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Dalton Somaré
Slit drum, nedundu Uele Region, Northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo Early 20th century Wood with dark brown patina 52 x 122 cm Provenance: collection Monsieur H., (Agricultural Engineer), France, collected in situ before 1950; thence by descent; private collection, France; Sotheby’s, Paris, Arts d’Afrique et d’Océanie, 21 June 2017; private collection, New York
Univers du Bronze
Rembrandt Bugatti (Milan 1884-1916 Paris) Deux antilopes Goudou or 'Deux Amis', circa 1911 Bronze, dark brown patina H 23.1 x L 43.2 x D 11.9 cm Signed 'R. Bugatti' Original cast and edition by 'A.-A. Hébrard cire perdue Paris' (seal and inscribed in the wax 'Fondu en 1925'), engraved '(13)' Edition cast in 1925 The years 1910–1911 were the most creative in Rembrandt Bugatti’s career. His art was flourishing, with his first major exhibition in Antwerp in 1910, followed by one organised by the foundryman Hébrard, for which the artist presented a magnificent collection of one hundred sculptures. The 'Deux antilopes goudou' were probably created in 1911, following a group of Trois antilopes goudou that Bugatti presented for the first time at the Salon d’Automne in 1911. From this group of three, the sculptor chose to retain only a pair of animals, adopting an even more sensitive approach, full of great tenderness, which the artist’s Impressionist touch renders here even more vibrant. To emphasise this intimate and ‘friendly’ character, Bugatti positions the antelopes – also known as Les deux amis – in a face-to-face interaction, with the head of one resting trustingly on the other’s large ear. The two heads come together harmoniously at the centre of the composition. At the same time, the sculptor modelled another, complementary group featuring similar antelopes, this time muzzle to muzzle, which he named 'Deux antilopes Goudou' or 'Caresse'. This cast, listed in the sculptor’s catalogue raisonné, bears the number '13', denoting the thirteenth cast produced from this model, and the casting date 'Fondu en 1925' – an extremely rare detail in Bugatti’s Oeuvre. The production run of these beautiful African antelopes was a great success for Hébrard, who cast thirty-two bronzes based on this subject. This bronze, with its deep brown patina, stands out from other known casts due to the high quality of the mould, which perfectly showcases the master’s characteristic and original treatment of the material.
De Wit Fine Tapestries
Large leaf verdure with wild boar Southern Netherlands, possibly Oudenaarde, 16th century Tapestry, wool and silk 265 x 370 cm This Large leaf lerdure with wild boar depicts an idealised view of nature. The vegetation is in bloom and various animals are roaming through the crops. Whilst tapestries of this type often survive in fragments, this piece is complete and contains all the typical, characteristic elements. The piece is in very good condition, with strong contrasting colours that emphasise the illusion of vibrant nature. Whereas we often see oval or circular balustrades in tapestries of this kind, which frame the natural scene behind them, the picture plane here is sharply interrupted by a straight balustrade. A gallery is formed which attempts to keep the viewer at a distance, but it cannot hold back the foliage, and some of the vegetation and animals pass beyond the frame and escape from the border.
Artimo Fine Art
Jean-Baptiste Auguste Clésinger (Besançon 1814-1883 Paris) Lucrèce mourante (The Death of Lucretia), 1868 White Carrara marble H 165 x W 206 x D 82 cm Signed and dated 'J. Clésinger Rome 1868' Provenance: Émile de Girardin (1802–1881), Paris; sale of the Émile de Girardin collection, Hôtel Drouot, Paris, December 1887, lot 176; private collection, Château de Vallière, Mortefontaine (Oise), France Literature: Catalogue des marbres, bronzes et terres cuites composant l’atelier de M. Clésinger, Paris, sale of 5 June 1868, lot 2, with a preface by Théophile Gautier; Catalogue de la vente des œuvres de M. Clésinger, Paris, Hôtel Drouot, 6 April 1870, lot 2; Catalogue de la vente de la Société des marbres et bronzes artistiques de Paris, 2-3 April 1883, lot 17 (mentioning the original marble belonging to M. de Girardin); Alexandre Estignard, Clésinger, sa vie, ses œuvres, Paris, 1900 Created in Rome between 1863 and 1867, Lucrèce mourante ranks among Jean-Baptiste Auguste Clésinger’s most ambitious monumental compositions. The sculptor depicts the Roman heroine at the moment when, having revealed the outrage committed against her, she has just taken her own life. Seated, her body abandoned, her eyelids half-open and her gaze turned upwards, Lucretia lets the dagger fall as her drapery reveals the fatal wound. Her loosened chignon, with several strands falling onto the nape of her neck, heightens the sense of abandonment that pervades the composition. The work combines a particularly sensitive observation of human anatomy with the nobility of a composition inspired by classical sculpture. In his preface to the 1868 sale catalogue, Théophile Gautier emphasised the expressive power of this figure, whose inner suffering is conveyed with remarkable restraint. Listed in the catalogues of the Clésinger sales of 1868 and 1870, the sculpture subsequently belonged to Émile de Girardin, the celebrated French journalist and politician. Its presence in his collection is confirmed by the 1883 catalogue devoted to Clésinger’s models, which explicitly states that the original marble belonged to M. de Girardin. The work reappeared in December 1887 at the Hôtel Drouot sale of the Girardin collection, before entering, at an as yet undetermined date, the collections housed at the Château de Vallière in Mortefontaine.
