PARIS.- Artcurial’s Furniture and Works of Art sale on Monday 16th December at 7pm and on Tuesday 17 December at 2 pm, will showcase more than 350 lots of French and European decorative arts.

An evening sale
On Monday, December 16th at 7 pm, a number of exceptional lots with distinguished provenances, alongside several private collections will be offered.

The Orloff service, a milestone in Parisian silver history, commissioned by Empress Catherine II of Russia in 1770 will undoubtedly appeal to collectors. A selection of dishes and plates, covers (estimate: €80,000 - 120,000) and a pair of silver candlesticks estimated between €100, 000 and €150,000 will be offered for sale.

A magnificent Louis XVI gilt bronze automaton mantel clock from the Rothschild’s collections at Mentmore in England, representative of the “goût Rothschild” a characteristically lavish, elegant and extravagant style associated with the legendary banking dynasty whose influence in the art world spanned across continents and generations, is a masterpiece of its kind; the imitation-gem rhinestone decorations adding to its preciosity. This piece by the clockmaker Louis Montjoye is estimated between €30,000 and 50,000.

A 16th-century Brussels tapestry depicting King Solomon inviting his mother, Bathsheba to share his throne, surrounded by lavishly dressed figures is one the highlights. During the reign of Charles V (known as Charles Quint), Brussels supplied all the European courts with tapestries, not to mention the Holy See. Stylistically, this piece from Lord Rochdale’s collections is situated halfway between the courtly tapestries of the late mediaeval era and the main epic cycles of the Renaissance (estimate: €100,000 - 150,000).

Private collections
Several private collections will be auctioned. This includes the contents of a Parisian pied-à-terre, consisting of some forty lots, or those of a beautiful apartment located on the Île Saint Louis, home to a couple of art lovers between 1970 and 1980. The highlight is a Louis XIV Boulle marquetry Mazarin commode by Nicolas Sageot. This piece was previously exhibited at the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Nancy and comes from the Prevost-Marcilhacy collection. It is estimated between €40,000 and €60,000.

The sale is also a tribute to the cabinetmaker Nicolas Sageot (1666-1731), with several of his works including a Mazarin bureau and a Louis XIV commode, each estimated at between €100,000 and €150,000. The brass and tortoiseshell Boulle marquetry, delicately executed after the drawings by Berain, was highly fashionable among the Parisian workshops during Louis XIV’s reign.

A Louis XVI Ormolu automaton clock painting, the dial and the movement signed by Louis Montjoye, engraved gilt bronze, painted canvas, imitation-gem rhinestones.
Estimate: €30,000 - €50,000.

A pair of silver candlesticks, from the orloff service, by Jacques-Nicolas Roettiers,
commissioned by Empress Catherine II of Russia. Estimate: €100,000 - 150,000.

A pair of silver covers, from the orloff service, by Jacques-Nicolas Roettiers, commissioned by Empress Catherine II of Russia. Estimate: €80,000 – 120,000.

A biblical tapestry from a serie illustrating the story of David and Bathsheba, Brussels early 16th century - circa 1530, wool and silk. Estimate: €100,000 - 150,000.