2017-03-09

FIC123 NEW WEBSITE

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We are currently migrating from our old site to the new site.
 
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7505 - 20170315 - Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions to offer silver from the descendants of the van den Steen de Jehay family - Newbury - 15.03.2017

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A pair of late 17th/early 18th century silver parcel gilt figure groups by Abraham Drentwett II, Augsburg, circa 1800 (Lot 35, £30,000-50,000)
 
 Featuring in the Jewellery, Silver and Watches sale at Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions on 15th March at Donnington Priory is a wonderful collection of 18th and 19th century Belgian, Dutch and French silver and objects of vertu, consigned by the English descendants of the van den Steen de Jehay family.

Château de Jehay is a castle near Amay in the province of Liège in Belgium. Lambert van den Steen, lord of Saives (1664-1757) was the first representative of the van den Steen family to bear the title of lord of Jehay. In 1720, the château and its lordship was purchased by Lambert van den Steen who was an advisor to the Prince-Bishop of Liège. The family went on to keep the domain for 280 years. The title of comte (count) was conferred in 1840.

A highlight from this collection comprising 13 lots in the sale on 15th March is a striking pair of late 17th/early 18th century silver parcel gilt figure groups by Abraham Drentwett II, Augsburg, circa 1800. One features a cherub with a spear tackling a wild boar and the other a seated cherub with a bow with a rearing hind, each on an oval base (Lot 35, £30,000-50,000).

Additional standout pieces include a stunning mid 18th century Belgian silver large baluster chocolate pot by Jacobus van de Vyvere, Ghent 1747-48 (Lot 26, Est: £5,000-8,000) and a Meissen doublée d'or and diamond mounted cartouche shaped porcelain snuff box, circa 1740 (Lot 59, Est: £3,000-5,000).

During and after the Second World War the castle was used as a children's home and was in rather poor condition. It was given back to Count Guy van den Steen in 1950. Guy van den Steen was a sculptor and many of his works now adorn the château’s grounds. Guy’s death in 1999 brought to an end the van den Steen de Jehay family line.

The castle and its collections were acquired by the province of Liège. Guy van den Steen's legacy was to leave the house open to the public in as pristine condition as possible.

Website : Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions

Source : Artdaily
 

2017-03-08

7504 - 20170314 - Sotheby's Sale of Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art - New York - 14.03.2017

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Horace van Ruith, Untitled (A Brahmin Household). Signed 'HORACE VAN RUITH' Bombay' lower left. Oil on canvas, 40¼ x 60⅜ in. (102.3 x 153.4 cm.). Estimate $40/60,000. Photo: Sotheby's.
 
Sotheby’s New York announced the full offerings of Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art. To be auctioned on 14 March, the 58 paintings from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries, all from private collections, highlight the depth and breadth of this category. From works originating from the Chester and David Herwitz Collection, which established the market for Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art, to masterpieces of modernism, from paintings of abstraction to those of the late 19th century, the sale features artists from many of South Asia’s artistic movements. Following a travelling exhibition of highlights in Delhi, Sotheby’s galleries of Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art will open on 7 March, alongside its online sale of A Lyrical Line: Paintings and Drawings by Francis Newton Souza, which is open for bidding from 3-20 March.

CELEBRATED PROVENANCE
Five paintings from an Important Swiss Collection underline the strength of provenance in this season’s sale. Sayed Haider Raza’s Paysage, Maqbool Fida Husain’s Untitled (Four Women) and Ganesh Pyne’s Untitled (Krishna with Flute) are of particular note, having been off the market since their purchase at Sotheby’s New York on 3 April 1996. Originating from Chester and Davida Herwitz– passionate collectors based in New York who assembled an impressive group of modern and contemporary art of which half was donated to the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem Massachusetts and the other half was sold at Sotheby’s in a dedicated sale – these paintings marked a significant turning point in the Modern & Contemporary South Asian market.

