Lot 1421. An openwork jade court hat finial, Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Height 2 1/8  in., 5.4 cm. Estimate: 2,000 — 3,000 USD. Sold Price: 15,000 USD. Courtesy Sotheby's.

the domed ornament carved with five cranes strutting amidst lotus stems bearing blossoms and leaves, each element carved in the round and incised with details, the stone a pale yellowish white color.

Lot 1426. A white jade 'Dragon' belt plaque, Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Length 3 1/4 in., 8.2 cm. Estimate: 3,000-5,000 USD. Sold Price: 8,750 USD. Courtesy Sotheby's.

the rectangular border enclosing an openwork carving of a four-clawed dragon writhing amidst soaring birds and a double layer of scrolling lotus, set in a 19th century gilt copper alloy mount cast with openwork scrolling lotus on the reverse.

Lot 1424. A pale celadon jade 'Chilong' belt plaque, Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Length 3 3/4 in., 9.5 cm. Estimate: 3,000-5,000 USD. Sold Price: 5,250 USD. Courtesy Sotheby's.

the oval stone carved in openwork with a prowling chilong, its long furcated tail interweaving with the curling stem of a blossoming lotus, all over a network of pierced curls and bordered by an integral band of beads, set in the cover of a later metal box (2).

Lot 1425. A small celadon jade 'Chilong' cup, 17th century. Width 3 1/8 in., 8 cm. Estimate: 3,000-5,000 USD. Sold Price: 3,750 USD. Courtesy Sotheby's.

carved in openwork with three chilong clambering on the sides, each detailed with a curling furcated tail, the stone of a grayish celadon color with cloudy-white inclusions.

Provenance: Collection of Roman Vishniac (1897-1990).
E & J Frankel, New York, 9th April 2007.

Lot 1373. A blue and white 'Boys' box, Wanli mark and period (1573-1620). Diameter 9 1/2  in., 24.1 cm. Estimate: 3,000-5,000 USD. Sold Price: 10,625 USD. Courtesy Sotheby's.

sturdily potted, the interior divided into floriform compartments with each segment painted in dark cobalt with boys at play in a garden, the motif repeated around the exterior, the base with a six-character reign mark in underglaze blue within a double circle, the cover missing.

Lot 1404. Two sancai-glazed Daoist figures, Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Heights 19 in., 48.3 cm. Estimate: 8,000 — 12,000 USD. Sold Price: 10,000 USD. Courtesy Sotheby's.

each modeled wearing long robes with ringed pendant sashes, stylized official's headdress, and upturned ruyi-toed shoes, one with yellow-glazed skin bearing a stern expression, the left hand holding the belt, the other with a calm expression with hands clasped to hold a tablet (now lost), seated on tiered thrones with scrolled spandrels and feet, in rich yellow, green, and aubergine glazes (2).

Lot 1030. A 'Dehua''Chilong' vase, 17th century. Height 8 1/8 in., 20.6 cm. Estimate: 2,000 — 3,000 USD. Sold Price: 6,875 USD. Courtesy Sotheby's.

the slender baluster-form body surmounted by a tall cylindrical neck and galleried rim, and applied sinuous chilong winding around the neck, covered in a lustrous white glaze.

Lot 1302. A ‘Longquan’ celadon-glazed table screen, Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Height 6 3/4  in., 17.1 cm. Estimate: 3,000 — 5,000 USD. Sold Price: 4,000 USD. Courtesy Sotheby's.

of rectangular form, the central panel carved to one side with the figure of Kuixing in characteristic dynamic pose with one foot raised and holding a brush aloft, the reverse with birds aflight above flowering lotus, all enclosed within a pierced border set to either side with spandreled upright supports atop a slightly flared, arched base, covered overall with a sea-green glaze.

