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A Rothko and a spectacular Fancy Vivid Blue Diamond are among the highlights of the November sales series at Sotheby’s in New York of the extraordinary collection of the late Rachel Lambert Mellow.  Details of the sales, whcih are expected to realise more than $100 million, were announced by Sotheby’s today.  The auctions will kick off on November 10 with an evening sale dedicated to a curated selection of Mrs Mellon’s fine art, which encapsulates her sophisticated eye and approach to collecting. The pieces on offer in the Masterworks auction span four centuries.  They are led by two incredible paintings by Mark Rothko estimated respectively at $20-30 million and $15-20 million. Sotheby’s will present Mrs. Mellon’s collection of Jewels & Objects of Vertu in a dedicated auction beginning on the evening of November 20 and featuring a spectacular Fancy Vivid Blue diamond estimated at $10-15 million. This sale is to continue the following morning. The series will culminate in a three-day Interiors sale from November 21-23,  with fine art, furniture, porcelain, silver, glassware, and decoration from the Mellons’ residences.  The more than 2,000 lots are drawn from the Mellons’ residences in the United States and abroad, and were acquired over a lifetime.

Proceeds from the sales will benefit The Gerard B. Lambert Foundation, a charitable entity established by Mrs. Mellon in memory of her father. The Foundation supports horticultural and educational endeavours.  UPDATE:  THE white glove auction of a curated section of fine art from the collection totalled $158,757,250 on November 10.

Mark Rothko
Untitled (Yellow, Orange, Yellow, Light Orange)
1955 ($20-30 million).  UPDATE: THIS MADE $35,565,000

(See post on antiquesandartireland.com for July 1, 2014).

A Magnificent and Rare Fancy Vivid Blue Diamond Pendant
The pear-shaped Fancy Vivid Blue diamond weighing 9.75 carats, mounted in
platinum. ($10.15 million).

A Pair of Chelsea Asparagus Tureens and Covers ($20,000-30,000).

An interior shot of a Mellon residence.

Furniture, sculpture and works of art from the 19^th century feature at Christie’s sale The Opulent Eye in London on September 18,  The sale is led by an exceptional coffre à bijoux, jewellery cabinet-on-stand, by Henri Fourdinois (£70,000-100,000). Recently rediscovered in a private Portuguese collection this unique cabinet captures the grand ambition and subtle sophistication of the great exhibitions of 19th century Europe. The mahogany veneers are finely inlaid with silvered-bronze mounts, and the angles cornered by lapis lazuli veneered columns supporting ivory angels by the sculptor Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse.

Representing many of the best makers and sculptors of the period, the sale presents palatial furnishings drawn from an eclectic mixture of styles and countries, united by their opulence, fine craftsmanship and use of precious materials. Featuring furniture, lighting, marble and bronze sculpture, garden statuary, clocks, carpets and porcelain, the sale totals 328 lots and is expected to realise in the region of £3.5 million. 

A French gilt and silvered bronze enamel and ivory mounted Coffre a bijoux (£80,000-120,000). Courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd., 2014.

A French ormolu mounted American walnut credence by Edouard Lievre, Paris c1870 (£150,000-250,000).  Courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd., 2014.

One of a pair of over life size cast iron models of a lion and tiger, the models by Henri Alfred Marie Jacquemart (£80,000-120,000). Courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd., 2014.