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Archive for the ‘Miscellaneous’ Category

CHRISTIE’S NEW ART SPACE IN BEIJING

Thursday, April 3rd, 2014

Christie’s new art space in Beijing.

THE global nature of the art and antiques market is underlined by Christie’s latest move to Beijing. The auction house has announced the opening of a brand new art space at The Imperial Club in the Chinese capital. This follows the launch of the James Christie Room at Alexandra House in Hong Kong in February. The Beijing establishment is Christie’s first art space in mainland China

It will serve as a multi-purpose platform for collectors and art lovers by holding uniquely curated exhibitions, lectures, art programs and private sales. It follows in the same spirit as similar spaces developed by Christie’s in London, Paris, New York and Hong Kong.

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THE FINEST VIOLA IN EXISTENCE TO MAKE MORE THAN $45 MILLION

Friday, March 28th, 2014

Antonio Stradivari (1644 – 1737) – The Macdonald viola 1719

THE finest viola in existence. The ‘Macdonald’ Viola by Antonio Stradivari (1644 – 1737) – will be offered in a sealed bid process this spring by Sotheby’s and Ingles & Hayday. The maker Stradivari has become synonymous with perfection in the field of musical instruments. The ‘Macdonald’ of 1719 is one of only two violas made during Stradivari’s ‘Golden Period’ (1700 – 1720), which saw the production of his finest instruments.

A Stradivari viola is the ultimate prize for collectors. These violas are the rarest of all. Only ten survive. His output during a long career included 600 violins and 50 cellos. In terms of condition, beauty of appearance and playing quality, the ‘Macdonald’ is without peer. The viola will be offered through a sealed bid process, with bids expected in excess of US$45 million.

The ‘Macdonald’ viola was purchased for Peter Schidlof of the Amadeus Quartet in 1964 and is being offered for sale by the family of the late musician, who died in 1987. The ‘Macdonald’ has a long documented history, passing through the hands of many titled owners. It was purchased by Godfrey Bosville, the 3rd Baron Macdonald – from whom its names derives – in the 1820s.

Below is a link to a video which features rising star violinist David Aaron Carpenter performing on the Macdonald viola.

http://www.sothebys.com/content/sothebys/en/news-video/videos/2014/03/the-macdonald-viola-by-stradivari.html

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FABERGE FIND – THE IRISH CONNECTION

Thursday, March 20th, 2014

The Imperial Egg that saved from being melted down for scrap.

The Imperial Egg saved from being melted down for scrap.

THE Irish connection in the in the finding of a fabulous long lost Faberge egg in the American mid-west comes through Mayfair jeweller Wartski. Kieran McCarthy, a Faberge specialist and director of Wartski, is from west Kerry and clinched the deal to sell the egg while on holidays in his homeland. A scrap metal dealer bought the egg at a flea market in the American mid-west to be melted down for gold. He paid around $10,000 based on its weight and the estimated value of the diamonds and sapphires it contained. He intended to sell it to a buyer who would melt it down but prospective purchasers thought he had over-estimated the price and turned him down. The egg stayed in his kitchen for years until one night in 2012 he googled “egg” and “Vacheron Constantin”, the name etched on the timepiece inside. Up came an article from the Daily Telegraph featuring a picture of his egg and naming Mr. McCarthy as the expert. Never having been to Europe before he flew to London with a picture of the egg. Mr. McCarthy then flew to the US to verify the discovery.

The egg was one of 50 created by Fabergé for the Russian Royal family. Measuring 8.2cm high, it was given by Tsar Alexander III to the Tsarina for Easter 1887. It was seized by the Bolsheviks and last recorded in Moscow in 1922 when the Soviets sold it as part of their “Treasures into Tractors” policy. Valued at around £20 million Wartski bought the egg on behalf of a private collector. This deal was clinched while Mr. McCarthy was on holiday in Kerry. The new owner is lending the egg to Wartski for public display from April 14-17 at the firm’s headquarters in Grafton Street, Mayfair.

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THE LOUVRE MUSEUM UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN ABU DHABI

Tuesday, March 4th, 2014

The Louvre under construction in Abu Dhabi, March 4, 2014.

An image taken on March 4, 2014 of the building site that will become the Louvre in Abu Dhabi next year. Located just minutes from the business centre at Saadiyat Island the museum is designed by the Pritzker Prize winning architect Jean Nouvel. The design combines modern architecture and Arabic traditions. Two thirds of the museum is to be covered by a white dome, 180 metres in diameter. An arrangement of geometric openings inspired by interlaced palm leave traditionally used as roofing material will create a “rain of light” and make it possible to control the temperature inside. The design reflects a desire to create a universal museum in which all cultures are brought together. The museum is scheduled to open in 2015. The Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, designed by Frank Gehry, is scheduled to be completed on an adjacent site on Saadiyat Island in 2017.

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RECORD YEAR FOR SOTHEBY’S IN 2013 – 2014 EVEN BETTER SO FAR

Friday, February 28th, 2014

The Hutton-Mdivani necklace. UPDATE: IT SOLD FOR $27.44 MILLION US

Sotheby’s reports a record year in 2013 with sales to date in 2014 significantly up on last year. Consolidated sales grew by 17% to $6.3 billion, the highest total in company history. Private sales grew by 30% to nearly $1.2 billion, the highest total Sotheby’s has ever recorded in this category, and profitablility increased by 20%.