Lot 1369. A blue and white stembowl, Ming dynasty, 16th century. Diameter 6 1/2  in., 16.5 cm. Estimate: 4,000 — 6,000 USD. Sold Price: 3,750 USD. Courtesy Sotheby's.

the deep rounded sides rising to an everted rim, boldly painted to the exterior with four winged dragons striding amid cloud scrolls above cresting waves , the interior with a winged dragon central medallion, all raised on a tall splayed foot. 

Sotheby's. Saturday at Sotheby's: Asian Art, New York, 15 Sep 2018

Lot 1398. Two blue and white kosometsuke dishes, Ming dynasty, Tianqi period (1621-1627). Width of wider 6 7/8  in., 17.5 cm. Estimate: 3,000 — 5,000 USD. Sold Price: 1,875 USD. Courtesy Sotheby's.

the first, ruyi-shaped, the interior painted with three deer enclosed within a single blue line, the exterior with florets; the second, of circular outline, well painted with two rabbits amid foliage encircled by a wide border of asymmetric interlocking rings, lingzhi and X's, the reverse undecorated (2). 

Provenance: The ruyi-shaped dish:
Collection of Effie B. Allison, coll. no. 339.
The Crane Gallery, Seattle, 2006.

The circular dish:
Collection of Effie B. Allison, coll. no. 328.
The Crane Gallery, Seattle, 2007.

Sotheby's. Saturday at Sotheby's: Asian Art, New York, 15 Sep 2018

Lot 1391. Six glazed pottery figures of musicians, Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Height of each 8 1/4  in., 21 cm. Estimate: 3,000 — 4,000 USD. Sold Price: 2,500 USD. Courtesy Sotheby's.

modeled standing with facial features detailed in black pigment, wearing conical red hats and green and amber-glazed robes, holding various musical instruments on rectangular bases (6). 

Sotheby's. Saturday at Sotheby's: Asian Art, New York, 15 Sep 2018

Anonyme, Paire de candélabres à deux branches garnis d’un oiseau et de fleurs, bronze doré et porcelaine, entre 1715 et 1774, Paris, musée Cognacq-Jay (inv. J328)© Musée Cognacq-Jay / Roger-Viollet

PARIS - « Vendeurs de tout, faiseurs de riens », suivant la célèbre et peu amène sentence prononcée par Diderot dans son Encyclopédie, les marchands merciers constituent l’une des corporations parisiennes les plus importantes au XVIIIe siècle.

Du 29 septembre 2018 au 27 janvier 2019, le musée Cognacq-Jay organise la toute première exposition consacrée à cette corporation particulièrement codifiée et incontournable dans la diffusion de l’art et du luxe français.

À travers les destins de marchands comme Gersaint ou Duvaux, le musée présente une centaine d’œuvres d’art, de documents et d’archives illustrant les origines du luxe à la parisienne. 

Nicolas Raguenet, La Joute des Mariniers, entre le pont Notre-Dame et le pont au Change, huile sur toile, 1751, Paris, musée Cognacq-Jay (inv. P272)© Musée Carnavalet / Roger-Viollet

À la fois négociant, importateur, collecteur, designer et décorateur, le marchand mercier occupe un rôle majeur dans l’essor de l’industrie du luxe à cette époque. Personnage atypique, il entretient des liens dans la haute aristocratie et s’appuie sur un réseau international d’artistes comprenant les meilleures spécialités techniques et artistiques, qu’elles proviennent de Lyon ou de Chine. 

Les marchands merciers se trouvent au cœur d’un réseau à trois pôles : le commanditaire, l’artisan ou artiste et, phénomène nouveau à la puissance croissante, la « mode ». Aussi, pour se faire connaître et agrandir leurs réseaux, ils développent les mécanismes de la promotion publicitaire, avec le concours de dessinateurs anonymes ou d’artistes comme Boucher ou Watteau.

Dissoute durant la période révolutionnaire, cette corporation suscite encore aujourd’hui l’intérêt des historiens de l’art et d’universitaires qui en font leur sujet de recherches. Le parcours de l’exposition explore le contexte propice à l’épanouissement de ce réseau, les clefs de leur succès et leurs innovations, et s’attache à dépeindre quelques-uns de ses illustres représentants.

