An Italian pale blue lacquered, parcel-gilt and pastiglia chinoiserie commode, Piedmontese, Turin, circa 1760. Photo Sotheby's

with a serpentine painted top imitating bardiglio marble above two long drawers with two rocaille and pastiglia reserves with chinoiserie figures in a landscape and interior scenes above an apron decorated with tasselled lambrequins with similarly decorated splayed sides on cabriole legs terminating in hoof feet; 40.5cm. high, 77.5cm. wide, 40.5cm. deep;1ft. 4in., 2ft. 6½in.,1ft. 4in. Estimate 25,000-40,000 GBP

Comparative Literature: Umberto Chierici, Torino, il Palazzo Reale, Turin, 1969, plates 22 and 23.
Hans Huth, Lacquer of the West, Chicago, 1971. 

Note: This rare and beautifully lacquered commode, with detailed chinoiserie figures in imitation of Chinese famille rose porcelain is in the most delicate shade of pale blue and has the added rare feature of pastiglia parcel-gilt foliate and scoll reserves. Rather than the more usual method of arte povera (a technique borrowed from Venice) of cutting out engravings, colouring them then applying them to resemble true lacquer, the Piedmontese laccatori has actually skilfully painted  the design. The commode is of small and elegant proportions with the top painted to simulate grey bardiglio marble the latter often found on Piedmontese furniture. Furthermore, the inside of the legs are painted red. The decoration was probably conceived for a room setting decorated with chinoiseries which were extermely popular in 18th century Piedmont.

The city of Turin, was second only in importance to Venice for the production of lacquer in the mid 18th century. In an attempt to imitate Versailles, King Vittorio Amadeo II (1666-1732) commissioned Filippo Juvarra (1678-1736) to remodel Palazzo Madama, in Turin. The most striking lacquer room of the first half of the 18th century was however, in the Royal Palace of Turin based upon designs by Juvarra. Far Eastern panels on the walls were added to by the local lacquermaster, Pietro Massa. The panels were lacquered in red and gold on a black ground to achieve a stunning effect.

The taste for rooms decorated in chinoiseries in Turin can be seen illustrated by Huth, op. cit., plate 132, for the lacquer room at Villa Vaccetti, near Turin, circa 1740. Furthermore, Chierici, op. cit., illustrates an overdoor and the GabinettoCinese in plates 22 & 23, demonstrating the taste for chinoiseries in Turin in the mid 18th century.

Sotheby's. Arts of Europe. London | 10 juil. 2013, 02:00 PM - www.sothebys.com

A Northern European black and gilt japanned cabinet, mid 18th century. Photo Sotheby's

the arched upper section with a mirrored central cupboard door enclosing a shelf and five small drawers, flanked by cupboards each enclosing five drawers, with two drawers below, the base with with two cupboard doors to each side, each enclosing three drawers, on shaped bracket feet; 198cm. high, 109cm. wide, 83cm. deep; 6ft. 6in., 3ft. 7in., 2ft. 8½in. Estimate 50,000-100,000 GBP

PROVENANCE: By repute Torbenfeldt Castle, Sealand, previously called Frydendal Castle.

Sotheby's. Arts of Europe. London | 10 juil. 2013, 02:00 PM - www.sothebys.com

Belle broche en platine, Vers 1910. Photo Hôtel des Ventes de Monte-Carlo

ajourée d'enroulements pavés de diamants, centrée d'un diamant de taille fantaisie probablement de couleur fancy yellow pesant environ 1,20 ct, couronnée d'une draperie de diamants retenant en pampille une perle naturelle mobile. Dimensions : 7,8 x 4,4 cm environ. Poids : 28,2 g. (épingle en or gris postérieur). Estimation : 13 000 / 15 000 €

A diamond and platinum brooch, circa 1910.

Accompagnée d'un certificat L.F.G. attestant : perle fine.

Hôtel des Ventes de Monte-Carlo. Mardi 16 juillet 2013. Hôtel des ventes de Monte-Carlo, 10 - 12 Quai Antoine 1er - 98000 Monaco. Tel. 00 377 93 25 88 89

Collier de 86 perles en chute, fermoir en or gris orné de deux petits diamants navettes sertis clos. Photo Hôtel des Ventes de Monte-Carlo

Dans son écrin d'origine à la forme. Accompagné de sa facture d'achat datant de 1917. Longueur : 51 cm environ. Diamètre des perles : 3,9 - 9,8 mm environ. Poids : 26,4 g. Estimation : 10 000 / 15 000 €

Le collier accompagné d'un certificat L.F.G. attestant : perles naturelles d'eau de mer.

A 1920's single row natural pearl necklace, 18K gold clasp set with two marquise shaped diamonds.

