The Unicorn in Captivity, South Netherlandish, ca. 1495–1505. Wool, silk, and silver and gilded-silver wrapped thread, 12 ft. 1 in. x 99 in. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of John D. Rockefeller Jr., 1937 (37.80.6) Image: © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

NEW YORK, NY.- An exhibition focused on the theme of the unicorn in medieval and Renaissance art marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of The Cloisters museum and gardens—the branch of The Metropolitan Museum of Art dedicated to the art and architecture of medieval Europe. On view now at The Cloisters, the exhibition Search for the Unicorn: An Exhibition in Honor of The Cloisters’ 75th Anniversary includes some 40 works of art in diverse media drawn from the collections of the Metropolitan Museum, other public institutions, and private collections.

Among the Museum’s most treasured objects, the seven individual hangings collectively known as the Unicorn Tapestries are among the most beautiful and complex works of art surviving from the late Middle Ages. Woven in wool and silk, the tapestries depict vividly a hunt for the magical unicorn set against a verdant landscape. The exhibition presents the Unicorn Tapestries as the finest expression of a subject treated widely in both European art and science, from the Middle Ages through the Renaissance. Given by John D. Rockefeller Jr. in time for the opening of The Cloisters in 1938, the Unicorn Tapestries are its best-known masterpieces; yet, 75 years later, their history and meaning remain as elusive as the mythical beast itself. The tapestries have been seen both as complicated metaphors for Christ and as a celebration of matrimony. They are emblematic of medieval notions of the magic inherent in the natural world that endured through the Renaissance.

The Morgan Library and Museum lent its celebrated English Bestiary, a 12th-century manuscript that depicts the unicorn with its head in the lap of a maiden. A late 15th-century majolica dish made for the marriage of Matthias Corvinus (1440–1490), king of Hungary, and Beatrix of Aragon presents a similar image of the unicorn as a metaphor of love and marriage, with the couple’s entwined coats of arms reinforcing the idea of a happy alliance. A pair of unicorns draws a golden chariot representing Chastity on a Florentine desco da parto, a tray or salver painted in celebration of the birth of a child (North Carolina Museum of Art). In the Meshal ha-Kadmoni (Fable of the Ancients), unicorns and other animals are used to present moral lessons. The first printed and illustrated edition of this 13th-century Hebrew text, published in Brescia, Italy in 1491, is on loan from The Library of The Jewish Theological Seminary. The text of the nearly contemporary Peregrinatio in terram sanctam, an illustrated travel diary to the Holy Land that was printed in Germany in 1486 and is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum, claims that its woodcut of a unicorn was drawn from life. Indeed, the unicorn was often associated with faraway lands.

A page from a 14th-century copy of the Shahnama, a 10th-century text that recounts the legendary deeds of the Persian kings, features Iskandar (Alexander the Great) killing the monster of Habash (Ethiopia), an elegant one-horned beast, quite like a unicorn. A 16th-century engraving by Julius Goltzius after Maerten de Vos suggests that the unicorn’s natural habitat was the American continent! Where the creature resided might be debated, but unicorns were included—and depicted—in early encyclopedias of animals, like Konrad Gesner’s treatise, published in four volumes, 1551–58. (These works are also drawn from the Metropolitan Museum’s collection.) 

Parade Saddle, ca. 1450. German or Tyrolean. Carved bone with traces of polychromy, mounted on a wood frame. Length, 22 in. (54.8 cm) Height, 16 1/2 in. (41.9 cm) Width, 17 in. (43.2 cm). Rogers Fund, 1904 (04.3.250). Image: © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Unicorn Aquamanile, ca. 1425–50. Made in Nuremberg, Germany. Copper alloy. Overall (to tip of horn): 15 1/2 x 11 1/2 x 4 7/16 in. (39.4 x 29.2 x 11.3 cm) Weight PD: 108.8oz. (3085g). Gift of Irwin Untermyer, 1964 (64.101.1493). Image: © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Painted Box, ca. 1300. Made in Upper Rhine region, Germany. Wood, polychromy and metal mounts. Overall: 3 1/8 x 10 3/8 x 3 5/8 in. (7.9 x 26.4 x 9.2 cm). Purchase, Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, by exchange, 1976 (1976.327). Image: © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York 

Attributed to the Maestro delle Storie del Pane (Italian (Emilian), active late 15th century). Portrait of a Woman, possibly Ginevra d'Antonio Lupari Gozzadini, 1494?. Italian, Emilia Romagna. Tempera on wood. Overall 19 3/4 x 14 5/8 in. (50.2 x 37.1 cm); painted surface 19 1/8 x 14 1/8 in. (48.6 x 35.9 cm). Robert Lehman Collection, 1975 (1975.1.96). Image: © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Workshop of Apollonio di Giovanni di Tomaso  (Italian, Florence ca. 1416–1465 Florence), Birth Tray (Desco da Parto) with the Triumph of Chastity (recto) and Naked Boys with Poppy Pods (verso), ca. 1450–60. Italian (Florence). Tempera and gold leaf on panel. Overall: 23 × 23 1/4 in. (58.4 × 59.1 cm). North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, Gift of the Samuel H. Kress Foundation. Image: © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Dish with the Arms of Matthias Corvinus and Beatrix of Aragon, probably ca. 1486–88. Italian, Pesaro. Tin-glazed earthenware (maiolica). Overall (confirmed): H. 4 x W. 18 7/8 x W. 18 7/8 in. (10.2 x 47.9 x 47.9 cm). Fletcher Fund, 1946 (46.85.30). Image: © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Martin Schongauer (German, Colmar ca. 1435/50–1491 Breisach), Seated Lady Holding a Shield with an Unicorn, 15th century. Engraving. Diameter: 3 1/16 in. (7.8 cm). Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1928 (28.26.8). Image: © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Abu'l Qasim Firdausi  (935–1020), "Iskandar Kills the Monster of Habash," From a Book of Kings (Shahnama). Folio from an illustrated manuscript, ca. 1300–30. Northwestern Iran or Baghdad. Ink, opaque watercolor, silver, and gold on paper. Painting: H. 2 1/8 in. (5.4 cm) W. 4 7/8 in. (12.4 cm) Page: H. 7 1/4 in. (18.4 cm) W. 6 1/8 in. (15.6 cm) Mat: H. 19 1/4 in. (48.9 cm) W. 14 1/4 in. (36.2 cm). Rogers Fund, 1969 (69.74.5). Image: © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Zakaria bin Muhammad bin Mahmud Abu Yahya Qazwini  (ca. 1203–83), `Aja'ib al-Makhluqat wa Ghara'ib al-Mawjudat (The Wonders of Creation and the Oddities of Existence). Copied 1701, Mughal India. Tempera and ink on paper. Overall: 8 3/4 × 11 7/8 in. (22.3 × 30 cm) open. U.S. National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, History of Medicine Division. Image: © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