Martin Carlin, Encoignure livrée par Darnault pour le grand cabinet de Mme Victoire au château de Bellevue, 1785. Ébène, laque du Japon, Musée du Louvre © RMN-GP (Musée du Louvre)

Les marchands merciers : une corporation unique

L’appellation “marchand mercier” provient du terme « mercerie » qui, s’il désigne de nos jours les articles liés à l’habillement et à la parure, était synonyme au XVIIIe siècle de « marchandise ». Les statuts de la corporation, codifiés en 1613, permettent aux marchands de vendre des objets enjolivés ou assemblés par leurs soins ou de seconde main. Ainsi, au XVIIIe siècle, les marchands merciers deviennent incontournables dans la diffusion des arts et du luxe hors de la cour. Ils acquièrent auprès des manufactures de porcelaine ou des grandes compagnies de transport des objets qu’ils font monter à l’aide d’orfèvres, de bronziers ou d’ébénistes pour créer des pièces décoratives aux formes nouvelles.

Estampillée Matthieu Criaerd, Encoignure, 1743. Livrée par Thomas-Joachim Hébert en 1743 pour la chambre bleue au château de Choisy. En 1791, restauréepar Guillaume Benneman afin de servir dans le cabinet de Mme Élisabeth à Fontainebleau.Bâti de chêne, placage de bois fruitier, vernis martin, bronze argenté, marbre. Musée du Louvre © RMN-GP (Musée du Louvre)

Cartographie du luxe parisien

Paris réunit les ingrédients indispensables d’un marché du luxe en plein essor : capitaux, clientèle nombreuse, fournisseurs hautement qualifiés, large réseau artistique, proximité avec la cour… Il est possible d’identifier des quartiers privilégiés dans l’organisation de ce commerce : la rue Saint-Honoré, bien sûr, mais aussi le Palais de Justice et les rues Saint-Martin et SaintDenis, où les marchands disposaient d’adresses physiques.

Jacques de Lajoüe, Projet de cadre à décor rocaille, XVIIIe siècle. Plume, lavis brun. Musée des Arts Décoratifs © MAD, Paris

La naissance des stratégies publicitaires

Dans un secteur concurrentiel, les marchands doivent faire preuve d’une stratégie permanente. C’est ainsi que l’émergence des enseignes ou « marques » s’appuient sur des ressorts marketing novateurs : contrats d’exclusivités ou monopoles, identification de clients prestigieux dans les réclames ou encore création d’identité visuelle dont témoignent les enseignes et cartes de visite.

Manufacture royale de porcelaine de Sèvres ; Jean Alexandre Dulac. Paire de vases-girandoles dits « vases Dulac », vers 1770. Porcelaine de Sèvres, bronze doré. Châteaux de Versailles et Trianon© RMN-GP (Château de Versailles)

L’exemple de Gersaint : un marchand-mercier emblématique

En 1720, Antoine Watteau peint en seulement « huit matins », pour la boutique de son ami Gersaint, une enseigne remarquable qui fait l’admiration du Tout-Paris. Ce coup de publicité fait de Gersaint un des premiers marchands merciers à développer une image publicitaire soignée. Le musée Cognacq-Jay conserve une étude préparatoire de cette œuvre et présente une reconstitution du tableau original à grande échelle.

Jean-Antoine Watteau, Étude pour l’enseigne de Gersaint, sanguine, pierre noire et craie blanche sur papier, 1720, Paris, musée Cognacq-Jay (inv. J195)© Musée Cognacq-Jay / Roger-Viollet

Du 29 septembre 2018 au 27 janvier 2019

Anonyme, Rouleau de passementerie, entre 1750 et 1799. Morceau ou fragment (textile), passementerie. Palais Galliera, musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris. © Palais Galliera/Roger-Viollet

 François Rémond, Paire de bras de lumière dite « petits bras à enfants ». Livrée par Dominique Daguerre en 1789 pour le second cabinet de la reine Marie-Antoinette au château de Marly. Bronze ciselé et redoré, bronze patiné, Château de Versailles et Trianon © RMN-GP (Château de Versailles et Trianon)

Manufacture royale de Vincennes, Le Flûteur, un exemplaire vendu par Lazare Duvaux à Mme de Pompadour en 1753, 1751-1752 pour le modèle. Biscuit de porcelaine. Musée des Arts Décoratifs © MAD, Paris.