Hôtel des Ventes de Monte-Carlo. Mardi 16 juillet 2013. Hôtel des ventes de Monte-Carlo, 10 - 12 Quai Antoine 1er - 98000 Monaco. Tel. 00 377 93 25 88 89

Ceramic Jun Yao lotus shaped bowl. China, 19th century. Photo courtesy Garth's Auctioneers & Appraisers

1.75"h. Estimate $ 400-600

Garth's Auctioneers & Appraisers. Asian Art  -  Jul 26 2013 2:00 PM http://garthslive.com/

Brush washer. China, late 19th century. Ceramic Ge ware. Photo courtesy Garth's Auctioneers & Appraisers

1.25"h. Estimate $ 400-600

Garth's Auctioneers & Appraisers. Asian Art  -  Jul 26 2013 2:00 PM http://garthslive.com/

Water pot. China, porcelain. "Clair-De-Lune" glaze with butterfly and flowers. Photo courtesy Garth's Auctioneers & Appraisers

Six blue character seal "Da Qing Yong Zheng Nian Zhi" on base. 2.75"h. Estimate $ 600-800

Garth's Auctioneers & Appraisers. Asian Art  -  Jul 26 2013 2:00 PM http://garthslive.com/

An Art Deco diamond mounted platinum ring, French, circa 1930. Photo courtesy Wartski

centred with a rectangular step cut diamond flanked by perpendicularly arranged tapering step cut stones, bordered by brilliant cut diamonds. Price on request.

Wartski - http://www.wartski.com/

A Belle Époque Platinum and Diamond Bow Brooch by Cartier. Circa 1906. Photo courtesy Wartski

centred by a floral diamond cluster, a row of diamonds running through the centre of the black moiré silk, the border set with rose cut diamonds, all mounted in platinum. Signed ‘Cartier, Paris, Londres’. Inventory Number: 4347(?). Length: 5.2cm. Price on request.

For comparable examples see page 48 of The Cartier Collection (Flammarion, 2004)

Cartier’s jewellery designs during this period were often derived from decorative motifs found in 18th Century sketches for interior decoration. In particular, Cartier referred to J P Pouget’s Traite des Pierres Precieuses published in 1762. In it are designs for ornaments which incorporate stylised bows, tassels and flower baskets; motifs which were very popular with Cartier during this period.

Wartski - http://www.wartski.com/

A diamond set comet brooch, French import marks, circa 1930. Photo courtesy Wartski

platinum, the plummeting hemispherical comet set with round brilliant cut diamonds, its upwards sweeping tail set with tapering calibre and step cut diamonds, to a galleried mount. 5cm across. Price on request.

Wartski - http://www.wartski.com/

An Art Deco brooch by Boucheron, Circa 1930. Photo courtesy Wartski

the elliptical openwork brooch centred by a piece of beveled rock crystal joined to the brilliant cut diamond set platinum ends by black enamel ties, twenty-six diamonds in total. Signed 'Boucheron, Paris'. 4.8 cm across. Price: £13, 500

Wartski - http://www.wartski.com/

An antique pearl & diamond bracelet by Boucheron, Paris, circa 1900. Photo courtesy Wartski

the articulated and graduating bracelet mounted with natural pearls and old brilliant cut diamonds, set in silver and mounted on gold. Signed with Frederick Boucheron's poinçon; 19 cm by 2.5 cm at widest. Price on request.

Wartski - http://www.wartski.com/

A Pair of Art Deco Enamel and Gem-set Cufflinks by Boucheron, French, circa 1920. Photo courtesy Wartski

in the form of four circular discs of frosted rock crystal, set beneath a platinum lattice work set with diamonds, framed by a thin circle of black enamel to the exterior. Signed 'Boucheron, Paris'. Size of terminal: 15mm. Price on request.

Boucheron used the combination of frosted rock crystal with diamonds with a number of jewels, including a bracelet which is illustrated on page 87 of 'Boucheron: Four Generations of a World-Renowned Jeweler' by Gilles Neret.

Wartski - http://www.wartski.com/

Ferrau Fenzoni (1562-1645), Christ Nailed to the Cross, oil on canvas, 106 x 145 cm ©rosenfeld porcini

Cesare Lucchini, Those who remain - the fall 2013, oil on canvas, 180 x 243 cm ©rosenfeld porcini

LONDON - rosenfeld porcini presents The Birth of Cinema…and Beyond a themed exhibition presenting mixed-media work by old master and contemporary artists.

When people entered a church in Catholic Europe and saw a painting recounting a Biblical episode, they could insert the scene into a virtual film which they carried in their heads. The same thing happened when viewing paintings that recounted the great stories of Greek mythology in private palaces. Either through aural or written story-telling, people used their individual interpretations created in their minds of the story in question, inserting the visual episode in front of them, into this imaginary piece of cinema. This process was a very active one as was the understanding of the painting and how it fitted into the story.

