140th Auction

The auction is set to be a special event not only because of the newly arranged premises but also due to the enormous selection of over 6,000 items on offer. A standout feature is the estate of a furniture dealer, which includes nearly 800 pieces of furniture from all eras. These can be viewed for the last time in our temporary quarters at the Mühlenbecker Flanerie halls. As with the previous auction, the catalog had to be split into two parts due to the large number of lots.

The first part includes glassware, Asian art, silver, jewelry, porcelain, and various other items, while the second part covers sculptures, clocks, paintings, graphics, carpets, and furniture.

The jewelry section kicks off on Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. with more than 500 mostly moderately priced pieces. These include both classic and modern gold and silver jewelry, as well as contemporary pearl jewelry and older pieces from the 19th century, such as a bow-shaped diamond brooch with 359 old-cut diamonds and rose-cut diamonds (Lot 188, starting at €7,500). For those looking to make a statement with size, a similarly styled diamond pendant with a more than 6-carat diamond drop is recommended (Lot 189, starting at €28,000). After a small selection of wristwatches and pocket watches, the auction continues with an exceptionally extensive silver offering of more than 500 pieces, mainly consisting of table silver and hollowware. Highlights include a German historicist tankard featuring a Napoleonic battle scene (Lot 702, starting at €2,400), and an exceptionally beautiful tray from the North German Confederation with relief city crests of Bremen, Lübeck, and Hamburg (Lot 717, starting at €2,000). A wide array of various small cigarette cases, powder and pill boxes rounds off the selection.

The porcelain collection, consisting of over 1,100 lots, is expected to attract particular attention when it begins on Wednesday at 10 a.m. Among the rare and delicate items are an example of the rare and impressive Kronos clocks with soft-paste painting from the KPM factory (Lot 2406, starting at €25,000), a large Meissen nodding pagoda (Lot 2118, starting at €2,800), and two complete Meissen monkey bands (Lots 2438 and 2439, each starting at €15,000). Also from Meissen is the large figurine group “Three Graces, ” based on a design by Jüchtzner, which starts at €6,000 (Lot 2495). The glass section, with a modest offering of just under 130 lots, will conclude the second day of the auction.

The Asian art section opens on Thursday with more than 350 lots on offer. A jade Buddha has already caught the eye of some collectors. This piece, likely from the 18th century, is made of light green jade, measures 19 cm, and is expected to quickly surpass its moderate starting price of €500 (Lot 3616). Two brush pots from 19th-century Japan, preserved as a pair, feature extremely fine relief carvings and are expected to fetch at least €3,300 (Lot 3710). Also of interest are two photo albums associated with the Imperial East Asia Squadron, as well as a China album by Philipp Alfons Freiherr Mumm von Schwarzenstein (Lots 3776-3778, starting prices €800-1,000).

From the various collectors' items category, a medieval hurdy-gurdy with museum provenance stands out, likely the oldest surviving example of its kind. Expectations for this item are at least €15,000 (Lot 4302). Following closely is a rare early Iznik jug, which, despite being restored, boasts an exceptionally striking tulip decor. A cuirass with proof marks from the 19th century starts at a very low €200 and is sure to excite military collectors.

Friday promises a long auction day, starting with clocks at 10 a.m. Noteworthy among these are two beautiful lyre pendulums from the Empire period, starting at €5,000 and €6,000 respectively (Lots 1424 and 1425). The highlight of this section is a museum-quality Lenzkirch longcase clock with an 8-day movement from 1870-73, whose case is adorned with numerous bronze figures (Lot 1438, starting at €15,000).

Following the successful repatriation of Giambologna's "Mars" to Saxony, thanks to a joint effort by the federal government and the Dresden Art Collection, his name is once again on everyone's lips. A nearly life-sized 19th-century cast of his much more famous "Hermes" is on offer, leading the sculpture section with a starting price of €6,000 (Lot 1700). Clodion's equally well-known group of dancing Bacchantes will be offered in a beautifully crafted, heavy version on a massive marble column (Lot 1719, starting at €6,000). Chalon's group "Tannhäuser and Venus, " characterized by great pathos and dramatic movement, starts at €5,000 (Lot 1762).

With more than 800 lots from the estate of a major dealer, the furniture section is a focal point of the 140th auction. Restraint is hardly found here; opulence reigns. Amidst all the elegance, the Art Nouveau salon vitrine with Lot number 5000 stands out as particularly lavish (starting at €2,600). The same goes for a French cabinet from the 19th century, which almost sculpturally plays out the paragone debate between sculpture and painting. Fully intact rooms are usually rarities on the antiques market. This auction offers 19 of them, stylistically ranging between Neo-Renaissance and Art Nouveau, priced between €3,500 and €9,000 (Lots 5790-5808). Nearly 130 carpets will close out the penultimate auction day.

The final Saturday will see nearly 1,000 paintings and graphics go under the hammer, chronologically ranging from Old Masters to contemporary works. A remarkable idyllic landscape by Marinus Adrianus Koekkoek, offered in its original condition for a modest €1,200, may go unnoticed at first glance (Lot 7388). The auction will conclude with the estate of Munich painter Rainer Reichert (1917-2007), who passed away in 2007, and his wife Edith Reichert (1924-2013), contributing a total of 165 works and collections.

Furniture and some other, mainly large-format items can only be viewed at our external storage facility in Mühlenbeck and must be picked up there by no later than three weeks after the auction. Some pieces are located in an inaccessible external warehouse, where viewing is only possible through photographs. The preview will take place on August 9th, 10th, and 11th, from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., in Mühlenbeck, Kastanienallee 19-20, as well as in our new premises at Manteuffelstraße 27, in 12103 Berlin-Tempelhof.