A Maiden Taming a Unicorn, from the Worksop Bestiary, ca. 1185. British (possibly Lincoln or York). Tempera, gold, and ink on parchment. Overall: 8 1/2 × 6 1/8 in. (21.5 × 15.5 cm). The Pierpont Morgan Library, New York. Image: © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Pisanello (Antonio Pisano) (Italian, Pisa or Verona by 1395–1455), Medal of Cecilia Gonzaga (verso), model 1447 (old aftercast). Italian, Mantua. Copper alloy with warm brown patina under a worn layer of black wax; pierced. Diam. 8.4 cm, wt. 142.55 g. Robert Lehman Collection, 1975 (1975.1.1307). Image: © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Medal of Cornelio Musso, mid-16th century. North Italian. Copper alloy. Overall: 2 3/8 in. (6 cm). Dr. Stephen K. and Janie Woo Scher Collection. Image: © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Cover with Unicorns, 16th century. Italian, Perugia. Cotton and bast fibers. L. 87 1/2 x W. 33 inches (222.3 x 83.8 cm). L. 87 1/2 x W. 33 inches (222.3 x 83.8 cm) (17.85). Image: © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Unicorns at the Fountain (detail), 16th century. Italian. Linen and silk. Overall: 2 3/4 x 19 1/8 in. (7 x 48.6 cm. Gift of Mrs. Frederic B. Pratt, 1922 (22.106). Image: © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Textile with Unicorn, Deer, Centaur, and Lion, ca. 1500. Made in Scandinavia (possibly Sweden)Wool intarsia and applique with gilt leather and linen embroidery. Overall: 52 3/4 x 52 3/8 in. (134 x 133 cm). The Cloisters Collection, 2011 (2011.430). Image: © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Narwhal Tusk. Overall: 8 ft. Private collection, New York. Image: © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Torah Crown, 1778. Polish (Galicia). Silver and gilded silver. Overall: 12 3/16 × 8 1/8 in. (31 × 20.7 cm). Private collection, New York. Image: © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Johannes Sadeler I  (Netherlandish, Brussels 1550–1600 Venice (?)), Adam at Work after the Fall from The Story of the First Men. After Maerten de Vos (Netherlandish, Antwerp 1532–1603 Antwerp), 1583. Engraving; second state of two. Sheet: 8 1/16 × 10 5/8 in. (20.5 × 27 cm). The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1951 (51.501.1768(4). Image: © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Johannes Sadeler I  (Netherlandish, Brussels 1550–1600 Venice (?)), The Sixth Day: The Creation of Animals, Adam and Eve from The Creation of the World. After Maerten de Vos (Netherlandish, Antwerp 1532–1603 Antwerp), late 16th century. Engraving. Sheet: 7 13/16 × 9 15/16 in. (19.8 × 25.2 cm). The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1951 (51.501.1769(7)). Image: © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Julius Goltzius  (Dutch, died ca. 1595), Asia from The Four Continents. After Maerten de Vos (Netherlandish, Antwerp 1532–1603 Antwerp), 16th century. Engraving. Sheet: 8 5/8 x 11 1/16 in. (21.9 x 28.1 cm). The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1949 (49.95.1523). Image: © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Julius Goltzius  (Dutch, died ca. 1595), America from The Four Continents. After Maerten de Vos (Netherlandish, Antwerp 1532–1603 Antwerp), 16th century. Engraving. Sheet: 8 11/16 x 10 15/16 in. (22.1 x 27.8 cm). The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1949 (49.95.1524). Image: © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Julius Goltzius  (Dutch, died ca. 1595), Europa from The Four Continents. After Maerten de Vos (Netherlandish, Antwerp 1532–1603 Antwerp), 16th century. Engraving. Sheet: 8 13/16 x 11 in. (22.4 x 27.9 cm). The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1949 (49.95.1525). Image: © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Julius Goltzius  (Dutch, died ca. 1595), Africa from The Four Continents. After Maerten de Vos (Netherlandish, Antwerp 1532–1603 Antwerp), 16th century. Engraving. Sheet: 8 11/16 x 10 7/8 in. (22 x 27.7 cm). The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1949 (49.95.1526). Image: © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Coffret with Scenes from Romances (detail), ca. 1310–1330. Made in Paris, France. Ivory. Overall: 4 5/16 x 9 15/16 x 6 1/4 in. (10.9 x 25.3 x 15.9 cm) Top: 5 7/8 x 9 7/8 x 5/16 in. (15 x 25.1 x 0.8 cm). Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917 (17.190.173a, b). Image: © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

The Unicorn Purifies Water, 1495–1505. South Netherlandish. Wool warp with wool, silk, silver, and gilt wefts. Overall: 145 x 149in. (368.3 x 378.5cm). Gift of John D. Rockefeller Jr., 1937 (37.80.2). Image: © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

The Unicorn Is Attacked, 1495–1505. South Netherlandish. Wool warp with wool, silk, silver, and gilt wefts. Overall: 145 x 168in. (368.3 x 426.7cm). Gift of John D. Rockefeller Jr., 1937 (37.80.3). Image: © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

The Unicorn Defends Itself, 1495–1505. South Netherlandish. Wool warp with wool, silk, silver, and gilt wefts. Overall: 145 x 158 in. (368.3 x 401.3cm). Gift of John D. Rockefeller Jr., 1937 (37.80.4). Image: © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

The Unicorn is Killed and Brought to the Castle, 1495–1505. South Netherlandish. Wool warp with wool, silk, silver, and gilt wefts. Overall: 145 x 153in. (368.3 x 388.6cm). Gift of John D. Rockefeller Jr., 1937 (37.80.5). Image: © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

The Mystic Capture of the Unicorn, 1495–1505. South Netherlandish. Wool warp with wool, silk, silver, and gilt wefts. Overall: 66 1/2 x 25 1/2 in. (168.9 x 64.8 cm). Gift of John D. Rockefeller Jr., 1937 (38.51.1). Image: © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

The Mystic Capture of the Unicorn, 1495–1505. South Netherlandish. Wool warp with wool, silk, silver, and gilt wefts. Overall: 78 x 25 1/2 in. (198.1 x 64.8 cm). Gift of John D. Rockefeller Jr., 1937 (38.51.2). Image: © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Unicorn Doorway, early 16th century. Made in Auvergne, France. Volcanic stone. Overall: 126 x 65 in. (320 x 165.1 cm). The Cloisters Collection, 1948 (48.28). Image: © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

The L'Odyssée de Cartier high jewellery 'Solar' necklace.