Such notions concerning a visual representation of a “cinematic” experience referred to the great subjects. Yet the invention of cinema in the 19th Century somewhat removed viewers individual, subjective storytelling and replaced it with an “objective” narrative which was provided by the film. In today’s more commercial cinema, viewers are no longer required to participate in any active way because an extraordinary amount of visual, sound and verbal information is already provided. The film might engage us emotionally but in many cases an active, intellectual response is not required. 

The Birth of Cinema…and Beyond focuses on the presence and the influence of the cinematic narrative in specific works. Three moments from the Crucifixion (before, during and after) by three different old master artists are juxtaposed with an image by the Swiss painter Cesare Lucchini, where a large body lies dead, sprawled across the foreground of the painting. Alongside Lucchini’s work the gallery presents a large work by Andrea Micheli depicting the moment David slays Goliath. Beside this work is a further painting by Lucchini featuring a child soldier. Whereas David saves his people by conquering the seemingly unconquerable giant Goliath and Christ dies on the cross to redeem humanity for their sins, in Lucchini’s contemporary vision there is no such redemption. 

In a further section ‘Escape from the burning Troy’ by 17th Century Italian painter Giovanni Lanfranco faces a large monochromatic drawing by the contemporary Italian artist Lanfranco Quadrio which depicts Acteon transforming into a stag while being devoured by his hounds. The scene reveals various different successive moments of the action; time being stretched in front of our eyes, within the context of a single drawing. This is a direct result of his exposure to film. Johann Heinrich Schönfeld’s ‘Rest After the Hunt’ illustrates a scene outside a ruined temple in a country landscape where various groups of people are involved in a variety of conversations and actions. The gallery tries to create a dialogue between this work and the vibrant urban characters which populate the paintings of the contemporary Spanish artist Aída Rubio González. Her world echoes through paint the freedom best expressed by Pedro Almodovar in his unique street scenes. Whereas the cinematic form depicts multiple narratives across endless images, these paintings reveal multiple narratives within a single work. 

Works by Robert Muntean and Gideon Kiefer involve us in further reflections on the influence of cinema on contemporary artists, and in the final part of the exhibition, a work by 18th Century Italian painter Francesco Solimena depicting ‘The Conversation of St Paul’ – a scene rich in a spectacular cinematic narrative – is presented alongside Fatma Bucak’s video ‘Blessed Are Those who Come’. Her film is set against the remains of a church from c.1100 on the Turkish-Armenian border where a group of village elders stand in a loose semi circle and observe a woman dressed in black enacting a seemingly religious ritual. As they comment ambiguously on the action unfolding before them, numerous possible meanings unfold for the viewer. On a formal level, the film is shot almost totally from a fixed frame therefore actively looking back to the old masters use of multiple narratives within a single image. With this work the exhibition has come full circle as the endless possibilities which the discovery of cinema gave to the world of contemporary narrative have returned to the discipline imposed by a single image. 

Cesare Lucchini, Child Soldier 2013, oil on canvas, 220 x 173cm ©rosenfeld porcini

Cesare Lucchini, Those who remain - the fall 2013, oil on canvas, 191 x 197 cm ©rosenfeld porcini

Cesare Lucchini, Child Soldier 2013, oil on canvas, 214 x 191 cm ©rosenfeld porcini

Robert Muntean, Everest, 2013, oil on canvas, 240 x 200 cm ©rosenfeld porcini

Robert Muntean, Your life was into my mouth, 2013, oil on canvas, 200 x 240 cm ©rosenfeld porcini

Robert Muntean, Returner 2013, oil on canvas, 180 x 300 cm ©rosenfeld porcini

Dirk Hendricksz called “Teodoro d’Errico”, The Crucifixion, oil on panel, 87 x 52 cm ©rosenfeld porcini

Miriam Vlaming, Little Shot 2013, oil on canvas, 60 x 40 cm ©rosenfeld porcini

Miriam Vlaming, Woman Insane 2013, oil on canvas, 100 x 140 cm ©rosenfeld porcini

Fatma Bucak, Blessed are you who come 2013, Video Still ©rosenfeld porcini

Francesco Solimena, Conversion of St Paul, oil on canvas 124 x 99 cm ©rosenfeld porcini

Lanfranco Quadrio, The Death of Actaeon 2013, work on paper, 148 x 200 cm 

Lanfranco Quadrio, The Triumph of the Dogs 2007, charcoal, pencil on paper, 76x56cm 

Lanfranco Quadrio, Body to Body 2007, charcoal, pencil on paper, 56 x 76 cm 

A silver mounted hardstone candlestick  by Carl Fabergé, Workmaster: Johann Victor Aarne, St. Petersburg, 1896 -1908. Photo courtesy Wartsky

the body of the candlestick formed from a Chinese jade Archer's ring, held in a circular beaded silver mount sat on three gadrooned bun feet. Diameter of mount 4.1cm. Price on application

An archer's ring was originally a device especially designed to protect the archer's thumb when shooting an arrow. They evolved into ornaments and were especially popular in the Qing Dynasty. 
During which they were worn as a symbol of rank.