Sayed Haider Raza’s Paysage from 1983 was painted at the apex of the artist’s career (estimate $200/300,000). Marking the artist’s progression towards total abstraction, the work embodies characteristics of Hindu philosophy, specifically its emphasis on geometry. The work’s composition and palette hark back to Indian miniature painting; in fact the colors utilized in this work of art are inspired by the traditional hues of Rajasthan.

Four Women from 1971 is a masterpiece in the oeuvre of Maqbool Fida Husain (estimate $400/600,000). Closely linked in composition to Between the Spider and the Lamp, which drew inspiration from Pablo Picasso’s Cubist masterpiece Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, Four Women flawlessly merges European Modernism and Indian sensibility. In fact, Husain’s addition of silent masks and obliteration of background allows the artist to isolate and alienate the women in this painting – symbolic of his deep awareness of the human condition.

JEWELS OF MODERNISM
For connoisseurs of modern & contemporary South Asian art, Jehangir Sabavala and Francis Newton Souza are considered leaders in the field. The 14 March auction in New York features significant works of art from their artistic output, including a monumental landscape and a characteristic portrait.

Jehangir Sabavala’s City-II is one of his most celebrated works. Concentrated on the sky, one of the artist’s favorite subjects, the oil on canvas is archetypal in its use of parallel layer. With cumulonimbus clouds pluming over the setting sun in downtown Bombay, the heavens dominate the canvas and dwarf the urban setting – a reference to the power of nature over man. This stunning work of art from 1999 carries a pre-sale estimate of $250/300,000.

Francis Newton Souza’s Untitled (Portrait of a Lady) is a beautiful example of the artist’s characteristic monumental two-dimension head and torso compositions (estimate $80/120,000). Set against a thick impasto background devoid of context, the subject becomes the sole focus of the viewer. In addition to its artistic significance, this 1960 portrait is also fascinating in that the sitter has been identified; spotted by Francis Newton Souza at a bar called the North Star in London, the current owner of the painting sat for the artist and was gifted the painting in 1963.

STAR OF THE 21ST CENTURY
Following in the footsteps of Jehangir Sabavala and Francis Newton Souza are a group of strong South Asian artists, who combine their national identities with international perspective. Amongst these rising stars is Bharti Kher, a British-Indian contemporary artist who engages with issues of migration, identity, femininity and sexuality.

Vincent van Gogh’s iconic The Starry Night inspires Bharti Kher’s Starry Night after V.G. (estimate $70/90,000). The Dutch Post-Impressionist’s use of brilliant colors and undulating composition is echoed in the Indian contemporary artist’s medium of reflective mirror surfaces and dynamic movement of the swirls. However, by appropriating the bindi – the mark of pigment applied to the forehead with the Hindu symbol of the third eye – Bharti Kher infuses this work of art with meanings of commercialism, gender roles and popular culture.

DAILY AND THEATRICAL SCENES OF INDIA
At the turn of the 19th century, Horace van Ruith and Raja Ravi Varma were amongst the most well-established artists in India. Working during the British Raj, the rule of the British Crown in India, highlights from this season’s auction fittingly sit at the intersection of East and West.

An Italian artist who specialized in portraiture, landscapes and genre scenes, Horace van Ruith began working on scenes of daily life in India during and following his trips to Bombay between 1880 and 1884. Untitled (A Brahmin Household) is characteristic of his work, capturing an intimate family moment in the serenity of their own home (estimate $40/60,000). As paintings by the artist are rare and seldom appear on the market, this large-scale tableau-style work is a significant offering this March.

Raja Ravi Varma, now considered a National Heritage Artist, painted Untitled (Damayanti) based on a composition taken from a photograph of a European performance of ‘The Feast of Roses, L’inamorata’, circa 1900 (estimate $500/700,000); in place of the Western actors, Varma re-imagined the scene with the heroine of a popular Sanskrit play, Damayanti. By dressing her in a glimmering sari, the artist brilliantly combines classic Indian mythology with European Realism whilst showcasing his exceptional skill in portraying women. Like many other paintings in the sale, this work by Raja Ravi Varma has celebrated provenance – having originated from the Collection of Fritz Schleicher, the German owner of the renowned printing press in Lonavala.
 