The rutilated quartz cabochon and mandarin garnet beads before they are set in the necklace.

The L'Odyssée de Cartier high jewellery 'Solar' necklace in the process of being made, overlaid on the original drawing.

The different elements in L'Odyssée de Cartier's high jewellery 'Solar' necklace are laid out before they are assembled.

The L'Odyssée de Cartier high jewellery 'Solar' necklace.

L'Odyssée de Cartier high jewellery earrings in white gold, with mandarin garnet beads, brown diamond beads, obsidian and diamonds.

L'Odyssée de Cartier high jewellery bracelet in white gold, set with a 88.73ct cabochon-cut brown tourmaline, obsidian and diamonds.

L'Odyssée de Cartier high jewellery earrings in white gold, with mandarin garnet beads, obsidian and diamonds.

L'Odyssée de Cartier high jewellery ring in white gold, set with a 33.42ct brown tourmaline, obsidian and diamonds.

The zebra-effect high jewellery bracelet from L'Odyssée de Cartier high jewellery collection, in white gold with onyx, garnets and diamonds.

The Cartier L'Odyssée de Cartier Zebra high jewellery bracelet viewed from the side.

L'Odyssée de Cartier high jewellery earrings in white gold, onyx, garnets and diamonds.

L'Odyssée de Cartier high jewellery ring in white gold, set with a 31.36ct cabochon-cut tourmaline, onyx, garnets and diamonds.

L'Odyssée de Cartier high jewellery bracelet in platinum, set with cushion-shaped diamonds and diamonds.

L'Odyssée de Cartier high jewellery bracelet in platinum, set with a 66.43ct carved rubellite, onyx and diamonds.

L'Odyssée de Cartier high jewellery necklace in platinum, set with a 67.94ct carved sapphire, melon-cut sapphire, emerald beads, sapphire carved leaves and diamonds.

L'Odyssée de Cartier high jewellery necklace in platinum, set with a 67.94ct carved sapphire, melon-cut sapphire, emerald beads, sapphire carved leaves and diamonds.

All photos by courtesy of Cartier.

1936 Mercedes-Benz 500K Cabriolet C. Photo: Courtesy of RM Auctions

LONDON.- RM Auctions has announced today that it has consigned a spectacular single-owner collection of 74 historic Mercedes-Benz cars to its London event. Known as “the Ultimate Mercedes-Benz Collection”, it will go under the hammer during a dedicated sale day on Sunday, 8th September, making the well-established London auction in Battersea a two-day sale for the first time in its seven year history. 

With the wonderful Laidlaw Collection, including seven important racing cars, already announced for sale on Monday the 9th September, alongside another 53 stunning consignments, the two-day sale is shaping up to be the biggest of the London sales that RM has yet conducted. 

Max Girardo, Managing Director of RM Auctions, Europe, says: “A single-owner collection of 74 cars is rare enough at auction, but this ultimate collection of Mercedes-Benz automobiles contains some beautiful examples of very important cars alongside some wonderful cars which are desirable, interesting, and rare in equal measure. With the new early September dates, our London sale is certainly an event not to be missed this summer”. 

Peter Wallman, car specialist at RM Auctions, says: “The Ultimate Mercedes-Benz Collection is a fascinating snapshot of more than 80 years of Mercedes car production history, from a replica of an 1886 Benz Patent Motorwagen, and numerous magnificent, pre-war touring cars and limousines, to iconic post-war sports cars such as 300 SLs, and the most recent car in the collection, a 1970 300 SEL 6.3. This collection has something for every type of collector, and with many cars offered without reserve, we anticipate enormous international interest.” 

It’s always very hard to single-out particular examples from such a large and varied collection, but there are certainly some stand-out highlights that will draw significant interest from collectors. The 540K Cabriolet is undoubtedly one of the great, iconic, pre-war grand tourers, and the collection contains both a 1938 540 K Cabriolet B (Estimate: £1,100,000–£1,300,000) and a 1938 540 K Cabriolet A (Estimate: £1,900,000–£2,500,000), while a wonderful 1936 500K Cabriolet C will also attract huge interest (Estimate: £850,000–£950,000). For enthusiast of slightly earlier cars, the lovely 1925 400 Tourer is another very desirable model to be offered, and it is estimated at £350,000–£400,000. 

Demand has never been higher for the best of Mercedes’ post-war models, and none more so than the 300 SL. The Ultimate Collection contains no less than three 300 SLs, including a 1956 300 SL Gullwing (Estimate: £800,000–£900,000), a 1961 300 SL Roadster (Estimate: £750,000–£850,000), and an accurate replica of a 300 SLS Racing, a car engineered in 1990 but built using original 1957 running gear (Estimate: £700,000–£800,000). To connoisseurs, the 300 S has always been a much admired early post-war model, and the collection boasts three examples that represent the different body configurations, including a 1954 300 S Coupe (Estimate: £300,000–£350,000), a 1954 300 S Roadster (Estimate: £425,000–£500,000), and a 1955 300 S Cabriolet A (Estimate: £350,000–£400,000). 

"As with all collections of this size, there is a car to suit everyone—pre-war, post-war, open or closed, two door, four door, supercharged, normally aspirated, large cars, or small cars”, continues Peter Wallman. “The Ultimate Mercedes Collection includes a variety of rare and fun models, including a very sweet 170V Roadster, a beautifully presented 1952 170DA Pickup, and an interesting 170 SV Ambulance. To round things off, no Mercedes collection would be complete without the evergreen and hugely popular 190SL, whether the 230 Pagoda models or the luxurious and advanced 1966 600 Limousine.” 

RM Auctions’ annual London sale is one of the most successful on the European collector car calendar and will be further enhanced this year by its new association with the prestigious St. James’s Concours of Elegance. In the past, the event has featured the renowned motor car collection of Bernie Ecclestone, as well as James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5 that was featured in Goldfinger, setting numerous world records in the process. 

1936 Mercedes-Benz 500K Cabriolet C. Photo: Courtesy of RM Auctions

1938 Mercedes-Benz 540K Cabriolet B. Photo: Courtesy of RM Auctions

1938 Mercedes-Benz 540K Cabriolet A. Photo: Courtesy of RM Auctions

1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing. Photo: Courtesy of RM Auctions

1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLS Racing. Photo: Courtesy of RM Auctions

1961 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster. Photo: Courtesy of RM Auctions

Peter van Kessel (gest.1668), Blumenstück mit Monstranz, 1658 Leinwand© Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen, Staatsgalerie in der Neuen Residenz Bamberg.

