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Epoque Fine Jewels
rené lalique
René Lalique (Ay 1860-1945 Paris) Art Nouveau thistle necklace Paris, circa 1905 Gold, diamond, enamel and glass Signed: Lalique The piece is housed in its original case, marked ‘Lalique, Place Vendôme 24, Paris’ Provenance: private collection, France An impressive Art Nouveau gold, diamond, enamel and glass thistle flower necklace by René Lalique, consisting of six pentagonal plaques made from moulded amber-coloured glass, each adorned with two intertwined thistle flowers facing outward, topped by three yellow enamel rods. Flanking the plaques are long curved thorns, set with diamonds and accented with yellow and brown enamel. Between the thorns are small thistle flower motifs in moulded orange glass, enhanced with diamonds. This exceptional Art Nouveau choker necklace by René Lalique (circa 1905, Paris) exemplifies his revolutionary use of glass in fine jewelry. The piece features six molded amber glass plaques decorated with intertwined thistle flowers, enhanced by diamonds and yellow and brown enamel on gold. The thistle flower motif, emblem of Lorraine and the Dukes of Lorraine, symbolizes courage and protection, reflecting the regional heritage of Nancy, where the original owner was a notable social figure likely to have commissioned it directly from Lalique. Created during the period when Lalique moved his shop to 24 Place Vendôme, the necklace illustrates his transition from Art Nouveau to early Art Deco, blending naturalistic design with modern aesthetics. Its autumnal hues, sunlit enamel details, and radiant diamonds evoke both poetic beauty and symbolic depth. Lalique drew inspiration from wild flora rather than cultivated blooms, favoring authenticity and imperfection as expressions of nature’s truth. This necklace, long preserved in a French private collection and once known only through drawings (including one published by Sigrid Barten), is a rare surviving example of Lalique’s innovation. It demonstrates his mastery in merging craftsmanship, symbolism, and modernity, affirming his reputation as the “inventor of modern jewelry.”
Galerie Capazza
éric antoine
Éric Antoine (France, 1974) Tidy V, 2024 Ambrotype 40 x 40 cm Provenance: the artist's studio Exhibition: La Fabrique des Éléments, 4 October-7 December 2025, Galerie Capazza, France In the Cerveaux (Brains) series, from which Tidy V originates, layers of leaves and stacked documents tell stories of real or imaginary lives. The ambrotype, one of the earliest photographic processes using a camera obscura, is created using wet collodion applied to a glass plate, resulting in a unique piece. With a contemporary approach, Eric Antoine uses wet collodion for its precision, deep blacks and silvery density. His work is closely linked to his place of residence and his memories. In the landscapes of the Alsatian Vosges, he developed a fascination for trees, which he studies in anthropomorphic portraits. Through a stationary journey, Eric Antoine often returns to the same places to capture their slow evolution. His work is organised into series in which destinies are recounted using layered still lifes, drowned flowers and accumulations of objects/symbols. These photographs without subjects challengethe very essence of this medium: light, optics, chemistry. The question of the materiality of the image remains at the heart of the artist's research. Far from any nostalgia, the wet collodion process here is an emancipatory discipline. In an almost sculptural approach, Eric Antoine delivers true photograph-objects, shimmering and silvery.
Douwes Fine Art b.v.
henri fantin-latour
Henri Fantin-Latour (Grenoble 1836-1904 Buré) Vase de Pivoines, 1902 Oil on canvas 41 x 37 cm Signed lower left 'Fantin' The authenticity of this work has been confirmed by Sylvie Brame Provenance: Tempelaere, Paris; Tavernier, Paris; Colnaghi, London; Galerie Brame, Paris, 1978; Sotheby's London, 1978, lot 205; private collection, Europe; Sotheby’s London, 1989, lot 2; private collection, Europe; Sotheby’s London, 1996, lot 24; Noortman Master Paintings, Maastricht, bought at TEFAF 2004; private collection, Belgium; Douwes Fine Art, Amsterdam Literature: Mme Fantin-Latour, Catalogue de l'oeuvre complet de Fantin-Latour, Paris, 1911, n° 1937, p. 206
De Wit Fine Tapestries
After David Teniers II The Fish Quay–Return of Fishermen Brussels, 1725-1750 Wool and silk 264 x 390 cm Celebrated for their lively depictions of rural life, sets of tapestries inspired by the famous peasant scenes of David Teniers II (1610–1690) formed some of the most popular tapestry series in late 17th- and early 18th-centuries. Their extraordinary appeal is reflected in the sheer number of workshops that produced them. In Brussels alone, seven ateliers wove this distinctly Flemish genre, while so-called Teniers tapestries were also produced in other European centres such as Amsterdam, Aubusson, Beauvais, Lille, London, Madrid, and Oudenaarde. Owing to this widespread production and the enduring commercial success of the genre, attributing individual designs can often be challenging. The present example, however, belongs to a distinguished series that laid the foundation for the genre