Captivating silver and rarities from the Gothic and Renaissance periods

Exquisite silverware and rare objects from the Gothic and Renaissance periods thrilled bidders at Lempertz. The auctions ‘Silver, Objets de Vertu and Furniture’ and ‘Ceramics & Porcelain from European Collections’ saw significant price increases.

The traditionally strong selection of silverware opened the auction day for decorative arts. Top pieces of early silver and important modern collections sparked international demand – almost all lots in this category were sold.

Among the Renaissance silverware, a rare columbine cup decorated with shellwork attracted particular interest. At €32,000, it sold for well above its estimate. A communion box from St. Peter's Church in Freiberg sold for several times its estimate: The successful bidder paid €10,000 for the finely engraved 17th-century piece decorated with depictions of the Evangelists and their attributes. The price of the important double-mazer cup from the Walter von Pannwitz collection also exceeded expectations, fetching €32,700.

Among the modern silver, works by Emil Lettré were also in high demand at this auction. His designs were a must-have for any sophisticated household in 20th-century Berlin. The results of the current auction prove how highly valued and sought-after his works still are today. Seven pieces by the silversmith were included in the catalogue, each of which exceeded price expectations. His ‘Cutlery set No. 6300’ sold for €6,300, doubling its estimate.

The works of Emmy Roth, characterised by their minimalist and harmonious design, were also in high demand in Berlin in the 1920s and 1930s. The Jewish Museum in Berlin is currently showcasing her work in a major exhibition. At the auction in Cologne, a coffee service on an oval tray sold for several times its estimated price; it was secured by a Dutch museum for around €38,000. 

The continuing demand for designs from that period is also reflected in the result achieved for a very extensive 164-piece ‘Cannes’ cutlery set from the French company Puiforcat. The set, from a private collection in the Rhineland, fetched around €58,000.

The auction also offered some interesting items from England: Numerous works from the important Seawolf Collection were offered in the first instalment of this collection, with the second portion to follow in the upcoming spring auction. On 21st November, new collectors were able to acquire items including an original sugar bowl with scoop, which fetched €17,600 instead of the estimated €3,000. The Arts and Crafts table clock ‘Magnus’ by Archibald Knox also went well above its estimate, fetching €22,600.

The auction reached its peak with a result of €88,200 for the tapestry ‘forêt sauvage à feuilles de choux’, attributed to the workshops in Aubusson. The boundary between reality and fantasy seems to blur as one's gaze travels through the complex and diverse scenes depicted in the forest tapestry, and this variety clearly also fascinated bidders.

A table clock dated 1584, formerly owned by Jacek Młodziejowski, the Polish royal treasurer who died in 1604, featuring allegories of the cardinal virtues, also caused a turbulent increase in bidding. It was sold for over €88,000.

Items from the distant but still familiar Gothic era also attracted considerable interest. A bronze crucifix from the 12th century was raised from its estimate of €6,000 to €21,400 after a lengthy bidding battle. A 13th-century candlestick, also made of bronze, achieved a result of €20,000. 

The result achieved for a pair of Tuscan console tables demonstrates just how keen the interest in high-quality furniture is. The pieces combine gilded wood supports with tops featuring scagliola inlays over a stone and plaster base. The successful bidder was willing to part with €36,500 for these impressive works.

A highly important faience jug with painted decor and mountings by Wolfgang Rössler of Nuremberg fetched €27,700, significantly more than its estimate. The same held true for a teapot made of so-called ‘iron porcelain’. The surface treatment of these rare pieces, made from a special type of Böttger stoneware, gives the items a metallic sheen. This rare object fetched €18,900.

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