MUNICH.- The Baroque section of the State Gallery in the Neue Residenz in Bamberg was opened again to the general public on 13 July, 2013, after a closure of several weeks. 

The gallery has been largely remodelled with 77 recently restored Baroque paintings from state and municipal collections now displayed in eight rooms. It has been possible to integrate numerous paintings in the new presentation originally from the Residence in Bamberg . All of these works have been the subject of a thorough restoration programme since last winter at the Doerner Institut’s workshops in Munich . 

Two monumental pictures by Johann Michael Bretschneider (1656–1727) mark the start of the new tour of the gallery. A room with 40 paintings formerly owned by the prince-bishops, mostly in their original ornamental frames and hung in the Baroque style completely covering the walls, illustrates the customary style of collecting and presentation preferred by the church princes who resided in Bamberg . This is followed by choice examples of Netherlandish still lifes and landscape painting. A room with a six part cycle of paintings by Rubens’ teacher Otto van Veen (c. 1556–1629) and one with paintings by Jan Lievens (1607–74), a contemporary of Rembrandt, provide the museum on the cathedral hill with new highlights. The large-format Allegory on the Immortal Fame of Art Conquering Time and Envy by Karel Dujardin (1626–78) forms a thematically ideal conclusion to the new tour. 

The object behind the new concept is to enhance the gallery’s appeal for art experts and the interested public through a high-quality selection of paintings and shifting the emphasis onto the High Baroque period, as well as making it more attractive for local residents through a stronger contextual connection to the city. 

Ambient conditions and lighting

For decades, the ambient temperature, humidity and lighting conditions in the unheated gallery were perpetually the source of justified criticism. These shortcomings could only be addressed with the utmost caution due to the fabric of the historical rooms. It is hoped that the insulation of the windows that has now been completed in the Baroque Gallery will lead to a clearly felt improvement in ambient conditions. The ingress of cold air in winter and heat in summer should now have been reduced appreciably. Improvements to the lighting will also be made until spring 2014. A renewed closure of rooms for this purpose, however, will be kept to a minimum.

It is intended that everything will be completed by spring 2014 when a new guidebook will also be published.

The Minister of State in Bamberg

On 10 July, the Minister of State, Dr. Wolfgang Heubisch, visited the gallery to see the progress that has been made. The State Government of Bavaria made considerable funds available for remodelling the gallery in a supplementary budget in 2012. 

Johann Michael Bretschneider (1656-1727), Gemäldegalerie, um 1715 Leinwand© Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen, Staatsgalerie in der Neuen Residenz Bamberg.

Pablo Picasso, Minotauromachie, 1935. (Minotauromachy). Etching and engraving on paper. 49,5 x 69,7 cm. ©Pablo Picasso, VEGAP, Madrid, 2013.

MADRID.- The Fundación Juan March presents a small-scale exhibition from July 17th to August 31st centered upon La Minotauromachie [Minotauromachy] (1935), a principal work of the graphic production of Pablo Picasso, which belongs to the permanent collection of the Fundación Juan March. 

La Minotauromachie, exhibited in the Madrid headquarters of the Fundación for the first time after having taken part in different exhibitions in the museums in Palma and Cuenca, is joined by 15 prints from the Suite Vollard dedicated to the figure of the Minotaur, in addition to all issues of the Surrealist journal Minotaure (1933-1939), as well as books, photographs and diverse documentation. 

Pablo Picasso (Málaga, 1881-Mougins, 1973) completed numerous prints during his artistic trajectory, constituting a fundamental portion of his oeuvre. As in his paintings, and as a result of his intense creative process, Picasso worked in series, repeating preferred themes and processes. With his tireless capacity for experimentation and absolute domination of all graphic techniques, Picasso is considered one of the most extraordinary printmakers of all time, with a body of work comparable in quality and scope to those of Rembrandt and Goya. 

As explained in Ovid’s Metamorphoses, among other sources, the Minotaur was a being half man and half bull, born of the bestial union between Pasiphae, wife of King Minos, and a bull. Minos later imprisoned the beast in a labyrinth constructed by Daedalus. Since Classical Antiquity this mythological being and the labyrinth in which he was confined have become archetypes, explored within the visual arts and literature throughout the centuries, and have generated multiple interpretations, which continue to appear today. The theme of the labyrinth has been explored in the 20th century by authors such as André Gide (Thésée, 1946), Michael Ayrton (The Maze Maker, 1967), Umberto Eco (Il nome della rosa, 1980) and Friedrich Dürrenmatt (Minotaurus. Eine Ballade, 1985). In the Latin American context, the classic myth of the Minotaur appears in the works of two of the region’s most important writers: Jorge Luis Borges, explorer of the labyrinth par excellence, visited the theme in his short story The House of Asterion (1949), included in The Aleph; and Julio Cortázar – author of the labyrinth-like novel Hopscotch (1963), whose 50th anniversary was celebrated this year – reinterpreted the myth in The Kings (also published in 1949), a play in which Cortázar’s Minotaur says to Theseus, “I only return to the double condition when you look at me.” For his part, Picasso also reinterpreted mythology, both in the individual prints of the Suite Vollard and in La Minotauromachie, protagonist of the present exhibition. 

The figure of the Minotaur, mythological and ancient, but full of life, appeared for the first time in the oeuvre of Picasso in a drawing of 1928, but it would be during the decade of the 1930s that the figure would be a recurrent one in the artist’s iconography. In the Suite Vollard 15 prints from the set of 100 feature the Minotaur. Indeed classical themes were not foreign to Picasso as he had illustrated editions of Ovid’s Metamorphoses and Aristophanes’ Lysistrata, both commissioned by Albert Skira, the publisher of Minotaure. But in the Suite, commissioned by Ambroise Vollard, which Picasso completed between1930 and 1937, Picasso reinterpreted mythology, moving away from the classical representation of the myth of the Minotaur and toward his own personal biography, identifying with the doomed protagonist and placing him within the circumstances of his own artistic life, as well as his romantic relationships and sexual experiences. In this way the myth becomes a symbol of the labyrinth of the artist’s life. Accordingly, in his book Picasso à Antibes (1960), Romuald Dor de la Souchère – curator of the Château de Antibes – transcribed the following quote attributed to an octogenarian Picasso: “If you marked on a map all of the routes I’ve made and connected the dots with a single line, might not a Minotaur emerge? 

