Geneva

Piece of jewelery in palmette form (brilliant set). Pallard, Jean Jacques (1701-1776) (goldsmith), Geneva / Vienna, 1746. 83 brilliants, gold, silver, brass, steel; 5.7 x 4.5 cm. Green Vault, VIII 22 © Dresden State Art Collections The palmette-like jewel of the brilliant set has lost its true function for over two hundred and thirty years. It originally served as the coulant of a Golden Fleece Order - the slider through which the ribbon was drawn to carry the Order around the neck. This order was completed in... [Lire la suite]

Lot 81. The Celebrated King Farouk Magician Box. A Superb Four Color Gold and Musical Automaton Magician Snuff Box. Attributed to Piguet & Meylan, Goldsmith’s Mark of Chenevard Jouvet & Cie, Geneva, circa 1820. Estimate $1.5‒2.5 million. Photo Sotheby's. NEW YORK, NY.- Sotheby’s announced that its June sale of Important Watches in New York will be led by Swiss Mechanical Marvels, Part II, the second and final offering of a magnificent private collection of enameled automata from the early... [Lire la suite]

Lot 176. Bautte & Moynier. An exceptional three tune musical automaton bird cage clock with double singing birds and a butterfly, Geneva, 1825-1830. Estimate 400,000 — 800,000 CHF (367,960 - 735,919 EUR) (411,000 – 825,000 USD). Photo Sotheby's. GENEVA.- Sotheby’s Spring sale of Important Watches on Saturday 14 May will feature at its heart an exceptional and rare musical automaton clock, shaped as a bird cage, with double singing birds and a butterfly. This masterwork of... [Lire la suite]

The Singing Bird Scent Flask by Jaquet Droz & Leschot circa 1785 sells for $2.5M / CHF 2.3M. More than double the pre-sale high estimate. A world auction record for any timepiece by the Swiss manufacturer. Photo: Sotheby's. NEW YORK, NY.- Timepieces spanning from 1760 to 2015 brought Sotheby’s its highest-ever total for a ‘various-owner’ sale of Important Watches in New York, achieving $12.5 million / CHF 11.6 million (sale estimate $6.5–10 million) with a very strong 88.8% of lots sold. The centerpiece of... [Lire la suite]

The Singing Bird. Scent Flask Made for The Chinese Market. Attributed to Jacquet-Droz & Leschot, Geneva, circa 1790. Estimate $800,000 / 1.2 million. Photo: Sotheby's. NEW YORK, NY.- This June, Sotheby’s will offer a magnificent private collection of musical automata that embodies the golden age of Swiss craftsmanship during the Industrial Revolution, when noted makers married technology and artistry to create miraculous objects in miniature, for export throughout Europe, Turkey, India and the Imperial Court in... [Lire la suite]

Jewel of the Order of the Golden Fleece 'From Brazilian Yellow Topaz". Pallard, Jean Jacques (Goldsmith), Geneva or Vienna, 1755-1756. Three step-cut topaz, 369 diamonds, gold, silver. Total H 15.2 cm; Order: 10.9 x 8.0 mm; trailer: 4.3 x 4.5 cm. VIII 5. Green Vault © Dresden State Art Collections 2013 Only after Augustus the Strong converted to Catholicism in 1697, paved the way for his inclusion in the oldest and most prestigious Catholic order, the Order of the Golden Fleece. In fact, it was only in 1722 coincided with his... [Lire la suite]

A regency silver seven-light centerpiece candelabrum mark of Paul Storr, London, 1817. Estimate- $60,000 - $90,000. Photo: Christie's Images Ltd 2012 NEW YORK, NY.- On October 19, Christie’s will present the sale of Important Silver and Objects of Vertu, which will offer 240 significant lots ranging from a magnificent bejeweled zarf, to classical and modern works by Paul Storr and Georg Jensen. Works of exceptional and royal provenance will be offered, as the sale features property from multiple private collections including... [Lire la suite]