Fabergé was fascinated by Oriental works of art and mounted a number of Chinese jade items in his work. 
He also mounted a Chinese jade cricket cage in enamelled gold, see Fabergé, the Kunsthalle of the Hypo-Kulturstiftung, Munich, 1986-1987, number 389.

Wartsky. http://www.wartski.com/

A large enamelled gold mounted nephrite desk knife by Carl Fabergé, Chief Workmaster: Henrik Wigstrom, St. Petersburg, 1912. Photo courtesy Wartsky

the blade fashioned from Siberian nephrite is sleeved with a green gold mount enamelled translucent lilac over a dappled ground, with rounded rectangular yellow gold reserves holding green gold bell flowers, encircled top and bottom with bands of opaque white enamel bound with leaves; inventory number: 22661; 31 cm by 4 cm. Price on application

Fabergé's London branch sold some of the firm's finest pieces, Birbaum; Fabergé's works manager recalled in his memoirs that items destined for London possessed 'greater simplicity of form and more restrained ornamentation, with special attention being paid to the technical finish'. 

Mrs. Leeds was a young and beautiful American heiress. She was one of Fabergé's most important customers and acquired sixty-five pieces from the firm. She later married Prince Christopher of Greece and became Princess Anastasia of Greece. 

The design for the paper cutter is contained in the design album of Fabergé's Chief Workmaster Henrik Wigström dated 13th September 1912.

Wartsky. http://www.wartski.com/

Design for the papercutter from Wigström' s design album dated 13th September 1912, the handle noted ' nephrite' in Cyrillic. 

A gem set gold mounted nephrite box by Carl Fabergé, St. Petersburg, circa 1900. Photo courtesy Wartsky

of cylindrical form, with diamond set hinge the clasp similarly set in the form of a fleur-de-lis and centred by a cabochon blue sapphire. Signed Fabergé in Cyrillic; inventory number: 21346. Diameter: 3.9 cm. Height: 2.1 cm. Price on application

Fabergé used six different types of nephrite of different shades and appearance. All were taken from boulders found beside the river Onot in the Irtusk region of Siberia. Birbaum when discussing the firm’s use of nephrite recalls the finest dark green nephrite, as used in this box, ‘when cut into thin sheets becomes translucent and acquires a wonderful dense green colour’.

Provenance: Wartski, London. 
The Joan and Melissa Rivers Collection.

Exhibited: Fabergé in America, 1996-97, no 341.

Wartsky. http://www.wartski.com/

A letter opener by Carl Fabergé, Workmaster: Fedor Afanassiev, St. Petersburg, circa 1905. Photo courtesy Wartsky

cut from a single piece of nephrite and mounted on both sides of the handle with gold roubles from the reign of Katherine the Great enamelled translucent red over a concentrically engraved ground, within a cage of yellow gold rocaille and above chased gold flowers set with a brilliant cut diamonds. 15.8cm in length, 2.2 cm across. Price on application

Wartsky. http://www.wartski.com/

A Gold, Gemset and Enamel Nephrite Dish by Carl Faberge, Chief Workmaster: Henrik Wigstrom. St. Petersburg, circa 1909. Photo courtesy Wartsky

of trefoil form, carved from a single piece of Siberian Jade. The rim decorated with red guilloche enamel, tied with diamond-set bands, set with rose cut stones; inventory number 17681. 6cm across. Price on application

Provenance: Purchased from the London branch of Faberge by Albert von Goldschmidt-Rothschild on 13th December 1909 for £20 and 10 shillings. 

Fabergé used six different types of nephrite, each exhibiting a different shade or texture. All were taken from boulders found in the majestic scenery beside the river Onot in Siberia. Birbaum when discussing the firm’s use of nephrite recalls the finest dark green nephrite, ‘when cut into thin sheets becomes translucent and acquires a wonderful dense green colour’.

Wartsky. http://www.wartski.com/

A guilloche enamelled and gem set gold mounted  nephrite box by Carl Fabergé, St. Petersburg, circa 1900. Photo courtesy Wartsky

Rectangular, the gold hinges and catch enamelled translucent pale yellow over a dappled guillochage and set with cabochon rubies, in its original silk and velvet lined fitted hollywood case, the lid stain stamped 'St. Petersburg, Moscow, Odessa' beneath the Imperial warrant. Signed Fabergé in Cyrillic, inventory number 10846.7cm by 3cm by 2cm. Price on application

Wartsky. http://www.wartski.com/