297th Sale – November 3/ 4, 2023
Art collection of a large Mannheim automation company, Part I & regional estates
The first part of the collection of modern art from a large Mannheim automation company is up for grabs, as well as ancient art, Asian rarities, historical items, high-quality wristwatches, fine icons and much more.
Highlights of modern art include the female nude in bronze by Hans Breker (estimate: € 2400-2600 / reserve: € 700), Peter Fischlis and David Weiss’ Stonehenge as a large-format black-and-white photograph from 1988/89 (estimate: € 14,000-16,000 / reserve; € 3,600), two monochrome watercolors by Gotthard Graubner (each estimate: € 4,000-6,000 / reserve: € 1,000), three resin works by Herbert Hamak “C101”, “C102”, “C103” from 1900 (each estimate: € 1,800-2,000 / reserve: € 500), the acrylic painting “Cusanus” by Rainer Jochims from 1988 (€ 5,000-6,000 / reserve: € 2800), two acrylic portraits “Anna” and “Liselotte” by Imi Knoebel from 1991 (each € estimate: € 30,000-40,000 / reserve: € 9,000), various works by Fritz Köthe, included two large acrylic paintings “Finger” and “Leyton House” from 2001/1992 (each estimate: € 5,000-6,000 / reserve: € 3,000) as well as the black-and-white photographs “Niagara Falls II and III” by Zoe Leonard from 1986/90 (estimate: € 2,500-3,000 / reserve: € 750), to name just a few. Of the painter’s estates, that of the Heidelberg based painter Fred Anselm (1922-2005) should be mentioned with over 330 works, including numerous so-called hard edge oil paintings from the series “Painted Principles”, based on the symbol Yin and Yang.
Up for auction in the section of old fine arts, come the counterparts with a soldier’s camp and a battle scene in oil by the historical painter Georg Philipp Rugendas from the early 18th century (estimate: € 3,000-3,500 / reserve: € 750), is a water colored drawing attributed to Hubert Robert around 1760 with a multi-figured Roman architectural capriccio (estimate: € 5,000-6,000 / reserve: € 750), the large oil painting attributed to Joachim von Sandrart (Sothebys 1989) with a homecoming from the hunt scene as an allegory of a winter month (estimate: € 3,500-4,500 / reserve: € 900).
For those interested in historical collectibles, this time there is a complete knight’s armor of historicism made of iron based on the model of the 15th/16th century (estimate: € 2,000-3,000 / reserve: €700), two imperial sabers with Damascus blades (estimate: €1,200-1,800 / reserves: €500/600), a spectacular “Toradar”, a matchlock rifle from Rajasthan, 370 cm long! (estimate: €2,000-3,000 / reserve: €700) and the first part of a museum collection of the German medals “Iron Cross” from 1813 to 1945 (47 lots, all with reserve: € 90). The “Atlas General et Elementaire de l’Empire de Toutes les Russies” from 1795 with 38 engraved maps (estimate: €7,000-9,000 / reserve: € 20) can be described as an antiquarian rarity.
As always, there are also porcelains from the 18th to 20th centuries. on call, including the Meissner porcelain sculpture “After the Bath” around 1900 (estimate: €2,000-3,000 / reserve: € 650) and 5 figures from the Commedia dell’Arte, Meissen (estimate: €2,500-3,500 / reserve: €800), silver, glass, including studio glass, early 19th century and Art Nouveau glass, modern Lalique glass, further jewelry, and numerous gold coins et al.
In the Asian art section there are fine porcelains, including a “Hundred Butterflies” vase from the Guangxu period around 1900 (estimate: € 4,000-5,000 / reserve: € 900) and Sino-Tibetan bronzes, including a wrathful Buddhist deity, dating from the 18th/19th centuries (estimate: € 3,000-3,500 / reserve: € 1,200). Particularly noteworthy are two rare Mongolian crane kilims from Gansu, China from the early 20th century. (estimate: € 4,000-5,000 / reserve: € 20)
The offer is rounded off by a wide range of wristwatches from Rolex, including two Oyster Perpetual Datejust automatics, one “bubble back” from 1948, IWC, including Da Vinci SL Automatic Gold and Da Vinci, Junghans Chronoskop Solar, Chopard, Santos de Cartier, Nomos Orion 1274, also gold pocket watches.