 
 
 

2017-03-07

7503 - 20170314 - Sotheby's New York announces 'Ming: The Intervention of Imperial Taste' - New York - 14.03.2017

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An Exceptionally Rare and Important Blue and White Moon Flask Ming Dynasty, Yongle Period Estimate $2.2/3 million. Photo: Courtesy Sotheby’s.
 
On 14 March, Sotheby’s New York will commence it’s Asia Week New York sales with Ming: The Intervention of Imperial Taste. An exploration of imperial influence and technical refinement, the sale chronologically examines the three hundred-year reign of the Ming Dynasty. From the perfection of white porcelain after the transfer of power from Yuan to Ming, to the expansion of blue and white designs by the end of the 16th Century, these fourteen works of art encapsulate the vested interest and pride of the Ming emperors and their courts in such works of art. In the words of Dr. John Alexander Pope, ‘it may well be that no product, either industrial or artistic, or both, ever combined greater beautify and utility or exercised wider influence over such a large part of the world as did Ming porcelain’. The New York exhibition of Ming: The Intervention of Imperial Taste opens to the public on 9 March 2017, along with all other Asia Week New York auctions and selling exhibitions.

An Exceptionally Rare and Fine Anhua-Decorated Tianbai-Glazed Meiping
Ming Dynasty, Yongle Period
Height 12 5/8 in., 32.2 cm
Estimate $2.3/2.8 million
While the Yuan Dynasty attributed special significance to white porcelain, its perfection was achieved under the reign of the Yongle Emperor. The tianbai glaze, described by writer Huang Yizheng as ‘immaculate like piled-up snow’, is a striking illustration of technical development; in the present example, the intricate peony scrolls beautifully materialize from under the luminous, luscious white glaze.

Property from an Important Private Collection
An Exceptionally Rare and Important Blue and White Moon Flask
Ming Dynasty, Yongle Period
Height 11 3/8 in., 28.8 cm
Estimate $2.2/3 million
Under the watchful eye of the Yongle Emperor, the imperial kilns of Jingdezhen in Jiangxi produced porcelain of the highest caliber, with many reserved for diplomatic missions led by Admiral Zheng He. Traded for rare animals, medicinal and food plants, pearls, precious stones, ivory and other luxury goods in major ports across South and Southeast Asia and as far afield as the Middle East, such works of art were perceived to be incredibly rare, valuable and symbolic of the Middle Kingdom. It is therefore unsurprising that the only surviving companion of the same design was preserved by in the Ottoman royal collection, and now resides at the Topkapı Palace in Istanbul, Turkey.

Property of a Gentleman
An Exceptionally Rare and Large Fine Blue and White Reserve-Decorated ‘Peony’ Dish
Xuande Mark and Period
Diameter 15 1/4 in., 38.6 cm
Estimate $1/1.5 million
During the Xuande period, ceramics previously destined for far-away lands – as had been the case in the aforementioned Yuan Dynasty – were re-directed towards the imperial courts. This decision significantly impacted designs of works of art, including reserve-decoration wares, as standards of quality were raised to meet the lofty expectations of the Emperor. In this Exceptionally Rare and Large Fine Blue and White Reserve-Decorated ‘Peony’ Dish, the meticulous application of both blue and white glazes is highlighted by the smooth and even surface.

Property from an Important Private Collection
A Superbly Painted Rare Blue and White ‘Dragon’ Brush Washer
Xuande Mark and Period
Diameter 8 1/8 in., 20.7 cm
Estimate $1.5/2.5 million
Praised by foreigners, blue and white porcelain garnered admiration amongst the Chinese during the Xuande Period for its graceful shapes and delicate painting. The present brush washer – a shape that would have been treasured by the Xuande Emperor, a lover of calligraphy and ink painting – is extremely rare. With its exceptionally painted dragon roundels and the inscription of the Xuande reign mark, this work of art would have been exclusively created for the imperial court.
 