Picasso chose the figure of the Minotaur as his alter ego, making an ancient myth new and contemporary in such a way that one may “read” the Suite Vollard and La Minotauromachie as artistic diaries of the complex avatars of his life during the decade of the 1930s – “the worst epoch of my life,” as Picasso himself famously declared. Brassaï also noted that, “Picasso liked the Minotaur because of his human side, all too human.” 

The 15 etchings dedicated to the Minotaur in the Suite Vollard can be divided into four groups. In the first, the Minotaur celebrates and drinks in the studio of the sculptor, together with the artist and his models. After these bacchic scenes follow others with a violent quality, in which Picasso demonstrates the animal nature of the Minotaur. Finally the third and fourth groups show a defeated Minotaur: in one, the half man, half bull is moribund; in the other, blind. 

During the 1930s the Surrealists also used the figure of the Minotaur as an iconographic motif. Breton and his followers were fascinated with the animal and irrational side of the ambiguous mythological figure, easily interpreted as a symbol of the transgression of logic and order. Such was their identification with the figure that George Bataille and André Masson designated Minotaure as the title of the superlative Surrealist publication. Eleven issues were published between 1933 and 1939, each with a front cover designed by the most important artists of the day. Picasso created the first cover and was followed by Man Ray, Dalí, Miró and Matisse among others. 

La Minotauromachie, the central work of this exhibition and one of the most celebrated etchings of the 20th century, was printed on February 23rd, 1935 in the Paris studio of Roger Lacourière. The image depicts various actions unfolding simultaneously within a confined space. The principal figures are a girl, who carries a lit candle along with a bouquet of flowers and, in stark contrast with her, the enormous figure of the Minotaur. Other figures include a woman dressed as a bullfighter with her breasts exposed lying upon a mare and a bearded man who escapes up a ladder. Finally, two women contemplate the scene from a window, along with the two doves also perched there. 

There have been various interpretations of this etching. As Juan Carrete comments in his essay about the work, written on the occasion of this exhibition, the print represents an intimate allegory: “La Minotauromachie presents to the viewer the final synthesis of a series of works. It is a print that condenses the entire universe that Picasso had developed until that time, which complicates the meaning of each element resulting in a cryptic composition that defies all iconographic analyses” and which can be considered an antecedent of the Guernica. 

Pablo Picasso, Suite Vollard: Escena baquica con Minotauro, 1933.©Pablo Picasso, VEGAP, Madrid, 2013.

Pablo Picasso, Suite Vollard: Minotauro atacando a una amazona, 1933. ©Pablo Picasso, VEGAP, Madrid, 2013.

A Dutch diamond-point engraved façon de Venise goblet, possibly by Willem Mooleyser, circa 1683. Photo Bonhams

The flared funnel bowl decorated with the Dutch Lion of the Province of Holland on a grassy sward, the reverse inscribed 'T Welvaren Van De Heeren Staten Van Hollandt,the base of the bowl applied with a vermicular collar, the stem with a ball knop enclosing a tear between two mereses, the conical foot with flower-sprays and the figure5, 17cm high (section of collar missing). Sold for £2,375 inc. premium

Provenance: A.J.Guépin Collection, Eindhoven, sold at Christie's Amsterdam, lot 52

Exhibited: Prinsenhof, Delft, 1969, no.82

Literature: W.C.Braat, Collections de verres de Pays-Bas, Bulletin Journées international Verre, 1:13-51 (1962)
D.Bolten, Een glasie van vrienschap. De glazen van de collectie Guépin, Museum Het Prinsenhof (1969), 26 (no.82)
F.Smit, A Concise Catalogue of European Line-engraved Glassware 1570-1900 (1994), p.54, no.141.2

The same hand engraved a virtually identical lion on a goblet inscribed 'De Staten van Hollandt' in the Nationalmuseum, Stockholm (see H.Seitz, Glaset förr och nu (1933), pl.33), whilst a goblet of similar construction and size dated 1683 is in the Rijksmseum, Amsterdam (see Peter Ritsema van Eck, Glass in the Rijksmuseum. Vol.II (1995), p.72, no.40. This latter example is attributed to Willem Mooleyser (1640-1700).

Bonhams. 2 May 2013 10:30 BST London, New Bond Street. The Muhleib Collection of European Glass

An early Dutch wheel-engraved goblet and cover, circa 1670. Photo Bonhams

Possibly Northern Netherlands, the straight-sided bowl with rounded base, decorated on one side with a nude female figure holding aloft a covered goblet in her right hand, her left arm resting on a large ewer, reclining on the lap of a man, a flying Cupid at one side firing an arrow at the couple, all within a strapwork cartouche, the reverse with two skirmishing cavalrymen, in the manner of the engraved work of Antonio Tempesta, a small polished lens above and within a similar frame, flanked by pendant fruit and flowers with polished centres, set on a hollow inverted baluster between mereses, over a wide conical foot with folded rim, inscribed Vive les Deux, the domed cover with the monogram CAB below a crown, the reverse with a crowned armorial, each between tied leaf fronds and joined by fruit swags, below a knopped finial, 25cm high (2). Sold for £18,750 inc. premium

Notes: See Pieter Ritsema van Eck, 'Early wheel engraving in the Netherlands', Journal of Glass Studies, vol.26, Corning (1984), pp.86ff.

A goblet of identical form engraved in diamond point with cavalry skirmishes may be found in the Ernesto Wolf Collection (see Brigitte Klesse and Hans Mayr, European Glass 1500-1800 (1987), no.161), attributed to the Netherlands, circa 1680. Another goblet of similar form, also in the Ernesto Wolf Collection, no.185, is decorated with copper-wheel engraving. A further wheel-engraved example decorated with the arms of the Seven Provinces is illustrated by Hubert Vreeken, Glas in Het Amsterdams Historisch Museum en Museum Willet-Holthuysen (1998), p.181, no.166. This goblet also has a small lens above the scene on the reverse as with the present lot.

The arms may be those of the Dutch Province of Zeeland.

