A 20th century Kaiser bisque figure of an American bald eagle, modelled by Gerd Pitterkoff
An American bald eagle model given to Margaret Thatcher by Ronald Reagan was the top lot at the first of two Christie’s sales of the property of Mrs. Thatcher. Estimated at £5,000-8,000 it sold for £266,500 to an online buyer. There were registered bidders from 41 countries across 5 continents. Comprising 185 lots, the auction at Christie’s headquarters in London sparked international interest with extremely competitive bidding in the saleroom, on the telephones and online. The sale brought in £3,280,475, selling 100% by lot and 100% by value.
The 20th century Kaiser bisque figure of the eagle, modelled by Gerd Pitterkoff, has an inscription which reads: ‘Presented to the Hon. Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister of Great Britain for staunch and spirited support of the market economy principle. The Award was presented by the Hon. Walter H. Annenberg with the best wishes from Ronald Reagan President of the United States June 13th 1984, presented at the Foreign Office 10 Downing Street.’
Mrs. Thatcher’s red ministerial despatch box, in which she carried confidential documents, sold for £242,500 over an estimate of £3,000-5,000.
The online only sale runs until 3 pm today. UPDATE: The two sales totalled £4,516,438.
The first ever joint acquisition of two Rembrandt masterpieces by the French and Dutch states was facilitated through Christie’s private sale channel. The acquisition cost the Louvre 80 million euro and is the largest ever made by a French museum. They were acquired from the French branch of the Rothschild family. The portraits of Maerten Soolmans and his wife Oopjen Coppit were executed a year after the couple’s wedding in 1634. They will always be shown together, alternately at the Louvre and the Rijksmuseum, but will be owned separately. They will be exhibited publicly for the first time at the Louvre in a few weeks time. They will then be shipped to Holland for restoration.
