A Bauhaus icon moves on to the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe in Hamburg, furniture provided surprises in the Lempertz’ auction, and porcelain shone with special motifs.

The MT49 / ME8 tea infuser by Marianne Brandt was one of the most important and rarest Bauhaus design objects up for auction, and it was therefore no surprise that it caused quite a stir in the run-up to the auction. The Hamburg Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe was ultimately able to secure the winning bid. The jug, which was given as a gift by Marianne Brandt to a close friend and has remained in the same family ever since, realised a record price of 340,000 euros including taxes and fees. As it transpired shortly before the auction, this was the eighth jug. A museum catalogue had apparently previously counted one example twice, so Marianne Brandt's tea extract pot is therefore even rarer than previously assumed. 

An ivory lidded tankard fetched 42,800 euros. The silver work was by Johann Eißler of Nuremberg, whilst the carving on this museum-quality piece depicts scenes from the Battle of Vienna in 1683 and is attributed to Johann Michael Hornung from Schwäbisch Hall.

Furniture from the 18th century was also very popular. A Mainz ‘cantourgen’ fetched the highest price: the elaborate piece of writing furniture went to a German private collector for 81,900 euros, whilst a Transition chest of drawers realised just over 68,000 euros. Made in the second half of the 19th century, it bears the stamp of the Parisian cabinetmaker Nicholas Petit, who was successful over several eras from the time of Louis XV to after the Revolution.

A signed box by Michiel Mann sold for 13,800 euros. Michiel or Michael, from the traditional Mann family of gunsmiths and metalworkers, can be traced back to 1616 in Augsburg, but died in Nuremberg in 1630.

One of the top lots amongst the porcelain was the bowl with ‘Shiba Onko’ decoration. The piece from Meissen reached 25,200 euros. Shiba Onko is the Japanese version of the name Sima Guang, a historian from the 11th century. According to tradition, his friend had fallen into a carp pool, and only by destroying this pool, Sima Guang saved his friend. The precious object went to China.

The Gothic Albarello, a majolica from around 1440 to 1450, reached just over 30,200 euros. Only a few such early albarelli decorated according to the Islamic model are known, most of which are in museum collections.

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Jan Bykowski
Press and Public Relations
info@lempertz.com
Tel. 0221 925729 -57