 
 

2017-03-06

7502 - 20170329 - Unsseen Jackie Kennedy letters to British aristocrat revealed for the first time at Bonhams - London - 29.03.2017

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Jackie writes about devastating pain following JFK’s assassination. Photo: Bonhams.
 
Heartfelt personal letters from Jackie Kennedy to David Ormsby Gore (the 5th Lord Harlech), Britain’s Ambassador in the USA during the Kennedy Presidency are to be sold at The Contents of Glyn Cywarch – the Property of Lord Harlech Sale at Bonhams in London on Wednesday 29 March on behalf of Jasset, 7th Lord Harlech. They reveal for the first time that Ormsby Gore proposed marriage to Jackie Kennedy, why she turned him down and why, shortly afterwards, she married Aristotle Onassis.

The letters form part of a cache of papers that have been locked away unseen in two despatch boxes at Glyn Cywarch, the Harlech family house, since Lord Harlech’s death in 1985, including personal correspondence from President Kennedy and from British Prime Ministers, Harold Macmillan, Sir Alec Douglas-Home and Harold Wilson. The archive is estimated at £100,000-150,000.

Bonhams Head of Fine Books and Manuscripts in the UK, Matthew Haley said, “For decades, biographers have speculated on the precise relationship between Jackie Kennedy and David Ormsby Gore. These letters now show without doubt how close they came to marriage and why Jackie decided to marry Onassis instead. The correspondence has been sitting in two official red Government despatch boxes for more than 40 years. The keys were nowhere to be found and in the end we had to call a locksmith to slice through the locks. It was one of those astonishing moments when you can’t quite believe what you’re seeing.”

The 18 handwritten and one typed letters from Jackie Kennedy to David Ormsby Gore, 5th Lord Harlech, cover her days as First Lady from the assassination of President Kennedy until her marriage to Onassis in October 1968. They show a warm and very close relationship which deepened during 1967 after the tragic death in a car accident of Lord Harlech’s wife, Sissy, in May of that year. At the time, Jackie Kennedy wrote to him movingly, “Your last letter was such a cri de coeur of loneliness – I would do anything to take that anguish from you – You want to patch the wounds & match the loose pairs – but you can’t because your life won’t turn out that way.”

During the following months, the two spent an increasing amount of time together, often on private holidays, and in February 1968 Harlech proposed marriage. Among the newly discovered documents is a draft of his wounded response to her rejection of the proposal.

“All the pathetic plans I had brought with me for visits to Cyrenaica, holidays near one another and a whole variety of solutions to our marriage problem, including one for a secret marriage this summer – plans which I saw us eagerly discussing, calmly and with complete frankness as we did at the Cape and in Cambodia for the next wonderful ten days – all had become irrelevant trash to be thrown away within a few hours of my landing in New York. As for your photograph I weep when I look at it. Why do such agonizing things have to happen? Where was the need for it? I have tried for hours and hours to understand your explanation and I suppose I do in a way, without agreeing with it; but what I find unbearable and in a way, dearest Jackie, untrue is that you could come to such a categorical conclusion…”

Her reply to him, is tender and soothing. “We have known so much & shared & lost so much together – Even if it isn’t the way you wish now – I hope that bond of love and pain will never be cut… You are like my beloved beloved brother – and mentor – and the only original spirit I know – as you were to Jack.”

In June of that year Robert Kennedy was assassinated while seeking the Democratic Party nomination for the Presidency. Harlech was one of the pall bearers at the funeral. Shortly after the suppression of the Prague Spring by Soviet Forces in August, Jackie wrote to Harlech lamenting the state of the world, “I thought your speech about Czechoslovakia so beautiful – it brought tears to my eyes – Reading it you cant believe that the same things are being said – or rather done – all over again – and that as before, it is England who is the bravest… Ones private despair is so trivial now – because wherever you look there is nothing to not despair over – I keep thinking of what Jack used to say – ‘that every man can make a difference & that every man should try.”