and was designed by David Teniers II himself. Description The tapestry depicts a bustling quay where fishermen unload and sort their catch. On the left, a boat carrying five men arrives, still hauling in its nets, while one fisherman on the bow hands a line to a man standing at the end of the quay. In the foreground, a fisherman empties a barrel of fish and shellfish, while three men nearby appear to be negotiating. Further along the quay, another sorts his catch, two men converse, and a man leans casually on a donkey. Behind them, a figure with his back turned adds a touch of unvarnished realism. In the background, a bay stretches out, framed by a wooded coast to the left and a fortified structure to the right, complete with patrolling figures and a tall, three-tiered tower. Through the central passageway, two additional boats are visible. One hauling in its nets, the other lowering its mast. Attribution The Fish Quay was executed in the Brussels workshop of Hieronymus Le Clerc (1643-1722) or that of his associate Gaspar van der Borcht (1675-1742). Several editions of the scene are known, some bearing the signature of one of these associated tapissiers: Le Clerc or Van der Borcht’s Latinized form, A Castro. A now-lost edition formerly in Dresden bore Van der Borcht’s signature along with an extensive inscription identifying David Teniers II – the court painter to Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria (1614-1662) and Don John Joseph of Austria (1629-1679), governors of the Southern Netherlands from 1648 to 1656 and 1656 to 1658 respectively – as the designer. Teniers is also cited as the designer in a 1701 archival document recording that Le Clerc and Van der Borcht sold a six-part edition of the series, including a tapestry described as “un port de mer, où l’on pesche le poisson” (a seaport, where fish are caught). Dating the collaborative production of this particular example is difficult. The earliest known editions of the series were likely produced in the 1680s, with production continuing until Le Clerc’s death in 1722. The Fish Quay lacks the usual outer border, suggesting it was intended for mounting on wainscoting.
Kunsthaus Kende
Pair of George I Britannia silver tea caddies John Farnell, London, 1720 Engraved sterling silver H 12.5 cm 240.3 g and 237.4 g Provenance: private collection, North America The smooth, octagonal body merging into the correspondingly smooth shoulder. The lid finished with a twisted baluster. The base, which can be pulled out for filling, is only marked with a maker’s mark, the lid is unmarked. The bodies are hallmarked on the underside of the back. The contemporary coat of arms engraved on the front commemorates the marriage of a gentleman of the Dove family (who were based in East Burgholt in the county of Suffolk) and a lady of the Pierse family (whose family was based in Alston in the county of Warwickshire). An attractively preserved, early Britannia silver pair of tea caddies with a beautifully preserved, original surface.
Carlucci Gallery
Roman Cabinat, circa 1780 Ebony veneered, marble and various polychrome stones H 208 x W 105 x D 62 cm Provenance: private collection Cabinet veneered in ebony, marble, and polychrome stones, with an architectural design. The upper section features a tympanum surmounted by Hercules holding the globe in flowering alabaster. A pierced balustrade is crowned with figures of a winged lion bearing a heraldic shield. The façade is articulated with a central door and two lateral doors, each concealing interior disappearing drawers. Materials include jasper, lapis lazuli, breccia, alabaster, and antique green marble.
Beck & Eggeling International Fine Art
heinz mack
Heinz Mack (Germany, Lollar 1931) Weisse Vibration, 1958 Synthetic resin in wood (relief) H 28 x W 68 x D 4 cm Signed and dated lower middle 'Mack 58', verso titled 'Weiße Vibration' Provenance: estate of Franz Swetec, Düsseldorf (acquired from the artist)
robertaebasta
Alessandro Mendini (Milan, 1931-2019) 'Libreria scultura' prototype of modular bookcase/display for Swatch, Italy 1994 Lacquered wood, coloured, laminated, chromed and satin steel H 214 x W 250 x D 40 cm Unique piece Certificate of authenticity by Mrs Elisa Mendini and Mrs Fulvia Mendini Provenance: private collection, Italy
Mearini Fine Art
Capital with column from a Ciborio or Pergula Rome, late 8th-early 9th century White marble H 41 x Ø 20 cm Provenance: formerly in the collection of Elda Francia Gasparrini in Rome Literature: U. Broccoli, Marmi tardo antichi di una collezione privata a Roma, LV 1979, pp. 183-199, ill. p. 193 fig. 10
Chambre professionnelle belge de la Librairie Ancienne et Moderne (CLAM)