Manufacture royale de porcelaine de Sèvres, Assiette à décor de palmes et d’oiseaux sur un fond vert, faisant partie du « petitservice vert » acheté par Louis XV le 9 mars1758 au marchand mercier Lazare Duvaux. Portant la lettre-date D pour les années 1756-1757. Châteaux de Versailles et Trianon © RMN-GP (Château de Versailles)

Attribuée à l’atelier blanc et vert (actif vers 1660), Coupe en jade en forme de coquille, 1687. Achetée par Louis XIV au marchand Danet en 1687. Musée du Louvre © RMN-GP (Musée du Louvre)

Anonyme, Projet de lustre et applique, vers 1775. Plume, encore brune, lavis brun, rehauts de bleu, Musée des Arts Décoratifs © MAD, Paris.

Jean Ducrollay, Tabatière, 1756-1759. Ors de deux tons, porcelaine de Sèvres, Musée du Louvre © RMN-GP (Musée du Louvre)

Anonyme, Cage à oiseaux, vers 1750-1751. Fer peint et porcelaine, Musée des Arts Décoratifs © MAD, Paris.

Jean-Baptiste Dutertre, Horloger, Pendule à colonne et figures en biscuit de Sèvres, 1771. Livrée par Simon-Philippe Poirier à la Comtesse du Barry. Porcelaine tendre de Sèvres et bronze ciselé doré. Collection particulière © Photo Studio Sébert

Lot 903. A rare white and pale brown jade figure of a seated foreigner, Tang-early Ming dynasty, 9th-14th century; 2 5/8 in. (6.7 cm.) high. Estimate USD 20,000 - USD 30,000. Price realised USD 516,500. © Christie's Images Ltd 2018.

The thick figure depicts a bearded, foreign musician shown seated with one leg bent under the body as he holds what appears to be a cloth-draped object. He wears a belted robe that falls in ribbed folds under the body and between his legs worn over his loose pants. His head is turned to the side and his face is well carved with down-turned mouth, a small nose and well-defined eyes. The well polished, white stone is suffused with fine russet-brown veining.

Provenance: William A. Arnett Collection, Atlanta, Georgia, acquired prior to 1971.

Exhibited: On loan: High Museum of Art, Atlanta, Georgia, September 1973 to September 1980.
On loan: Michael C. Carlos Museum, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, 1993.

Note: During the Tang dynasty, foreigners were a popular motif on jade belt plaques. A number of these are illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum - 41 - Jadeware (II), Hong Kong, 1995, pls. 22-27. The bearded foreign musician playing a flute on the plaque in pl. 22, wears a similarly depicted robe, and the seated foreign musician on the plaque in pl. 23, appears to be playing a sheng.

Lot 954. A white jade pendant, 18th century; 3 ¼ in. (8.1 cm.) high. Estimate USD 18,000 - USD 25,000. Price realised USD 237,500. © Christie's Images Ltd 2018.

The shaped rectangular pendant is carved at the top with ruyi clouds, and on one side with a four-character inscription, changyi zisun (peace and prosperity for all sons and grandsons), and on the reverse with a poem preceded by yuzhi (imperially made) and the title of the poem, The semi-translucent stone is of even white color, and is pierced for suspension and tied with an amber bead.

Provenance: Christie's London, 7 June 1993, lot 168.
The Gerard Arnhold (1918-2010) Collection, São Paolo.

Note: The poem praises the quality of the jade plaque and wishes blessings on future generations.