In the final letter written from Aristotle Onassis’s yacht Christina, Jackie tries to explain why she had married the billionaire Greek shipping magnate, “You and I have shared so many lives and deaths and hopes and pain – we will share them forever and be forever bound together by them… If ever I can find some healing and some comfort – it has to be with someone who is not a part of all my world of past and pain – I can find that now – if the world will let us.”

Jasset, Lord Harlech, the grandson of David Ormsby Gore, said “Though he sadly passed away before I was born, I knew even from an early age that my grandfather had been British Ambassador to the United States. There is much history that binds the Kennedys and the Ormsby Gores together. The more I read or was told about David by other relatives, the more I wanted to know. He seems to have been a most insightful and intelligent man. He had a career spanning military service, politics and diplomacy; he set up his own television station and was chairman of the British Board of Film Classification; all impressive in their own right, but I am told his greatest attributes were his thoughtfulness, charm, and sense of morality.”

Political letters revealed for first time in the Ormsby Gore despatch box
The strong personal and family links between John Kennedy and David Ormsby Gore influenced the decision of British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan to appoint the latter, a non-career diplomat, as Ambassador to Washington in 1960. (Ormsby Gore assumed the title of Lord Harlech in 1964 on the death of his father, a year before he ceased to be ambassador). Robert Kennedy described Ormsby Gore as being “almost a part of the government”, recalling that his brother the President “would rather have his judgment than that of almost anybody else… He’d rather have… his ideas, his suggestions and recommendations than even anybody in our own government.” This became especially important during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.

A handwritten letter from Kennedy to Ormsby Gore in the cache attests to this closeness. “…I appreciate as you know, in all these critical matters your judgement – which I have found to be uniformly good and true. The P.M was excellent this week – I do not like these stories which have as their object a disparagement of the real value of our alliance. I am sure Your government knows better”

Harold Macmillan had equal faith in Ormsby Gore’s abilities, writing to him after his first year as Ambassador, ““I think your position is really something unique in the annals of the British Embassy in Washington and we are all really grateful for what you are doing”.

Other letters in the archive include:

• a note from Prince Philip’s uncle Lord Mountbatten promoting a film he wanted to be shown at the White House;

• a letter from Sir Alec Douglas-Home shortly after he succeeded MacMillan as Prime Minister in September 1963, “This is an unexpected responsibility, but I shall do my best. You know what a great help you are in Washington.”

• and a note from the private secretary to UK Prime Minister Harold Wilson who came to power in 1964, passing on Wilson’s request to prevent his notoriously erratic Foreign Secretary, George Brown, from meeting President Lyndon B. Johnson (who succeeded John Kennedy at US President in 1963).

Harvey Cammell, Deputy Chairman of Bonhams UK said, “Of all the many discoveries we have made in this wonderful collection, the Kennedy Harlech papers are surely the most remarkable. I am expecting unprecedented interest in this unique auction, the contents of which has kept our team enthralled since our first visit to this incredibly beautiful and historic house. It is, without doubt, one of the most fascinating private collections to come on the market in recent times.”

David Ormsby Gore, 5th Baron Harlech
David Ormsby Gore was born in 1918. Educated at Eton and New College Oxford, he was elected to Parliament in 1950. He held a number of Government Ministerial positions in the Foreign Office, but resigned in 1961 in order to take up the post of British Ambassador to the United States. He became the 5th Lord Harlech on the death of his father in 1964. After his return to the UK in 1965, he had a successful career in television, founding the independent TV company, HTV. Lord Harlech died from injuries sustained in a car accident in 1985. Senator Edward Kennedy, Jacqueline Onassis and other Kennedy family members attended his funeral.
 
