125th Auction - Porcelain

With nearly 3,000 items, the catalog for the May auction offered a comprehensive and highly diverse selection. This variety spanned all departments, providing interesting pieces for both collectors and lovers of art and antiques.

Two large-format works by contemporary Italian artist Alessandro Bolognini, featuring figurative compositions, were true eye-catchers with their vibrant colors. Both the painting "In the Valley of the Dinosaurs" and "In the Museum" were sold for €50,000 each. Bolognini studied art and psychology in Milan and served as the director of cultural events at a Milan theater. He has successfully exhibited in numerous national and international galleries, including Lingotto in Turin (2014), Art Cafe London (2014), and the Parliament of Budapest (2015). The Hungarian government subsequently purchased several of his works.

A very good sales rate was also achieved with collector's items. An album with about 100 photo cards of the Hohenzollern family was increased from a starting bid of €150 to €14,000 in an exciting bidding battle. The cards feature Crown Prince Wilhelm of Prussia and his family members, originating from various studios.

A so-called duck press from the Berlin Hotel 'Esplanade', dating back to the late 19th century, represented a museum-quality highlight of the auction. The highly decorative press, made of silver-plated brass, was used for pressing bones and meat scraps and bears the monogram 'E'. From a speculative starting bid of €500, the rare piece was sold to a hotel owner for €5,500.

Equally curious was the mulberry pear, presumably from the 16th/17th century. The bronze and iron gag and torture instrument, used to pry open the mouth, features abundant figurative scenes and garnered considerable interest from international clients. The extraordinary piece ultimately changed hands for €2,200.

The audience was also eager to bid on the lot of four Chinese jade objects. The two oval pierced discs with floral decor and the two fully sculpted fruits were sold to a Chinese bidder for €9,500.

The renowned Berlin Art Nouveau sculptor Ferdinand Preiss designed the chryselephantine figure 'Carmen' after Bizet's opera. Made of gold-colored patinated bronze with finely carved ivory arms and head, the figure standing on a cubist base impressed bidders with its natural cheerfulness and was sold for €4,800.