists like Henri Rousseau and Jean Dubuffet.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30,000+ objects appraised annually, free of charge and confidentially
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

AI capability1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Engel & Völkers (Saint-Tropez)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEngel & Völkers, an international real estate agency, provides venue partnership for Tajan's valuation days in Saint-Tropez at their location (27 avenue Paul Roussel, 83990 Saint-Tropez). Tajan's associate auctioneer Louise de Causans conducts on-site appraisals at the Engel & Völkers office during scheduled valuation sessions.
• Drouot.comcoreTechnology or IntegrationDrouot.com operates two live bidding platforms (Drouot Live and Drouot Online) through which Tajan's auctions are accessible to remote bidders. Additional buyer fees of 1.5% HT (Live) or 3% HT (Online) apply for bids placed through these platforms. Drouot.com is one of the most widely used French auction aggregator platforms.
• InterencherescoreTechnology or IntegrationInterencheres is a French live auction platform enabling remote bidding on Tajan sales. Additional buyer fees of 1.5% HT apply. The platform extends Tajan's reach to a national audience of registered bidders. Note: Interencheres does not accept fixed orders for wine auctions after noon the day before the sale.
• Commissaires-Priseurs Multimédia (CPM) / TEMIScoreTechnology or IntegrationCPM operates the TEMIS system, a centralized database of auction payment incidents in France. Tajan is subscribed to TEMIS, which allows consultation of buyer payment records and reporting of non-payment incidents. The system helps prevent payment defaults across all subscribing French auction houses. Tajan's data may be shared with CPM for debt recovery purposes.
• Les Crayères (Wine Storage & Delivery)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLes Crayères manages wine and spirits storage at Crayères des Montquartiers (92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux) and provides delivery services within Paris and the Paris region on quote. They serve as the logistics partner for Tajan's wine auction lots.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Aguttes: Independently owned French auction house operating across art, luxury, and collectibles with regional offices. Direct French competitor with similar multi-specialty structure and independent ownership profile.
• Artcurial: Paris-based French auction house operating across fine art, luxury, jewelry, watches, and collectibles with a similar multi-specialty model. Direct competitor in the French market for high-end consignments and estate mandates.
• Bonhams: International auction house with comparable category breadth including Impressionist, Modern, Asian Art, Watches, and Jewelry. Competes with Tajan in the mid-to-high segment across European cities.
• Millon: Paris-headquartered French auction house covering fine art, decorative arts, books, and collectibles. Comparable independent French auction house competing for the same consignment base as Tajan.
• Drouot: Paris-based auction aggregator and physical marketplace that hosts multiple auction houses including Tajan. Both a partner (via Drouot Live/Online bidding) and a competitor for consignment flow in the French market.
• Binoche et Giquello: Paris-based auction house specializing in books, manuscripts, prints, and select fine art categories. Direct French competitor, particularly for Tajan's Books & Manuscripts and Prints departments.
• Pierre Bergé & Associés: Paris-based French auction house specializing in fine art, manuscripts, and luxury collectibles. Direct competitor for French estate and high-value consignments, particularly in modern and decorative arts.

Broad incumbents

• Sotheby's: Global auction house covering Impressionist, Modern, Contemporary, Asian Art, Watches, and Jewelry. Competes with Tajan for European consignments and high-net-worth bidders, with materially larger marketing and international footprint.
• Christie's: Global auction house operating across the same fine art and luxury categories as Tajan, with significantly larger scale, deeper international consignor relationships, and broader geographic coverage. Sets the high-end benchmark Tajan competes against for premium consignments.
• Phillips: Global auction house focused on contemporary art, design, watches, and jewelry. Competes with Tajan's Contemporary and Urban Art departments and watches specialty at the international bidder level.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tajan_auction

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tajan