Noire Idole: Opium, Cruel God . . .

A doctor and collector's sensory exploration of Indochinese opium rituals. This compendium pairs instinctive photography with profound texts, revealing a lost dream through a collection of exceptional artifacts. Noire Idole is an immersive journey into a sophisticated world, both in terms of the choice of subject matter and form and as regards the way these are given artistic expression. The gear on the set lets the imagination and virtuosity of the craftsmen run riot. None of the objects are fake; they exude a natural perfection whose mirror image is simply reflected back to us. It is also a sensory journey into the shadows, alongside the reclining smoker. The choice of a black background transforms reality. The outlines of the furnishings become blurred, vision becomes clouded, the present is endlessly suspended. At the same time, it is a journey through memory, where drugs are merely a pretext for the narrative. Indochina appears within and between the lines. The author reveals his double loss: a vanished ritual and a dead dream, an unfulfilled French passion. Noire Idole is a collection of texts. A compendium brought together in the name of emotion, cultural exchange, and mutual fascination. The writing is leavened by contemporary pictures in the form of a collection of exceptional, previously unpublished photographs. AUTHOR: Ronan Juglard's childhood in Africa taught him that art follows function. Juglard is a self taught photographer and his pictures are instinctive, his eye on the lookout for the telling detail. As a naval doctor, imagination became the only thing able to break through the cold metal hulls that were always too close for comfort in a submarine. Back on the surface, he was seized by a passion for collecting. It proved an incurable condition, since accumulation is a compensation and not the end product. It remains a wonderful remedy for a pessimism that could sweep everything away. SELLING POINTS: . Features a collection of exceptional, previously unpublished photographs that capture the intricate craftsmanship and natural perfection of authentic Indochinese opium artefacts . Written and photographed by Ronan Juglard, a naval doctor and obsessive collector whose instinctive eye finds beauty in the "telling detail of rare objects . More than a study of a substance, the book serves as a sensory journey through memory, exploring the "vanished ritual" of old Indochina and unfulfilled French passions . Enhanced by a preface from renowned experts Emmanuel Pierrat (lawyer, bibliophile, and curator) and Alexandre Hougron (Asian art expert and antique dealer), adding significant institutional and academic weight 81 colour illustrations