Bonhams. 2 May 2013 10:30 BST London, New Bond Street. The Muhleib Collection of European Glass

A rare Dutch diamond-point engraved green-tinted Roemer, second half 17th century. Photo Bonhams

The rounded cup-shaped bowl decorated in diamond-point with four pairs of comical male and female dwarfs, one pair with musical instruments, the others dancing or promenading, the tall cylindrical lower section applied with four rows of applied raspberry prunts below an engrailed band, above a spreading spun foot, 25.5cm high (foot repaired). Sold for £27,500 inc. premium

Provenance: Formerly in a private collection, Amsterdam
The Fritz Biemann Collection, Zürich, sold at Sotheby's, 16 June 1984, lot 21

Exhibited: Spessartmuseum, Munich, 'Glück und Glas: zur Kulturgeschichte des Spessartglases', Haus der Bayerischen Geschichte, 1984 

Literature: Corning Museum of Glass, Journal of Glass Studies, vol.23 (1981), p.93
Claus Grimm, Glück und Glas : zur Kulturgeschichte des Spessartglases Spessartmuseum catalogue, Haus der Bayerischen Geschichte (1984), p.368
Rudolf von Strasser, Licht und Farbe (2002), p.73 

The dwarfs are taken from a series of prints entitledFacetieuses inventions d'amour et de guerre, Paris circa 1634, after Stefano della Bella (1610-74), the print probably by François Collignon (1611-85), a pupil of Jacques Callot (1592-1635).

The only other recorded example of a glass decorated by this hand is a clear-glass beaker, also engraved with dwarfs, in the Willet Holthuysen Museum, Amsterdam (inv.nr. KA 5250). A Roemer and cover in the Museum Boynemans van Beningen, Rotterdam bearing the arms of the House of Orange, Rotterdam and the Admiralty, is also engraved with Collignon's dwarfs and has been attributed to the hand of Marinus van Gelder, circa 1660 (see H.E. van Gelder, Glas en ceramiek. De kunsten van het vuur (1955), p.42, no.3, plate XXI, fig. 3 and Rudolf von Strasser & Walter Spiegl, Dekoriertes Glas (1989), p.181). A Dutch diamond-point engraved flute, circa 1660, attributed to the same hand can be found in the collection of Rudolf von Strasser (seeLicht und Farbe (2002), pp.72-73, no.34).

Bonhams. 2 May 2013 10:30 BST London, New Bond Street. The Muhleib Collection of European Glass

A Silesian Hochschnitt goblet and cover, Hermsdorf, Hirschberger Tal, circa 1720. Photo Bonhams

The thistle-shaped bowl cut in Hochschnitt and Tiefschnittwith five arched relief panels each engraved with an armour-clad and helmeted warrior, alternating with small oval medallions each depicting figures in landscapes or interiors, one inscribed Aucun temps ne le change, the reserve filled with ten finely engraved vignettes allegorical of the Seasons, the Senses and Faith, Hope and Charity, below a ropework border and stylised leaves to the rim, the lower section cut with extended facets over a reduced faceted knopped stem and later applied contemporary Bohemian conical foot, engraved with scroll and cut below with a floret, the domed cover cut with relief panels engraved with stylised leaf scroll alternating with formal foliate patterns, below a faceted spear finial 32cm high (foot replaced and some small chips to inner rim of cover) (2). Sold for £2,125 inc. premium

Provenance: Estate of Madame N., of Lorient, French auction, 28 November 1992
With Heide Hübner, Würtzburg

An almost identical example, lacking the cover, may be found in the Kestner-Museum, Hannover, see the catalogue, Christel Mosel, Bildkataloge des Kestner-Museums Hannover (1957), p.79, pl.48, no.149. It has been suggested that the iconography relates to the friendship of David and Jonathan.

The symbol of a fir tree and the motto Aucun temps ne le change are those of the Counts of von Schaffgotsch, patrons of the cutting workshops in Silesia establishing that the present lot was almost certainly engraved there, possibly at Kynast Castle.

Bonhams. 2 May 2013 10:30 BST London, New Bond Street. The Muhleib Collection of European Glass

A fine Saxon engraved goblet and cover attributed to Johann Christoph Kiessling, Dresden, circa 1710. Photo Bonhams

The round funnel bowl decorated in 'Hoch- und Tiefschnitt' with alternating oval panels of polished lenses and four different scrolling flowers and leaves, including a tulip, carnation, lotus and sunflower, on a matt ground, above a band of flutes, set on a faceted double-knopped stem between collars over a conical foot, the domed cover similarly decorated and with faceted knopped finial, 37cm high (2). Sold for £22,500 inc. premium

Johann Christoph Kiessling (died 1744) was court engraver at Dresden between circa 1717 and 1744.

Provenance: The Otto Dettmers Collection, Bremen, sold at Sotheby's, 23 November 1999, lot 46

Exhibited: Düsseldorf, 1968-69: 'Meisterwerke der Glaskunst aus internationalem Privatbesitz', Städtische Kunsthalle,catalogue, p.88, fig.239, illustrated p.91.

A goblet and cover illustrated by Gisela Haase, Sächsische Glas (1988), p.336, fig.167, exhibits a similar style of relief-cut decoration. Compare also with the examples illustrated by W.Holzhausen, 'Sächsische Gläser des Barock',Zeitschrift für Kunstwissenschaft, VIII (1954), pp.116ff. 

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A Potsdam Hochschnitt engraved beaker and cover, by Gottfried Spiller, circa 1700. Photo Bonhams

The flared cylindrical form decorated in Hoch- und Tiefschnitt with a continuous frieze of dancing Bacchanalian putti holding trailing garlands of fruit and flowers and floral wreaths above a relief band of acanthus leaves, the stepped and everted rim cut with a band of polished circlets, set on an applied trailed foot, the domed lid decorated with a garland of fruit, between bands of circlets and stiff leaves, surmounted by a berried leaf knop, 22.5cm high (crizzled and cracked) (2)  Estimate: £3,000 - 5,000 - Unsold

Provenance: With Heide Hübner, Würzburg, 1984

For comparative examples see that sold at Sotheby's, 4 October 1976, lot 168, a beaker with six naked putti in various postures playing with fruiting vine, 13.4cm, circa 1700; a beaker in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, has similar dancing putti which are believed to derive from lead models prepared before 1677 for the Potsdam Glasshouse by Gottfried Leygebe, described asEisenschneider (literally iron-cutter) to the Great Elector. See R.Schmidt Brandenbürgische Gläser (1914), p.69, fig.19 and pl.7B. See also W.B.Honey, Glass. A Handbook (1946), p.85, pl.45A. See also Edward Dillon, Glass (1907), pl.XLII illustrating an identical subject.

