LONDON.- A century of ground-breaking decorative arts and design will be celebrated through a collection of historically important pieces curated by the renowned collector and art historian, Roberto Polo. The collection tells the story of a period of technical and artistic excellence in design, from the masters of the mid-19th century through to the pioneers of Modernism. Works by visionary artists from across Europe will feature in the sale which takes place on 24th February at Sotheby’s New Bond Street galleries in London.

Highlights include an extraordinary cabinet-en-console designed by Michel Joseph Napoléon Liénard and executed by Auguste-Emile Ringuet-Leprince for the inaugural 1851 World’s Fair at the Crystal Palace in London (est. £80,000–120,000);an exceptional pair of Imperial porcelain vases by the Manufacture Royale de Sèvres, delivered to the Palais de Compiègne in 1860 for Napoléon III (est. £60,000-80 000); and a rare cabinet by the Belgian Modernist pioneer Henry van de Velde (est. £65,000-95,000).

Daniel Alcouffe, Honorary Chief Curator, Musée du Louvre: “Roberto Polo is impassioned by art in all of its forms and periods of expression, as long as it possesses intelligence and quality. These works are a compendium of the history of decorative arts in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Hopefully, their re-appearance and the admiration they arouse will simultaneously stimulate research and give birth to new collectors. Start a collection with a work of art discovered and blessed by Roberto Polo, how can one do better?”

HIGHLIGHTS

Michel Joseph Napoléon Liénard and Auguste-Emile Ringuet-Leprince Cabinet on stand, circa 1851 Ebony, ebonised pear-wood and hardstones Est. £80,000–120,000
This extraordinary cabinet-en-console was designed by Michel Joseph Napoléon Liénard and executed by Auguste-Emile RinguetLeprince was a highlight of the inaugural 1851 Great Exhibition in London, receiving praise from contemporary commentators. Testament to the 19th-Century taste for innovative and striking furniture, the cabinet's intricate carving and bold use of ebony and hard stones evoke an era of artistic discovery and celebration.

Koloman Moser Cabinet, 1905 Executed by the Wiener Werkstätte and silversmith Eugen Pflaumer, Vienna Painted beech, sterling silver, lapis lazuli Est. £75,000-95,000
Josef Hoffmann and Koloman Moser were commissioned by Karl Wittgenstein to furnish various interiors for his daughter’s Berlin residence on the occasion of her marriage to Dr. Jerome Stonborough in 1882 – all of which were completed by April of 1905. Single door cupboards with silver inlay were designed for the bedroom of Jerome and Margaret Stoneborough, as well as the guest room. The vertical, elongated form is wonderfully modern in design and precise in construction.

Emille Gallé Settee and Pair of Armchairs, circa 1909 Executed by Eugène Gaillard, Paris Mahogany, suede upholstery, pâte-de-verre cabochons Est. £45,000-60,000
Rare for its use of pâte-de-verre cabochons, this sette and pair of armchairs, along with 4 side chairs (also offered for sale) were exhibited at the International Exposition of Eastern France, Nancy, 1909. Exquisitely carved, they and are among the rare pieces of abstract design by the artist.

Henry van de Velde Cabinet, model no. II, no. 67, circa 1898-1899 Produced by the Société van de Velde & Co., Brussels Oak, black walnut, brass Est. £65,000-95,000
A rare example of a cabinet beautifully constructed and carved in oak and walnut, this model cabinet belongs to a dynamic suite of furniture designed for the Directorate room at the Parisian magazine, Revue Blanche. It is one of only two documented examples, the second of which is in the collection of Hessisches Landesmuseum, Darmstadt. With subtly carved dynamic curves in the feet and shoulders, it beautifully combines refined craftsmanship with a balanced, modern form.

Paul Grandhomme and Jules Brateau 'Andromeda', plaque, 1900 Est. £20,000-30,000
A beautiful enamelled gold plaque created by Paul Grandhomme, one of the most celebrated Parisian enamellers in the 1890s1900. It is set in an exquisite ivory frame applied with gold and variously-coloured metals ornaments chased by Jules Brateau, one of the finest Parisian silversmiths and metalworkers of the time. Both eminent craftsmen of the Belle-Epoque, Grandhomme won the gold medal at the 1889 Universal Exhibition and Brateau at the 1900 Universal Exhibition.

Luigi Frullini Armchair, circa 1875 Walnut Est. £20,000–30,000
Frullini showed his work at many of the international exhibitions that took place in Europe and the United States in the second half of the 19th-century. These were crucial in disseminating the latest styles to potential clients and retailers, as well as the general public. After exhibiting works and winning two prizes at the National Exposition in Florence in 1861, Frullini went on to participate in a succession of international fairs in Dublin, London, Paris, Philadelphia, Turin, and Vienna.

Bruno Paul Armchair, model no. 652, 1901 Executed by the Vereinigte Werkstätten für Kunst im Handwerk, Munich Cherrywood with leather upholstery Est. £15,000-20,000
Created in 1901, this strikingly Modern armchair by the pioneering German designer Bruno Paul anticipated forthcoming developments in design in the 20th-Century.