Repetto Gallery
Lucio Fontana (Rosario, Argentina 1899-1968 Varese, Italy) Madonna col Bambino, 1953-1954 Glazed and painted terracotta: white, light blue and blue H 24.5 x W 13.5 x D 9 cm Signed on the reverse 'L. F.' Certificate of authenticity on photograph by Fondazione Lucio Fontana, n° 2543/1 Provenance: Galleria Blu, Milan; private collection, Gorle (2543/1) Literature: L. M. Barbero, 'Catalogo ragionato delle sculture ceramiche', Tomo I, p. 212, n° 53-54 FMA 1
Douwes Fine Art b.v.
Kees van Dongen (Rotterdam 1877-1968 Monte Carlo) La Rotonde, circa 1949 Unique watercolour over litho on paper 24 x 21.5 cm Signed lower right 'van Dongen.' Provenance: Kloppart collection; private collection, The Netherlands Literature: Roland Dorgelès, ‘Au beaux-temps de la Butte’, Paris, 1949
COLNAGHI
Robert Mapplethorpe (New York 1946-1989 Boston) Female torso, 1978 Silver gelatin photograph 50.8 x 40.6 cm Made in 1978, the photograph belongs to a life-long dialogue in Mapplethorpe’s work between photography and sculpture. The subject would later serve as the opening image of his 1989 volume Some Women, where its classical reference establishes a point of comparison for the contemporary women portrayed in the book. The photograph was produced in an edition of ten. Impressions of the image are held in major public collections, including the J. Paul Getty Museum and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The documented provenance of this impression begins with the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation in New York, from which it passed into a private collection in Belgium.
Galerie Tiago
Rectangular lacquered wooden suzuribako (writing box) Japan, Edo period (1603-1868) Wood, lacquer, silver, gold, hiramaki-e, takamaki-e, kirigane, gyōbu-nashiji, tsumemaki nashiji H 4.7 x W 27 x D 23.5 cm Decorated in gold lacquer with a continuous design depicting a pavilion set in a karst landscape dotted with pine and maple trees. Complete with an inkstone, a silver water dropper, a blade and a set of brushes. This Japanese suzuribako is a remarkable example of mid-Edo-period craftsmanship. Few works of art from this period have survived in such fine condition, and even fewer display such a rich variety of lacquer techniques. A writing box of this kind was most likely commissioned by a high-ranking member of the aristocracy, perhaps a bushi (warrior) or even a regional warlord (daimyo).
Kunsthaus Kende
Bikō Hayashi (Akita, 1937) Kin-Gin-Dō Mokume-gane vase 'Hyotan', 2024 Fine gold, fine silver, copper H 18 cm Signed by the artist below and on the accompanying tomobako (wooden box) Provenance: the artist's personal collection Exhibition: featured in April 2026 at the solo exhibition 'Bikō Hayashi-Gold, Silver, and Copper Mokume-gane: Cultural Property Exhibition' in Akita Japanese metal artist Bikō Hayashi is one of the foremost representatives of contemporary Japanese metalwork. Combining the centuries-old tradition of kōgei with a modern sculptural language, he is renowned for his mastery of tankin, the art of shaping metal through hammering. A defining achievement of his career is the rediscovery of Kin-Gin-Dō Mokume-gane (gold, silver and copper wood-grain metal), a highly complex technique dating back to the early Edo period. Once used to decorate samurai swords and armour, this craft was almost entirely lost with the decline of the samurai class. After more than four decades of research, Hayashi succeeded in reconstructing its traditional methods and metal compositions, bringing this remarkable art form back to life and adapting it for contemporary sculptures and vessels. In recognition of his contribution, he was designated a custodian of intangible cultural heritage by Akita Prefecture. The Hyōtan, or bottle gourd, is a traditional Japanese symbol associated with fertility, prosperity, longevity and protection. Its distinctive shape represents the preservation of happiness and positive energy.