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A rare and important Kassel Hochschnitt armorial goblet, by Franz Gondelach, dated 1711. Photo Bonhams

he round funnel bowl engraved in Hoch- und Tiefschnittwith the crowned family arms of Wildenstein-Exterde and Boyneburg-Wildenstein, framed by martial trophies and flanked by a pair of putti blowing fanfares, the lower half of the bowl and the foot are enriched with moulded and cut bands of trefoil acanthus leaves, the moulded and cut stem in the form of an inverted baluster with a band of flutes and volute acanthus leaves, between two collars, 22.5cm high(crizzled, some damage and repair). Estimate: £8,000 - 12,000 - Unsold

Provenance: Formerly in the collection of Alram Graf zu Ortenburg, Weitramsdorf, Schloss Tambach
With Heide Hübner, Würzburg, 1987

Exhibited: Düsseldorf, 1968, 'Meisterwerke der Glaskunst aus internationalem Privatbesitz', no.232

Literature: Axel von Saldern and Helga Hischenz, Meisterwerke der Glaskunst aus internationalem Privatbesitz (1968), no.232
Axel von Saldern, 'Unbekannte Gläser von Johann Wolfgang Schmidt, Friedrich Winter und Franz Gondelach,' Anzeiger des Germanischen Nationalmuseums (1970), pp.11-12, fig.20
Franz Adrian Dreier, Glaskunst in Hessen-Kassel (1968), chap.5, fig.47
Franz Adrian Dreier, 'Review of Meisterwerke der Glaskunst' by Axel von Saldern, Kunstchronik (1969), p.107
Franz Adrian Dreier, 'Franz Gondelach - Anmerkungen zum Leben und Werk', Zeitschrift des Deutschen Vereins für Kunstwissenschaft, vol.24 (1970), pp.108-115, WV 3
Franz Adrian Dreier, 'Two Hessen Goblets with the Arms of King Frederick I of Sweden', The Burlington Magazine, vol.129, no.1010 (May 1987), p.310, fig.40
Franz Adrian Dreier, 'Franz Gondelach: Baroque Glass Engraving in Hesse', Journal of Glass Studies, vol.38 (1996), p.123, no.11, figs and p.43

For two goblets with a similar stem see that p.120, no.8 formerly in the Mühsam Collection, now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; that in the Kunstgewerbemuseum, Berlin, no.9, p.121; formerly in the Mühsam Collection, now in the Art Institute, Chicago, no.13, p.124.

Considered to be one of the most important German engravers of the Baroque era, Franz Gondelach (1663-1726) skilfully mastered the techniques of Tiefschnitt (deep-relief) and Hochschnitt (high-relief) decoration. From his arrival in Kassel in 1682 he seems to have worked for Landgrave Charles of Hesse-Kassel. On 18 January 1688 he obtained an official appointment and is documented as 'court master glassworker', 'court glass engraver' or 'princely glass engraver'. His most famous works are three ice jugs: the first (Pommersfelden, Schloss Weissenstein) was a present from the Landgrave to Lothar Franz von Schoenborn in 1715, the second (made before 1714) is in Rosenborg Castle in Copenhagen, and the third (also made before 1714; Moscow, Kremlin) was given by Frederick IV of Denmark to Tsar Peter I. Other important works include a covered goblet (1717; The Hague, Gemeentemuseum.) decorated with St George and cherubs executed in Hochschnitt and commissioned by Prince William of Hesse for the confraternity of St George in The Hague; a goblet with cover decorated with a faun and nymph (New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art) and a goblet with a resting Venus (Berlin, Schloss Köpenick). Sometimes Gondelach signed his work with diamond-point engraving, and a particular mark was a cut eight-pointed star on the underside of the foot. From 1723 until his death Gondelach directed the Landgrave's glass factory at Altmünden.

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A Nuremberg engraved goblet, signed by Georg Schwanhardt the Elder, circa 1630, on a silver-gilt mount by Friedrich Hillenbrandt, Nuremberg, circa 1590. Photo Bonhams

n two sections, the conical bowl decorated with four circular line panels depicting a lady pouring wine, a gentleman offering wine to his lady, dancing before his lady and the couple embracing, between German and Latin inscriptions, enclosed by flowers, strapwork and insects, set on a triple annulated knop over a silver-gilt mount above foliage on a circular base fitted with Orpheus surrounded by animals and reptiles, fitted underneath with a detachable finely engraved lining depicting manly pursuits below inscriptions, with letters under the lining indicating the position of each applied figure or animal, OR Orpheus, H Hirsch etc., 29.5cm high overall, stem and foot lacking, later mounted (2). Sold for £133,250 inc. premium

Provenance: Sold at Sotheby's, Geneva, 18 May 1992, lot 84

Exhibited: The British Museum, London, 1992-2012, on long-term loan

The inscriptions on the bowl read: Frotem Exporge utere amore sed ecce core recrea 

Mit bscheidenheit erfrisch dein hertz lustig in freud auch freud auch freundlich schertz

On the mount: Requies his parta labore meritos suo inde triumphat Ali certamina rursos diem pugna verimus omnes

Die habn ihrn ehrn ein gnugen than drum tragens ehr und ruhm
Davon drauf hebens andre wider an biss mir endlich all kommen Dran

Towards the end of the 17th century the art of glass engraving was developed in response to the high cost of rock crystal. The Nuremberg engraver Georg Schwanhardt the Elder (1601-1667) ran the most important workshop of the second generation of glass engravers. He was the only recorded pupil of Caspar Lehmann, who is linked to the founding of the art (see the footnote to lot 71).

The many documented pieces by the Nuremberg goldsmith Friedrich Hillebrandt (master 1580, died 1608) are listed by Rosenberg and include examples in the Grünes Gewölbe, Dresden; The Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nürnberg; the Hermitage, Leningrad; and the Hapsburg collections in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.

See also Erich Meyer-Heisig, Der Nürnberger Glasschnitt des 17. Jahrhunderts (1963), p.32 and WT12 

Bonhams. 2 May 2013 10:30 BST London, New Bond Street. The Muhleib Collection of European Glass

Ornella Iannuzzi: The Blue Nile Falls pendant. Made with a 20 cts hand-carved Wello opal set in 18k gold with a brilliant cut diamond, and mounted on rough diamonds (42cts). Unique Piece. £12,500.

Ornella Iannuzzi: Dallol Earrings. Made with a total of 10 cts hand-carved Wello opals set in 18k gold. Unique piece. SOLD - on commission from £3,500.

Ornella Iannuzzi: Endemic Bird ring. Made with a 5cts hand-carved Wello opal which bears a tiny quartz crystal, and set in black silver and vermeil. Unique piece. SOLD.

Ornella Iannuzzi: Holy Water in Debre Libanos Earrings. Made with hand-carved Wello opals (5,5cts) set in 18k gold with diamonds. Unique Piece. £4,500.

