279th Preliminary Report

279th Sale – June 7th, 2019

Estate of Jean and Michèle Massouliè, Versailles & old fine arts from the estate of Dr. Bob Major, Waghäusel

Life in an auction house is always exciting… Every estate brings in the unexpected- new challenges for the academic team, new subjects to get acquainted with, new objects to identify, date and estimate… This was the case with the estate of Jean and Michéle Massouliè that will be sold on Friday, June 7th, 2019 at K&K Auctions in Heidelberg. The Massouliès lived in a villa in Versailles and were passionate collectors of French furniture, incl. fauteuils des Directoire & Empire, a 17th /18th cent. refectory dining table (estimate: € 1.000-1.500,- / reserve price: € 350,-), a 17./19. cent. cabinet with ivory inlay (estimate: € 2.500-3-000,- / reserve price: € 700,-), 18th and early 19th cent. French and English pottery and porcelains, incl. Creil-Montereau & Choisy-le-Roi, Staffordshire, Wedgwood, Old Paris & Sèvres, antiquities, Asian works of art, old carpets, incl. silk Ghoms (estimates: 6000 to 700,- / reserve prices: € 20,-), Shirvans, also Marasali, Kuba, Heris, Kasak, Kelims from Konya and old textiles, scrimshaws as well as jewellery.

There are two religious art highlights: a Gothic silver cross from a bishops church or abbey probably from 16th cent. Spain (estimate: € 28.000-35.000,- / reserve price: € 11.000,-) and the crown wearing Mother Mary with the child in limestone from Burgundy or Flanders about 1400, H 60 cm (estimate: € 8.000-12.000,- / reserve price: € 3.500,-).

In the old fine arts sections quite a few works are worth mentioning: an oil painting attributed to Hans II Jordaens „John of God“ about 1600 (estimate: € 5.500-6.000,- / reserve price: € 1.900,-), an ink drawing attributed to Giulio Romano showing Kronos about 1530 (estimate: € 6.000-6.500,- / reserve price: € 1.200,-), another ink drawing by Jakob van der Does with sheep in front of mighty trees dating 1641 (estimate: € 800-1.000,- / reserve price: € 290,-), a drawing by Johann Asam with the adoration of the shepherds about 1710 (estimate: € 800-900,- / reserve price: € 190,-), four impressive graphic works by Käthe Kollwitz „Woman with dead child“, „Young mother with baby“, „Prisoners listening to music“ u. „Self-Portrait“ um 1925/26 (estimates: € 450-1300,- / reserve prices: € 190-290,-), John Wilson’s „On the Normandy coast“ in oil (estimate: € 3.000-5.000,- / reserve price: € 750,-), Hans Borchardt’s „Reading hour“ in oil (estimate: € 3.800-4.000,- / reserve price: € 1.200,-) and the large portrait of a young girl in oil by Leonard Wintorowski from 1909 (estimate: € 2.500-2.800,- / reserve price: € 600,-). Among the beautiful collection of miniatures from the estate of Dr. Bob Major, the portrait of a young woman by James Warren Childe about 1815 stands out (estimate: € 380-450,- / reserve price: € 100,-). The sketchbook of the royal jeweler Nicolaus Trübner from Heidelberg with approx. 200 design drawings for jewellery might evoke interest not only in this region (estimate: € 2.000-2.500,- / reserve price: € 450,-).

To name some of the artists represented in the modern art section: Georges Braque, Rolf Cavael, Salvador Dalí, Johannes Gecelli, 2 x Acryl (estimates: € 2.000-2.500,- / reserve prices: € 900,-), George Grosz, Friedensreich Hundertwasser, Franz Huth (4x), Horst Janssen, Margot Keining, Fernand Lèger, Joachim Lutz, artists estate Pieter van Mol, Emil Nolde, Aquatinta (estimate: € 2.200-2.400,- / reserve price: € 750,-), Alexander Rosenlehner, Gustav Marx von Söhnen et al. Collectors of modern photography might be interested in the collection of 14 portraits by Timo Heiny (estimate: € 2.800-3.000,- / reserve price: € 20,-).

Asian works or art are manifold in this sale: starting with Chinese Neolithic vessels and stone axes, antique jades, incl. bi disks, amulets, 11th to 1st cent. BC bronze vessels, furthermore Tang and Yuan Dynasty terracotta figures, stone ware and many porcelains. Two Buddha figures are worth to take a look at: the 18th cent. Sino-Tibetan Buddha on the lotus throne from an Bavarian Coll. purchased at Nagel’s, Stgt. (estimate: € 8.000-12.000,- / reserve price: € 3.500,-) and the large bronze Buddha Shakyamuni, China, late Ming Period, 16th /17th cent. (estimate: € 3.000-3.500,- / reserve price: € 1.500,-).

In the antiquities section besides some interesting Luristan 12th to 7th cent. BC bronze objects (axe heads, pins, standard finials) (estimates: € 400-600,- / reserve prices: € 90-180,-), 2 Mehrgarh bowls, Indus Valley, 4th ML BC (estimate: € 250-350,- / reserve price: € 80,-), a small marble lion figure, probably Late Hittite Period, 9th /8th cent. BC (estimate: € 500-600,- / reserve price: € 190,-), a Hellenistic-Roman marble head of a young girl, 1st cent. AD (estimate: € 800-1.200,- / reserve price: € 250,-) and the bronze Medjed fish, Egypt, Late to Ptolemaic Period, 664-30 BC (estimate: € 2.000-2.500,- / Reserve price: € 450,-) are worth mentioning.

Collectors of historical objects won’t be annoyed either: a French cuirassier helmet, model 1872 from 1877 in it’s original condition is still quite impressive (estimate: € 500-550,- / reserve price: € 290,-), whereas the Victorian cutlery with ivory handles, a gift of Stephanie Duchess of Baden with a note from 1850 might be of nostalgic value (estimate: € 700-800,- / reserve price: € 500,-). Don’t miss these: a silver jug in trompe-l’oeil by Ovchinnikov, Moscow about 1880 (estimate: € 1.500-1.800,- / reserve price: € 450,-), a Cantonese ivory letter knife (estimate: € 300-400,- / reserve price: € 150,-), pipes, knives, scroll paintings and kimono, Edo/Meiji Period, Japan, from the estate of the admiral Oskar Klausa (1849 – 1907) of the German Royal Marine.

Finally it’s time to get chic- here are some posh watches you always wanted: Cartier Roadster Gold with diamonds (estimate: € 14.000-16.000,- / reserve price: € 5.800,-), Cartier Tank Française Gold (estimate: 3.000-4.000,- / reserve price: € 950,-), Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust Gold with diamonds (estimate: € 4.000-6.000,- / reserve price: € 1.600,-), Chopard L.U.C. Gold (estimate: 2.500-3.000,- / reserve price: € 1.200,-) and many more…

Preliminary report as PDF-download.