SOTHEBY’S. Londra, 6 luglio 2011
Un paio di divani italiani intagliati in legno dorato provenienti dalla Galleria Dorata di Palazzo Carrega-Cataldi a Genova, erano stimati £300,000 – 500,000 e sono stati aggiudicati a £1,721,250 ($2,763,639), nuovo record per la vendita di un mobile italiano all’asta
Sotheby’s Deputy Chairman, Europe, Mario Tavella ha commentato: “Tonight’s sale was carefully curated following the tremendous reception that last year’s inaugural Treasures sale received. Again, we were able to offer a number of works not only of museum quality, but that were fresh to the market, and the enthusiastic buying in the saleroom this evening demonstrates the hunger – across a very international market – for works of such rarity and remarkable provenance.”
Altri prezzi notevoli sono stati archiviati durante la serata:
• A magnificent pair of gilt-bronze mounted Chinese crackle glaze, celadon pot pourri vases circa 1745-49 raised £881,250/$1,414,935/¤984,796, (est. £800,000-£1,200,000). The vases featured in the private collections of master couturier Nicolay and most recently, that of Dimitri Mavrommatis.
• “The Empress Clock”, a spectacular automaton singing bird vase clock, possibly made for the Empress Josephine circa 1805, sold for £825,250/$1,325,021/¤922,216 (est. £700,000-£1,000,000).
• A rare purple, gilt-bronze-mounted Sèvres porcelain vase, circa 1768, from the bedroom of King Alfonso XII of Spain raised a strong total of £109,250/$175,412/¤122,087 (est. £50,000-£80,000). When the vase came to be offered for sale, Sotheby’s discovered a letter hidden inside, revealing the vase was taken from the Spanish King’s bedroom following his death, by his valet.
• A pair of magnificent late Baroque Venetian marquetry tables, with exuberant inlay and engravings executed by Lucio and Antonio De Lucci, fetched £713,250/$1,145,194/¤797,056. (est. £600,000 – £1,000,000)
• One of the most important 17th Century cabinets – a rare and impressive Roman giltbronze- pietre-dure-and marble-mounted ebony and ebonised cabinet, offered at auction for the first time, sold for £668,450/$1,073,263/¤746,992 (est. £250,000- £500,000).
• The only surviving pair of Jaquet-Droz & Leschot singing bird snuff boxes still together sold for the above-estimate total of £735,650/$1,181,160/¤822,088 (est. £250,000-£450,000). Wound by a golden key, they were priced at as much as £1,800 apiece when they were ordered by the London retail jewellers David Duval & Co in 1801 for the Chinese market.