Lot 906. A rare white jade openwork rectangular plaque, Yuan dynasty (1279-1368); 3 11/16 in. (9.5 cm.) wide. Estimate USD 20,000 - USD 30,000. Price realised USD 125,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2018.

The thick plaque is finely carved in openwork with a recumbent mythical beast with flames rising from the flanks and its head turned upwards to look at the moon, surrounded by vapor that rises from one side opposite a tree bearing three large flowers, all against a background of pierced rocks. The creamy white stone is imbued with faint russet color.

Provenance: William S. Arnett Collection, Atlanta, Georgia, acquired prior to 1971.

Exhibited: On loan: High Museum of Art, Atlanta, Georgia, September 1973 to September 1980.

Note: The distinctive, deep style of carving on the present jade plaque, which features fine details and a dramatic combination of high and low relief carving, is characteristic of Liao, Jin and Yuan-period jade carvings. The plaque imbues a remarkable liveliness, thanks to the fluid and bold carving, particularly in the swirling vaporous clouds and the tensed, muscular limbs of the mythical beast.

A jade plaque featuring a similar carving style and composition but decorated with a hare, in the British Museum and illustrated by J. Rawson in Chinese Jade, London, 1995, pl. 25:11, where it is dated Liao or Jin dynasty. On the British Museum plaque, the hare is situated in a mountainous setting enshrouded by swirling clouds, with its head turned sharply backwards to gaze at the moon. In her discussion of the plaque, Rawson suggests that jade plaques of this type were “the first pictures in jade that included landscape setting for creatures, as opposed to just the creatures, and as such they mark the beginning of the practice of using jade to present pictures.”

Another jade plaque decorated with tigers and dated to the Yuan dynasty, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in Zhongguo Yuqi Quanji - 5 - Sui, Tang Ming, Hebei, 1994, p. 132, no. 198.

Lot 969. A white jade shaped rectangular plaque, 18th century; 1 7/8 in. (4.8 cm.) high. Estimate USD 20,000 - USD 30,000. Price realised USD 68,750. © Christie's Images Ltd 2018.

One side is well carved with a scene of the Northern Song poet, Mi Fu, accompanied by an attendant, bowing to a tall, pierced rock, and on the reverse with a lengthy inscription referring to the scene, and a seal, zhen (treasure). The semi-translucent stone is of even white color..

Provenance: Lizzadro Collection, Elmhurst, Illinois, acquired prior to 1960.

Note: The inscription is taken from the poem, An inscription on the Painting of Mi Fu Bowing to a Stone, by the Yuan master Ni Zan, and may be translated as 'Mi Zhang [Mi Fu] loves inkstones and hence loves stones; who becomes obsessed in searching for beautiful and rare pieces. He paints a work portraying himself before a stone calling it "big brother"; the reputation of his eccentricity is indeed well deserved.

Christie's. Fine Chinese Jade Carvings from Private Collections, New York, 13 September 2018

Lot 974. A white jade rectangular plaque, 18th-19th century; 2 ½ in. (6.3 cm.) high. Estimate USD 20,000 - USD 30,000. Price realised USD 60,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2018.

One side is carved with a roundel of an immortal holding a bottle vase seated on an elephant, and the reverse with another roundel enclosing a four-character inscription reading taiping youxiang (may there be a peaceful reign), all below a bat with stylized openwork wings above and a stylized, openwork taotie mask below. The semi-translucent stone is of even white color.

Provenance: Lizzadro Collection, Elmhurst, Illinois, acquired prior to 1960.

Christie's. Fine Chinese Jade Carvings from Private Collections, New York, 13 September 2018

Lot 959. A pale greenish-white and russet jade carving of two horses, Qing dynasty (1644-1911); 5 5/8 in. (14.2 cm.) long. Estimate USD 10,000 - USD 15,000. Price realised USD 52,500. © Christie's Images Ltd 2018.