 
 
 

2017-03-03

7501 - 20170328 - Spink announces fifth sale of the Lord Stewartby collection - London - 28.03.2017

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A Henry VIII (1509-47), third coinage, Groat, Tower mint, m.m. lis (over annulet on obverse), HENRIC 8 DI G AGL FRA Z HIB REX, broken saltire stops, crowned facing large bust 2, rev. POSVI DEV ADIVTORE MEV, trefoil stops, long cross over shield, pellet in annulet in forks and very rare with this initial mark. Estimate: £200-250.
 
Spink announced that it will be seeing spring in with a host of coin auctions in March in London and New York. There will be two auctions in Spink USA and two in Spink London, one of which is the fifth and much awaited part of the Academic Collection of Lord Stewartby. This portion will focus on his assorted Tudor and Stuart coins. There are many superb and intriguing pieces bound to attract furious bidding on the 28th March 2017.
 
One of these choice pieces is lot 1712, an Edward VI (1547-53), Shilling from 1549 minted in Canterbury. It is from an m.m. G die. Dies m.m. G were prepared for use at York under George Gale, but not used. They are encountered overmarked for use at other mints, in this case Canterbury under William Tyllsworth. For collectors with an interest in mint oddities, this will prove a very popular item for its rarity and attractiveness. Lot 1712, estimated: £200-250

Another item with an interesting minting quirk is lot 1641, a Henry VIII (1509-47), third coinage, Groat, Tower mint, m.m. lis (over annulet on obverse), HENRIC 8 DI G AGL FRA Z HIB REX, broken saltire stops, crowned facing large bust 2, rev. POSVI DEV ADIVTORE MEV, trefoil stops, long cross over shield, pellet in annulet in forks and very rare with this initial mark.

It is unclear whether the obverse mintmark is over a simple annulet, or a pellet in annulet. Although the latter is seen on Testoons, neither mark is known on the Groats of this period and so may be unintentional. Lot 1641, estimated: £200-250

Last but not least, mention must be madde of lot 1800, the beautiful Charles I (1625-49) Crown chosen to adorn the front of the catalogue. An exceptionally attractive coin sure to ignite bidding from the room, phones and internet. Lot 1800, estimated: £2,500-3,000
 
 
  
 

2017-03-02

7500 - 20170328 - A rare 1684 violin by Antonio Stradivari to be offered at Sotheby's London -28.03.2017

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Played by world leading musicians including acclaimed German violinist Frank Peter Zimmermann. Photo: Sotheby's.
 
On 28 March 2017, specialist musical instruments auctioneers Ingles & Hayday will offer a rare 1684 violin known as the Ex-Croall; McEwen by Antonio Stradivari (1644-1737) for an estimate of £1.3 – 2 million/ HK$12-19 million. Stradivari’s name has become synonymous with perfection in the field of musical instruments. Considered by leading authority W.E. Hill & Sons as a fine example of Antonio Stradivari’s violins from the 1680s, the instrument represents a key stage in the development of the luthier’s distinctive style. The auction will take place at Sotheby’s New Bond Street galleries in London.

Stradivari’s output during his long career included only approximately 1,000 instruments, with only approximately 500 or so violins surviving today, and the majority of which are in private collections or museums. The violins from the 1680s are the first ones built on a larger, broader model and which are considered suitable for concert/solo use. The Ex-Croall; McEwen violin, in excellent condition and bearing an original label, has a back crafted from a single piece of maple with irregular flame and Stradivari’s trademark golden varnish.

Antonio Stradivari – An Unparalleled Genius
For some 200 years, Antonio Stradivari has been recognised as the greatest violin maker of all. Born in Cremona, northern Italy, around 1644, Stradivari made his first violin in 1666 and his developments in violin design, combined with excellent workmanship and superb materials, produced instruments that, both tonally and aesthetically, have never been surpassed.

