Pierre Bergé homes sale takes €27.5m
The sale of the contents of homes owned by the late Pierre Bergé (1930-2017) titled From One Home to Another totalled €27.5m with 100% of lots sold.
For four days, Sotheby’s Paris served as a homage to Bergé’s residences, recreating home interiors in France and Morocco across five galleries.
The exhibition drew in 5000 visitors and the October 30-31 sale attracted 2500 bidders from 72 countries – a record level of participation for Sotheby’s France. However, the sale suffered from some lastminute complications after a French judge placed a restriction on 18 lots due to a separate claim between Bergé and his fashion designer partner, the late Yves Saint Laurent, and an anonymous party.
This led to the first session of the auction being postponed by a day until these proceedings were “fully resolved”, according to the auctioneers.
One lot was withdrawn – a ‘French school’ painting estimated at €3000-5000. According to reports in France, the issue relates to an agreement that profits should be shared with the claimant should the painting ever be attributed to Edouard Manet.
Schumann draft tunes in at auction
Bonhams is to offer an extensive draft of Robert Schumann’s 1837 piano masterpiece Fantasiestücke Opus 12 – written in the composer’s own hand.
The draft, which is unknown to music scholars, was taken out of Germany months before the outbreak of the Second World War. It is estimated at £200,000-300,000 at the Fine Books and Manuscripts sale on November 27.
Draft of Robert Schumann’s 'Fantasiestücke Opus 12' – guided at £200,000- 300,000.
Bonhams’ books and manuscripts specialist Simon Roberts describes the 14-page manuscript as a “major discovery [that] provides a fascinating insight into Schumann’s working methods, and the creative decisions he took in completing the version of Fantasiestücke we are familiar with today.”
Roberts has prepared detailed notes on the draft manuscript and its relation to the published version of Opus 12. It contains six of the eight pieces from the final work and a ninth piece that was dropped at proof stage.
The manuscript was completed in July 1837 and given by Schumann to the composer Gustav Schmidt in August the same year. It was acquired by the Jewish German jurist Dr Moritz Sprinz shortly before he left Germany in February 1939.
Transport expert to boost Lawrences
Transport specialist Peter Card.
Specialist Peter Card, who set up Transport Collectors’ Auction 13 years ago, has teamed up with Lawrences of Crewkerne to expand its department to include Motoring Literature, Automobilia & Historic Cycling sales.
Card’s next auction is scheduled for March 26, 2019. Transport Collectors’ Auction previously worked in association with Dominic Winter.
Most read
The most clicked-on stories for week October 25-31 on antiquestradegazette.com
1 Rediscovered Iznik charger takes £4.55m at Sotheby’s auction
2 Single-owner sale of jewellery – including more than 100 Georg Jensen items – comes to auction
3 Shropshire auction house Perry & Phillips closes as director returns to dealing roots
4 Five lots to watch at auction this week including a rare silver chocolate stirrer
5 Business rates cut is relief for antiques dealers and art galleries
O’Connor joins Bonhams NY
Bonhams has appointed Brett O’Connor as senior international jewellery director and senior vice president in the US, based in New York.
He was at Sotheby’s Geneva for the past 16 years. Before that he was head of jewellery in Hong Kong for Sotheby’s.
Latest warning over firearms rules
Auction houses have been urged again to understand the latest law surrounding deactivated weapons (ATG No 2365).
The Deactivated Weapons Association has warned auctioneers if they do not act within the law the government may take further action.
DWA chairman Barry Johnson said: “We have had constant reports about auction houses breaking the law… if the chief constables keep getting feedback from their constabulary that UK businesses continue to flout the rules, then it will simply be a matter of time before the Home Office takes the easy route and bans everything.
“Surely as both businesses and collectors, this is the last thing we need.”
See Letters in this issue.
Chiswick launches Greek valuations
Chiswick Auctions is launching a valuation service in Greece. The firm has appointed Minas Chatzichristou as a consultant to work with clients in the country who wish to consign items for sale in the UK.
Chatzichristou is a Greek national with 25 years’ experience in the art industry. He said: “I will be coordinating the valuations service for clients wishing to meet with Chiswick specialists in Greece.”
Co-managing director of Chiswick Auctions William Rouse said: “Having Minas on board, with his experience and knowledge of the Greek art and auction market will be pivotal in developing our reputation in Greece, a country rich in history and one which undoubtably will be a great source of high-quality art and antiques.”
Chiswick Auctions now has 20 departments and 60 specialists. The firm said its most recent annual figures revealed turnover of £4m with hammer sales at £16m.
In Numbers
$4.04bn
Sotheby’s combined sales – equivalent to £3.1bn – for the first nine months of its financial year (ending September 30) combining auction and private sales as well as sales from its inventory. This is up 20% on the previous year. But the usually quiet third quarter revealed a net loss of $27.8m.