Unique binding of incredible modernity, produced circa 1925 by the great architect and designer Josef Hoffmann (Pirnitz 1870-1956 Vienna), one of the founding members of the Wiener Werkstätte and the creator of the fabulous Palais Stoclet in Brussels. Large quarto, full fawn morocco on wooden boards with undulating decor, dark fuchsia silk doublure and endpapers, interior gilt signature Wiener Werkstätte with, above, Hoffmann's small gilt monogrammed mark. On: Henny Bauer & Wilhelm Kienzl, Sanctissimum (1924), first edition of the score for voice and piano. Signed by Josef Hoffmann Literature: Isabella Croÿ-Frick, Bookbinding and Leather in Christian Witt-Dörring & Janis Staggs, Wiener Werkstätte 1903-1932, The Luxury of Beauty, (2017), pp. 192-211; MAK Wien: Archiv der Wiener Werkstätte, Entwurfszeichnungen, Bucheinband, inventarnummer WWE 24-9; Yves Peyré, Histoire de la reliure de création, (2005), p. 138, p. 140; Ruperta Pichler, Wiener Werkstätte. Lederobjekte aus den Sammlungen des Österreichischen Museums für angewandte Kunst, (1992), pp. 77-92; Werner J. Schweiger, Wiener Werkstätte, art et artisanat, 1903-1932, (1982), p. 183 Pierre Coumans, Antiquarian bookseller
Vagabond Antiques
Pair of carved Heraldic stone lions Central European, Hapsburg Territories, late 17th century Carved limestone H 90 x W 57 x D 77 cm A striking pair of limestone lions, carved in full relief and designed as true opposites. Each is seated upright, with bared teeth, strong haunches and tightly curled manes. Both wear a crown and hold an oval cartouche carved in bold relief with an interlaced monogram. They were made to flank the formal entrance of a major estate. The form and detailing are typical of high-status Baroque culture in Central Europe and the crown design is especially telling. Each features a repeating pattern of fleur-de-lis and crosses, closely following the design of imperial crowns used in Habsburg heraldry - particularly in the realms of Austria and Bohemia. A crucial distinction is the placement of such a crown directly on the animal - not merely above the cipher - which indicates an emblem of royal standing. Comparable examples can be seen on the monumental lions at Prince Eugene of Savoy's Upper Belvedere Palace in Vienna and others across Bavaria and Austria, where lions were used as heraldic supporters for noble or imperial arms. The monograms are hard to decipher but are almost certainly ciphers for the original owners or patrons. They likely stood at the gates of a major estate or seat of power under Habsburg rule or allegiance, marking out territories and status.
Claes Gallery
Dan 'deangle' Mask Ivory Coast, Dan people Presumed early 20th century Wood and pigment H 25 cm Provenance: Hubert Goldet (1945–2000), Paris, until 1972; Lucien Van de Velde (1933-), Antwerp, from 1972 to 1975; René (1901-1998) & Odette (1925–2012) Delenne, Brussels Literature: Arts d’Afrique Noire 34, 1988, p. 49; Utotombo, Kunst uit Zwart-Afrika in Belgisch privé-bezit, de Heusch, Brussels, 1988, p. 148, fig. 59; A ‘Harley Mask’ at the Cleveland Museum of Art: More on Masks among the Mano and Dan Peoples, Petridis, African Arts, Vol. 45, n° 1, 2012, p. 31, fig. 8; Trésors de Côte d’Ivoire, Neyt, Fonds Mercator, Brussels, 2014, p. 44-45, fig. 18 (indication: H. 26 cm); The Language of Beauty in African Art, Petridis, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2022, p. 207, fig. 164 Exhibitions: Utotombo. Kunst uit Zwart-Afrika in Belgisch privé-bezit, Palais des Beaux Arts, Brussels, 25 March-5 June 1988; The Language of Beauty in African Art, The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, 20 January 2022-27 March 2023 Originating from the northwest of Côte d’Ivoire, near the borders of Liberia and Guinea, the Dan are an agricultural people who primarily cultivate rice and cassava. Their way of life, complemented by hunting, fishing, and gathering, is rooted in a patrilineal society without a central authority, structured around clans led by chiefs chosen for their prestige, bravery, or agricultural success. Relations between clans, often marked by rivalries, gave rise to a rigorous social organization: young warriors ensured the group’s defense, while chiefs reinforced their influence through feasts and gifts. Local power rested on a balance between the chief, the council of elders, and the male associations, which upheld discipline, guided the initiation of young men, and preserved community cohesion. The Dan distinguish between two worlds: that of the village - a humanized and social space - and that of the forest, the realm of spirits and natural forces. It is within this duality that their art takes root, renowned for its independence and for the diversity of its styles from one village to another. In their pursuit of formal perfection, Dan artists express through their works an ideal of beauty that is both spiritual and harmonious. A symbol of this aesthetic quest, the Dan 'deangle' mask is characterized by its regular oval shape, polished surface, narrow eyes, short nose, and full, slightly parted lips. The raised scarifications emphasize the geometry and graphic strength of the composition. Of an elegance imbued with softness and femininity, it embodies the Dan ideal of beauty. Used within the Leopard secret society (go), associated with the pacifying spirit zlan, this mask served as an intermediary between young initiates and the village community. First exhibited and published for the general public in 1988, this exceptional work was most recently presented (in 2022) at the Chicago Museum. The mask’s deep gaze, highlighted by a fine band across the eyes, captures the viewer’s attention. Its patina, with warm brown reflections, and its concave form lend it a presence that is both powerful and serene.