At auctions the number of clients from Asia increased by 24%. In 2013 sales more than doubled in Chinese Contemporary Art, Indian & Southeast Asian Art, 20^th Century Chinese Art and Jadeite Jewelry. The number of successful purchases through Sotheby’s BidNow programme grew by 36% last year.

All of which augurs well for the sale of the world’s greatest jadeite bead necklace which comes in Hong Kong on April 7. The Hutton-Mdivani necklace is estimated to sell for more than $12.8 million US.

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A GIFT TO MAKE CHRISTMAS AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF IRELAND VERY SPECIAL

Monday, December 23rd, 2013

A gift of 107 pieces of antique Irish silver would make Christmas very special for the National Museum of Ireland. The Museum of Decorative Arts at Collins Barracks in Dublin is seeking a sponsor for a private collection valued at 1.75 million. It is available to the museum until the end of February 2014. After that it will be broken up and sold.

Highights include the earliest known Cork bullet teapot by Thomas Lily (1723); a trowel used to lay the foundation stone for New Geneva in Co. Waterford in 1784, an 18th century project to settle Protestant Swiss craftspeople in this country which never materialised; the John Pennyfather Strawberry Dish of 1717 and a pair of George I Cork tazzae by William Clarke 1715 for Fota House in Co. Cork. A process exists whereby an Irish taxpayer could offset 80 per cent of the market value of the purchase. A catalogue of the collection can be seen on the website of silver dealers L and W Duvallier at www.antiqueirishsilver.com

This contains a letter from the Director of the National Museum of Ireland Dr. Raghnall O Floinn which states that this acquisition would: “Transform the National Museum of Ireland’s Collection into the premier collection of its type, surpassing the Irish silver holdings of rival institutions such as the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the San Antonio Museum, Texas. Collections of this quality are exceptionally rare and are not normally offered for sale collectively but are usually sold off as individual lots. The dispersal of this collection piecemeal either by private teaty or at auction would represent a great loss to the country”.

A Cork bullet teapot by Thomas Lily 1723.

A large Cork gallery tray by John Nicholson.

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UNIQUE IRISH TESTIMONIAL AT QUEENS UNIVERSITY BELFAST

Sunday, December 15th, 2013

The Morpeth Roll, a singular testimonial signed by over 160,000 people in Ireland in 1841, is on display at the Naughton Gallery, Queen’s University, Belfast until next January 26. The roll, which is 420 metres long, was created as a public tribute to George Howard, Lord Morpeth, on his 1841 departure from Ireland after six years as Chief Secretary. A Liberal, he later served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. It is seen as a tribute both to his popularity and to the reforming Whig government which he served. Re-discovered in the archives of Castle Howard in Yorkshire it was conserved at NUI Maynooth and digitised for its wealth of pre-Famine information by ancestry.com

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BAUBLES, BANGLES AND BEADS AT JAMES ADAM

Monday, December 9th, 2013

Baubles, bangles and beads will come under the hammer at James Adam in Dublin on December 10. There are diamond rings, earrings, watches, bracelets, brooches and various stones on offer in a sale with something to suit most budgets. The catalogue, with 247 lots, is online. Here is a small selection.

A diamond single-stone ring of 3.25 carats (10,000-20,000) UPDATE: THIS MADE 10,000 AT HAMMER

A diamond and ruby ring (4,000-6,000) UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD

A pair of diamond and natural pearl pendant earrings (7,000-10,000) UPDATE: THESE WERE UNSOLD

A pair of Art Deco diamond and jade set earrings (10,000-15,000) UPDATE: THESE MADE 10,000 AT HAMMER

A gentleman’s Golden Ellipse wristwatch by Patek Philippe circa 1975 (7,000-10,000) UPDATE: THIS MAE 9,400 AT HAMMER

A diamond pendant by Frank Gehry for Tiffany (250-450) UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR 600

An 18 carat gold charm bracelet (2,000-4,000) UPDATE: THIS MADE 2,100 AT HAMMER

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NOW GETTING 1.5 MILLION HITS EVERY MONTH

Sunday, December 1st, 2013

This website is now recording 1.5 million impressions every month. Growth has been steady throughout 2013. At a time when internet bidding is becoming more and more of a feature at every sale antiquesandartireland.com is read around the world, from Argentina and China to New Zealand and India. The majority of users of the site are based in Ireland, Britain, the United States and Europe. The chart illustrated here, from Google’s Webmaster Tools, shows the number of impressions received in the month to December 1. You can click on the image to enlarge it.

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ART DECO DIAMOND BRACELET AT O’REILLY’S, FRANCIS ST.

Monday, November 18th, 2013

A Garrard Art Deco bracelet still in its original box is the feature lot at O’Reilly’s sale at Francis St., Dublin on November 20. The estimated weight of the four main stones is 0.50 carats each. The bracelet is estimated at 12,000-14,000. The catalogue is online. Here is a small selection.

A diamond and ruby cluster ring (2,000-2,600).

An Art Deco diamond bracelet in original Garrard box (12,000-14,000). UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR 14,000

An early 20th century diamond and ruby ring (2,200-2,500). UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR 2,300

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