by Vanessa Schmitz-Grucke
Jean-Baptiste François Chéret, Paris, 1770. Toiletry set for the Marquis and Marquise de Montmelas, silver with two-toned gold plating, h. of pitcher 29.5 cm/11.6 in, h. of basin 9 cm/3.5 in, l. 36.3 cm/14.3 in, d. 23.5 cm/9.3 in. Total weight 2,479 g/87.44 oz. Estimate: €1/1.2 M
There is perhaps only one collection in the world bringing together Pope Sixtus V, Madame de Pompadour, the Comte d’Arnouville, Ferdinand I de' Medici and Louis XVI. To achieve this feat, it needed an adventurer with a passion for silver and goldware, particularly of the French variety (the catalog also includes rare paintings and furniture) and an interest in great historical figures. Enter Bernard De Leye... read more