PARIS.- Following a five-day exhibition which drew over 2,500 visitors to Sotheby’s Paris galleries, the sale of the private collection of the Dillée family opened to a packed salesroom yesterday, as the first of two-days of sales of over 480 works of art acquired by three generations of the renowned Parisian dynasty began. Almost 400 people registered to bid in this historic sale of 17th and 18th century French decorative arts, which attracted bids from collectors across the globe.

The auction set off to a rousing start as the first lot, a painted enamel medallion by Léonard Limosin, circa 1540, soared to €411,000 / $438,545 – over 10 times the pre-sale estimate of €25,000-40,000. This was the beginning of a pattern which continued throughout the sale that saw a sell-through rate of 93% and 65% of lots sell for prices above their pre-sale high estimate.

At the close of the first session yesterday evening, the pre-sale estimate for the entire collection (€3.5 - 5.5m) had already been surpassed, when the opening 129 lots together brought €8.4 / $9 million. Following the sale of a further 356 lots across two further sessions at Sotheby’s in Paris today, the grand total for the entire Dillée collection stands at €10,179,543 / $10,861,776 - double the pre-sale estimate.

‘This was one of the most thrilling collections I have ever had the pleasure of working with. It was a real treat to be able to present these works of art in an innovative, more modern context. In doing so, we showcased the true beauty and chic of the 18th century. Antiques in a modern context look staggering. Apart from the aura of the name of Dillée, the beauty of the works and the encouraging estimates, I hope it was also the presentation of the collection that helped inspire new collectors in our saleroom this week. It was an explosive mix.’ -Mario Tavella, Deputy Chairman of Sotheby’s Europe and Chairman of Private European Collections

As the auctioneer and a specialist in eighteenth century furniture, it was true honour to stand on the rostrum last night. From the very first lot, the sale played out in a spectacular manner a brilliant tribute to this dynasty of great specialists and collectors’ -Brice Foisil, recently appointed Director of Development, 18th Century Decorative Arts and Furniture, who conducted the first session of the sale

Facts And Figures
Les Dillées Part One (4pm, 18th March)
Sale total: €8,405,725 / $8,969,077 (est. €2.8 - 4.4m)
Lots sold / unsold: 123/6

Les Dillées Part Two (10:30am, 19th March)
Sale Total: €796,259 / $849,624 (est. €427,250 - 637,350)
Lots sold / unsold: 141/10

Les Dillées Part Three (2:30pm, 19th March)
Sale Total: €977,559 / $1,043,075 (est. €538,880-797,520)
Lots sold / unsold: 183/20

The Auction at a Glance
• The sale was led by a pair of Louis XVI patinated gilt bronze wall lights with cannons which soared to €1,143,000 / $1,219,604 - a new auction record for any wall lights of any period (lot 129, est. €200,000-300,000). Made for one of Louis XVI’s highest-ranking military officers, they are stamped with the arms of France on the cannon barrels – identical in design, name and mottos to those engraved on the Louis XIV artillery cannons in Les Invalides.

• A magnificent pair of ewers in crackled celadon and gilt bronze from the French Regency period realised the second highest price in the sale, selling for €819,000 / $873,889 (lot 43, est. €400,000-600). Similar to a pair that has enriched the Dodge, Roberto Polo and Edmond Safra collections in turn, they stand out for the remarkable quality of their bronze mountings, dragon-entwined handles, and spouts decorated with shells and coral branches.

• Other works of art which drew intense interest included a pair of Louis XV pot-pourri jars in Meissen porcelain and gilt bronze which sold for €291,000 / $310,503 (lot 71, est. €120,000-180,000) and a Louis XV clock with Barbary apes in lacquered bronze – a fine example of the "chinoiseries" that fascinated aesthetes of the period – which realised €183,000 / $195,265 (lot 51, est. €50,000-80,000)

• Several pieces of furniture featured in the sale, including two pairs of Louis XV carved gilt-wood fauteuils or arm chairs, which were among the star lots when they more than doubled their pre-sale estimates. The first pair realised €315,000 / $336,111 (lot 72, est. €120,000–180,000), while the second made €435,000 / $464,154 (lot 104, est. €120,000180,000).

• Among the many sculpture and works of art offered this week, a painted enamel medallion by Léonard Limosin, circa 1540, opened the sale to applause when it sold for €411,000 / $438,545 – over 10 times the pre-sale estimate of €25,000-40,000. Soon after, two Italian seventeenth century bronzes both estimated at €30,000-50,000 soared over estimate, each selling to the same collector. While the first, depicting the River God of the Tiber (lot 16) realised €56,250 / $60,020, the second sculpture of the River God of the Nile sold for (lot 17) €147,000 / $156,852.

• Perhaps the greatest ‘surprise’ of the sale was the €75,000 / $80,026 achieved for a group of late seventeenth century gilt-brass and steel drawing instruments signed Iacobus Lusuerg, 1683 (lot 66, est. €8,000-10,000). Guillaume Dillée remembers his grandfather Bernard allowing him to play with the compass as a child – the type of freedom with which Guillaume credits the development of his expertise.

• Another scientific instrument, a rare gilt-bronze 18th century microscope realised €111,000 / $118,439 – a price worthy of any fine work of art, firmly cementing this scientific object’s status alongside those included in this collection (lot 67, est. €60,000100,000).

• Finally, the sale offered a selection of Old Master and 19th century paintings, notably Hubert Robert’s view of Roman ruins from 1767, which sold for €171,000 / $182,460 (lot 95, est. €40,000-60,000). A still life by the Dutch master Balthasar Van der Ast of fresh flowers, fruit and shells, was yet another lot which soared soar over estimate, also selling for €171,000 / $182,460 (lot 12, est. €80,000-120,000).

Les Dillées
For nearly a century, the name of Dillée has been inextricably linked with the art market and the auction world. Founded in 1925 by Bernard Dillée, then taken over by his son JeanPierre, the Cabinet has been headed by Guillaume Dillée since 1995, after a seven-year collaboration with his father. Each of the three men have successively exercised their expertise in furniture and works of art from the 17th and 18th Centuries. Over the last few decades, they have collaborated with the best Parisian auctioneers and have thus taken part in the most noteworthy auctions staged in all the capital's celebrated and illustrious venues: the Hôtel Drouot, the Galerie Charpentier, the Palais Galliera and the Musée d’Orsay. Professionals recognised for their knowledge and expertise, they also have been passionate collectors, assembling a group of works whose sale has now been entrusted to Sotheby's France.

This remarkable collection was assembled by three generations, each one having received the heritage of their forebears, thereby helping to preserve a characteristic taste. The many rare and stunning objects, previously unseen on the market, will appeal to seasoned enthusiasts and lovers of beautiful works of art. All these objects reflect the perpetuation of the unique knowledge and family tradition based on a shared passion for the French 18th century and its lifestyle.