Ornella Iannuzzi: In the beginning, it was all so quiet Pendant. Made with hand-carved Wello opal (4cts) set in 18k brown vermeil, with garnet & tsavorite. from £1,700.

Ornella Iannuzzi Wello Coral rings. Top: black rhodium-plated silver ring with a diamond on top and a Wello opal sphere (from £1,100). Left: vermeil and blue silver ring with a diamond on top and a Wello opal sphere (from £1,550). Right: yellow gold ring with a diamond on top and a Wello opal sphere (from £2,500).

Ornella Iannuzzi: Cruise on the Lake Tana Pendant. Made of a total of 102,5 cts rough Wello opals set in 22ct gold with diamonds, sapphires and tsavorites. Unique piece. SOLD

Ornella Iannuzzi: AXUM Ring. Made with a 7cts hand-carved Wello opal set in 18k gold. Unique piece. from £5,500.

Ornella Iannuzzi: Mount Zion Ring. Made from a 65 cts rough Wello opal set in black silver and decorated with 24ct gold leaves. Unique piece. Model pictured sold - on commission from £2,500.

Ornella Iannuzzi: Simiens Mountains Earrings. With a total of 16 cts hand-carved Wello opals set in 18k Gold. Unique Piece. SOLD

Ornella Iannuzzi: Would you like a drop of Tej Madame? Earrings. With hand-carved fire Wello opals (6cts) set in 18k gold, with diamonds. Unique piece. £7,000.

Ornella Iannuzzi "Coral Atoll" ring with an Ethiopian Wello opal, set in gold (£POA).

Ornella Iannuzzi "Coral Atoll" ring with a black Australian opal, set in rose gold (£POA).

Opalized snail from Coober Pedy, South Australia

Magnifique et importante bague émeraude. Photo courtesy Tajan

Elle est de forme dôme portant une grande émeraude rectangulaire à pans coupés et taillée à degrés en chatons à griffes. Monture en or jaune entièrement pavée de lignes d'émeraudes calibrées et d'émeraudes rondes. Poids brut : 24,9 gr. Poids de l'émeraude : 22,91 carats. TDD : 54. Estimation : 90 000 / 100 000 €

L'émeraude est accompagnée d'un rapport du Laboratoire GÜBELIN énonçant, selon son opinion : origine Colombie, traces mineures d'amélioration.

An emerald and gold ring.

Tajan - Monte Carlo. Dimanche 21 juillet 2013. Café de Paris - Salon Bellevue - Monte Carlo. Tel : +377 97 70 96 00 - Fax : +377 97 70 91 81

REPOSSI. Importante bague saphir. Photo courtesy Tajan

Elle est ornée d'un cabochon de saphir de forme ovale dans un entourage de diamants taille brillant et ponctué de deux diamants taillés en rose. Monture en or gris. Signé REPOSSI. Poids brut : 21,2 gr. Poids du saphir : 47,48 carats. TDD : 53. Estimation : 22 000 / 25 000 €

A sapphire, diamond and gold ring by REPOSSI.

Tajan - Monte Carlo. Dimanche 21 juillet 2013. Café de Paris - Salon Bellevue - Monte Carlo. Tel : +377 97 70 96 00 - Fax : +377 97 70 91 81

REPOSSI. Importante bague aigue-marine modèle Gun. Photo courtesy Tajan

Elle est en forme de chevalière rehaussée d'un grande aigue-marine en chatons à griffes. Le corps est pavé de lignes de diamants taille brillant et aigues-marines rondes. Monture en or gris. Signée REPOSSI. Poids brut 36,5 gr. Poids de l'aigue-marine : 54,64 carats. TDD : 54 (avec un ressort). Estimation : 21 000 / 22 000 €

An aquamarine, diamond and gold ring by REPOSSI.

Tajan - Monte Carlo. Dimanche 21 juillet 2013. Café de Paris - Salon Bellevue - Monte Carlo. Tel : +377 97 70 96 00 - Fax : +377 97 70 91 81

Importante bague camée émeraude. Travail de la fin du XVIIIème siècle pour le camée. Travail de la fin du XIXème siècle pour la monture. Photo courtesy Tajan

Elle est ornée d'un camée sur cabochon d'émeraude de forme poire à l'effigie présumée de Catherine II de Russie. Monture en or 14K et argent sertie de petits diamants (TA) et de rubis. Le sommet coiffé d'une couronne également sertie de rubis, émeraudes et diamants. Corps ajouréà décor de palmettes. Poids brut : 9,7 gr. (égrisures). Dimensions du plateau : 3 x 2 cm. Estimation : 20 000 / 22 000 €

Les camées gravés sur émeraude ont connu une grand faveur à la fin du XVIIIème et au XIXème siècle. La préciosité de la pierre et la difficulté de la graver ajoutait au prestige des petits objets de collection sur lesquels elle était sertie. Le camée de la bague ci-dessous est gravé d'un portrait de Catherine II de Russie (1722-1796) souveraine éclairée du siècle des lumières dont l'iconographie est très importante.
Elle est coiffée d'un diadème en forme de kokoschnik, coiffure traditionnelle russe qui inspira de nombreux joailliers dans la deuxième moitié du XIXème siècle.

An emerald cameo and multi-gems ring.

Tajan - Monte Carlo. Dimanche 21 juillet 2013. Café de Paris - Salon Bellevue - Monte Carlo. Tel : +377 97 70 96 00 - Fax : +377 97 70 91 81

Lydia COURTEILLE. Magnifique bague Vanités. Photo courtesy Tajan

Pièce unique. Elle se compose de deux têtes de mort en cristal de roche enserrées par un serpent lové entièrement pavé de diamants taille brillant, deux diamants jaune fancy color pour les yeux. Monture en or gris. Signée Lydia COURTEILLE Paris. Poids brut : 43 gr. Dimensions : 4,2 x 3,4 cm. TDD : 55. Estimation : 25 000 / 28 000 €

Installée en 1980, Lydia COURTEILLE marque une rupture au sein de la création contemporaine. Bien qu'imprégnés des codes séculaires, ses bijoux souvent provocateurs, volumineux à la polychromie sensible expriment tour à tour l'angoisse, l'humour, la fantaisie dans une vision non dénuée de surréalisme. Une des toutes premières à redonner des lettres de noblesse à des matériaux oubliés ou des pierres fines rarissimes.

A diamond, rock Crystal and gold ring by Lydia COURTEILLE.

Tajan - Monte Carlo. Dimanche 21 juillet 2013. Café de Paris - Salon Bellevue - Monte Carlo. Tel : +377 97 70 96 00 - Fax : +377 97 70 91 81