The two recumbent horses are shown side-by-side with their legs tucked under their bodies and their heads turned towards each other. Their manes and tails are detailed with fine hair markings. The well-polished stone is of even pale greenish-white color with a few areas of added pale russet color.

Provenance: Spink & Sons Ltd., London, 1992.
The Gerard Arnhold (1918-2010) Collection, São Paolo.

Note: As symbols of speed and strength, horses have been favored in Chinese art for their prestige and masculine presence. Horses are also depicted as metaphors for the fine qualities of good officials, and embody the wish for immediate success. The present carving could very likely be a scholar's object, such as a paper weight, made for the literati or for those who wish to join the literati circle.

Christie's. Fine Chinese Jade Carvings from Private Collections, New York, 13 September 2018

Anthony van Dyck (1599-1641), Portrait of Princess Mary (1631–1660), daughter of King Charles I of England, full-length, in a pink dress decorated with silver embroidery and ribbons, 1641. Oil on canvas. Estimate: £5,000,000-8,000,000. © Christie’s Images Limited 2018.

LONDON.- Portrait of Princess Mary (1631–1660), daughter of King Charles I of England, full-length, in a pink dress decorated with silver embroidery and ribbons by Sir Anthony van Dyck, 1641, will be offered from a Distinguished Private Collection in Christie’s Old Masters Evening Sale on 6 December, during Christie’s Classic Week (estimate: £5,000,000-8,000,000). Commissioned to celebrate the crucial alliance between the British crown and the House of Orange, this intimate ad vivum (from life) portrait of Princess Mary, the finest portrait of the type, is remarkable for its royal provenance, the superb quality of its draughtsmanship and its exceptional condition. It is one of the most important European Royal Portraits to come to auction for a generation. The painting will go on public view for the first time, ahead of the auction, at Christie’s Shanghai on 19 until 21 September, later touring to New York where it will be on public view from 25 to 30 October and to Hong Kong between 23 and 26 November, ahead of the pre-sale public exhibition in London from 1 to 6 December. 

John Stainton, Deputy Chairman, Old Master Paintings, Christie’s EMERI: “This beautifully-preserved full-length portrait of Princess Mary, eldest daughter of King Charles I of England, and future mother of King William III of England, was one of the last commissions executed by van Dyck, in the summer of 1641, only months before the artist’s premature death at the age of forty-two. It bears many of the hallmarks of his remarkable genius – in the subtle rendering of the sitter’s physiognomy, the masterful depiction of the shimmering drapery, the brilliance of the palette, and the assured draughtsmanship and deft handling of the paint. A work of the finest quality, it represents the culmination of all that van Dyck had learnt from his master, Peter Paul Rubens, and from his Venetian predecessors, notably Titian. By developing his own distinctive style of portraiture, characterised by a calm authority and supreme elegance, van Dyck both revolutionised portraiture in Europe and left a legacy for future generations of artists from Gainsborough and Lawrence, to Sargent and Freud.” 

ROYAL PROVENANCE: Identified by Sir Oliver Millar as one of two portraits commissioned from van Dyck for the court at The Hague, this painting would originally have formed part of the prestigious collection of the Princes of Orange, Stadtholders of the United Provenances of the Netherlands. It would likely have been displayed in one of their principal palaces, possibly at Binnenhof Palace in The Hague, where Princess Mary lived with her husband William, alongside works by many of the principal Dutch and Flemish painters of the seventeenth century. 

VAN DYCK IN ENGLAND: In July 1632, van Dyck was appointed ‘Principal Painter in Ordinary to their Majesties’ by King Charles I of England. A passionate collector and patron, the King had long hoped to attract a painter of such exceptional status and renown to his service, and found in van Dyck an artist not only capable of fulfilling his desire for magnificent portraits and paintings, but also one who shared his tastes, especially for Venetian pictures. The style, refinement and brilliance of van Dyck’s portraits was unprecedented in England; the artist instilled in his sitters a new sense of vitality and movement and his bravura technique allowed him to enliven the entire surface of his works with light, assured dashes of paint, as exemplified in the present portrait. 