Building on skills acquired during his apprenticeship, Stradivari began to alter established techniques and to challenge some aspects of traditional design. He improved the arching and fine-tuned the thickness of the wood; transformed the shape of the scroll, the varnish became more highly coloured and the tone more powerful. At the time the Ex-Croall; McEwen was produced, Stradivari’s reputation was spreading further afield and he was also establishing a name for himself in his native Cremona, later to become known as the centre of violin making.

Impeccable Provenance
The Ex-Croall; McEwen has a long documented history, passing through the hands of many titled owners. The first traceable owner of the violin was Mary Elizabeth Nina Townsend, or Countess Seafield, wife of Scottish nobleman James Olgivie-Grant, 11th Earl of Seafield.

In 1885/1886, the violin was sold to a Mr. William Croall, the son of a wealthy family of carriage makers; Croall was an active participant in Edinburgh’s musical scene and was known for his collection of fine stringed instruments which included several Stradivaris. In 1906, the violin was sold to his friend Frederick Smith, another collector of great violins. It then landed in the hands of distinguished violin dealers W.E. Hill & Sons who soon found a buyer, another Scotsman, named Mr. R.F. McEwen. By 1968, the violin found its way into the possession of the Countess of Scarborough, who put it up for auction at Sotheby’s on 19th December of that year. The winning bidder was Mr. F. Mitchell who purchased the violin for the sum of £9,500, and he later sold it to the Swiss luthier, Henry Werro of Bern. In 1995, the violin was acquired by the Westdeutsche Landesbank of Düsseldorf as part of their collection.

World-class Players
The Ex-Croall; McEwen has been played by some of the world’s leading musicians, most notably by acclaimed German violinist Frank Peter Zimmermann between 1985 and 1990. Other notable performers who have played the instrument include the young German talents Alexander Gilman and Suyoen Kim
 
 
  
 
 

2017-03-01

7499 - 20170309 - Art and emblems of friendships with the Kennedys offered in Bonhams' New York sale - 09.03.2017

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A going away gift jewelry with letter of recommendation to Jackie Kennedy’s personal secretary. Estimate: $3,000-5,000. Photo: Bonhams.
 
The “Kennedy Years”, a special section in the Fine Books & Manuscripts sale in New York on March 9, has several items on offer that tell the story of JFK’s days as a young senator arriving in Washington D.C. with his beautiful young bride, his nomination to the Democratic ticket, and his presidential campaign and presidency.

Leading the sale is the original plaster maquette for the bust of John Fitzgerald Kennedy, modeled by renowned sculptor Felix De Weldon, best known for his Marines Corps Memorial, in mid to late 1963, estimated at $150,000-200,000. After Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963, Jackie Kennedy worked closely with the sculptor to ensure the most accurate depiction of the fallen president. Most notably she re-shaped the mouth so the bust portrayed JFK smiling.

Prominently featured in the sale are groups of photographs taken by Orlando Suero from Three Lions Picture Agency, that offer a rare glimpse into JFK and Jackie’s first year of marriage in 1954. From a five-day shoot with the couple in and around their first home in Georgetown, the first group of photos show Jackie in class and around the campus of Georgetown (estimate $3,000-5,000). The second group presents JFK relaxing at home whilst discussing a senate bill with Jackie, and playing a friendly game of football with brother Robert while his wife and sister-in-law watch (estimate $4,000-6,000).

Additional highlights include items from Jackie’s personal assistant, Mary Gallagher, who served JFK when he was a young senator before working for his wife. Gallagher met Jackie in her bedroom at 9:30 am each morning, and liaised between her, designers, artists, and the president. Jackie’s famed relationship with Paris-born designer Oleg Cassini comes to life in a collection of notes, delivered to her exclusive couturier, estimated at $3,000-5,000. These include Jackie’s hand-drawn sketches of dresses on White House stationary. Jewelry and a goodbye note from Jackie at the end of Gallagher’s employment estimated at $3,0005,000, are also in the sale.