PRINCESS MARY AS SITTER: Van Dyck first painted the sitter in the weeks immediately following his arrival in London in 1632, when the young Princess Royal was shown with her parents, King Charles I and Queen Henrietta Maria, and elder brother, the future King Charles II. The monumental group portrait, known as ‘The Greate Peece’, dominated the King’s Long Gallery in the Palace of Whitehall (The Royal Collection). The earliest single portraits of Princess Mary, which show her full-length in a blue dress, with her hands linked together across her stomach – a pose that echoes van Dyck’s earlier portraits of her mother – were painted in or before 1637, and are now in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and at Hampton Court. Four years later, she sat again to van Dyck with her fifteen-year-old husband, Prince William of Orange, for the double portrait now in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, as well as for the present work. 

Sir Anthony Van Dyck (1599-1641), Charles I and Henrietta Maria with their two eldest children, Prince Charles and Princess Mary, 1631-32. Oil on canvas, 303.8 x 256.5 cm (support, canvas/panel/str external), RCIN 405353. Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2018

Anthony Van Dyck (Flemish, 1599–1641), Princess Mary, Daughter of Charles I, about 1637. Oil on canvas, 132.1 x 106.3 cm (52 x 41 7/8 in.), Accession number 61.391. © 2018 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Anthony Van Dyck (1599–1641), Princess Mary Stuart (1631–1660), c.1637. Oil on canvas, 136.5 x 108.5 cm, Accession number 3005060. © Hampton Court Palace.

JEWELS AND ATTIRE: In both the present work and in the Rijksmuseum double portrait, Mary is shown wearing her wedding ring and the large diamond brooch given to her by her husband on 3 May 1641, the day after their marriage. Her spectacular coral gown, decorated with silver thread trim along its border, is thought to be similar to that worn for her wedding, rather than the cloth of silver-gold she wears in the Rijksmuseum picture. The apparent weight of the fabric, falling in broad, heavy folds, along with the bright highlights along the creases, suggest the fabric may have been cloth of silver. Shimmering highlights, applied in swift, cross-hatched strokes, were used as a form of shorthand by artists, mimicking the lustre of metallic threads as the textile caught the light. In accordance with the fashion of the period, her gown is open down the front, revealing a stiffened stomacher across the chest and a matching skirt beneath. The ribbons, which would at one time have been functional, lacing the skirt and stomacher to the bodice, were applied purely as adornment. One ribbon, however has been pinned or stitched flat to disguise the seam between the bodice and skirt. Details such as the Princess’s brooch, the string of pearls and ribbons on her shimmering dress are rendered with remarkable precision and delicacy, characteristics that defined the artist’s finest late works.

Sir Anthony Van Dyck, Portrait of Princess Mary, daughter of King Charles I of England (detail). Estimate: £5,000,000-8,000,000. © Christie’s Images Limited 2018

Lot 112. A 86.30 carats diamond necklace, Harry Winston, 1984. Estimate US$ 350,000 - 550,000 (€ 300,000 - 470,000). © Bonhams 2001-2018

designed as a double line of graduating round brilliant-cut diamonds, suspending a fringe of pear-shaped brilliant-cut diamond drops; signed Winston, no.9879; with maker's mark for Jacques Timey; accompanied by a signed pouch; total diamond weight: 86.30 carats; mounted in platinum; length: 15 1/2in.

Accompanied by GIA report # 2195474687, dated June 29, 2018, stating the 3.43 carats diamond as: E color, VVS2 clarity.

Accompanied by GIA report # 6197474702, dated June 29, 2018, stating the 2.59 carats diamond as: E color, VS1 clarity.

Accompanied by GIA report # 1192474705, dated June 29, 2018, stating the 2.58 carats diamond as: D color, VVS1 clarity.

Bonhams. FINE JEWELLERY, 21 Sep 2018, 11:00 EDT, NEW YORK