Galerie bei der Albertina ▪ Zetter
Johann Lötz Witwe, Klostermühle and Gustave Serrurier-Bovy (attributed to) Table Lamp, around 1900 Metal with hammered décor, square-shaped lampshade, twelve square-shaped glasses, in blue and violet, with melted splashes in silver-yellow, iricised, by Johann Lötz Witwe, Klostermühle, single light, electrification renewed H 55 cm, D 25 cm Gustave Serrurier-Bovy was one of the most acclaimed architects and designers of Belgian art nouveau, next to Victor Horta or Henry van de Velde. After a trip to London in 1884, he was strongly influenced by the British Arts and Crafts movement, as well as by William Morris and John Ruskin. His asymmetrical and organic furniture and lighting designs alternated between curvilinear, plant-inspired motifs and a highly functional, almost industrial simplicity that is considered a precursor to modern industrial design. As with objects designed by Josef Hoffmann or Adolf Loos, this lamp combines an architectural composition with functional finesse and a uniquely modern aesthetic. Around 1900 Lötz Witwe maintained an extensive international distribution network of sample warehouses - including one located directly in Brussels. While Serrurier-Bovy provided the structural designs (often made of wood or metal), Lötz Witwe contributed the brilliance of color and materials. This makes the lamp a good example for the international exchange happening in the design world from the late 19th century onwards and the extension of art nouveau ideas. Lamps in this style with the original glass inlays are extremely rare on the market. Works by Serrurier-Bovy are on display at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, among other places.
VKD Jewels
Cartier Pair of Ladybird clip brooches France, circa 1935 Coral, diamonds and enamel Signed Cartier Paris French assay mark for 18k gold Each modelled as a ladybird, the wing cases are carved from coral and divided by a central line, set with bezel-set old-cut diamond 'spots'. The head, thorax and legs are in black enamel, the leg tips of the larger example accented with small diamonds. The brooches are in two sizes and fitted with clip mechanisms. The ladybird is a traditional good-luck symbol in Europe. Its old name, 'Our Lady’s bird', ties it to the Virgin Mary, and it has been a popular motif in charm and novelty jewelry since the 19th century. Cartier’s insect and animal jewels belong to its naturalistic repertoire. That tradition grew strongly in the 1930s and 1940s, when Jeanne Toussaint led Cartier’s high-jewelry design in Paris. Her best-known creations are the panther pieces and the fauna and flora brooches. Small, wearable lucky motifs in coral, enamel, onyx and diamonds were part of this range.
Gallery Sofie Van de Velde
Cy Twombly (USA, Lexington 1928-2011 Rome) Untitled, Captiva Island, Florida, 1974 Gouache and pastel on a collage of paper and graph paper, on paper 75 x 106 cm Signed, dated, and inscribed 'Captiva ‘Feb 74’ on the reverse Provenance: Galerie Yvon Lambert, Paris; Pierre Horay collection, Paris; Heiner Bastian Fine Art, Berlin; acquired from the above by the present owner Literature: Y. Lambert, Cy Twombly: Catalogue raisonné des œuvres sur papier, vol. VI, 1973-1976, Milan, 1979, n° 110 (ill. p. 115); N. Del Roscio, Cy Twombly Drawings, Catalogue raisonné, Vol. 6, 1972–1979, Munich, 2016, n° 114 (ill. in colour p. 108) Exhibitions: Paris, Galerie Yvon Lambert, Cy Twombly, April-May 1974; Seattle, Richard Hines Gallery, Cy Twombly: Paintings and Drawings, July-August 1980 This work, composed of a series of collages incorporating gouache and pastel on paper and graph paper, was created during his stay with Robert Rauschenberg on Captiva Island, Florida, in 1974. At first glance, the composition evokes the image of a lotus. Behind this seemingly botanical representation, however, lies a more complex symbolism. Whether viewed as a herbarium or an album, the work’s ambiguity seems to point more towards an erotic interpretation than a purely botanical one.
Pauline Janssen
Diamond pendant necklace Belle Epoque, circa 1905 Bright and lively old cut diamonds, mounted in platinum and accompanied by a platinum chain set with natural seed pearls. Estimated centre diamond weight approximately 0.60 carats. Estimated total diamond weight approximately 5.00 - 6.50 carats. Estimated colour G-H-I on average. Estimated clarity VS on average.
Galerie Florence de Voldère
Pieter Brueghel the Younger (Brussels circa 1564-1637/8 Antwerp) The wedding feast in the barn, 1622 Oil on panel 75 x 100 cm Signed and dated ‘P.BREVGHEL 1622’ Provenance: private collection, Belgium; Galerie Robert Finck, Brussels, 1976; private collection, Belgium, 1969; with John Mitchell, London, 1958; Lord Sperling, 1932 Literature: G. Marlier, Pierre Breughel le Jeune, Brussels, 1969, pp. 177-179, n° 2 (ill. n° 99-101); K. Ertz, Pieter Brueghel der Jüngere (1564-1637/38), Die Gemälde mit Kritischem OeuvreKatalog, vol. 2, Lingen, 1988-2000, p. 709, n° E857, p. 646, pp. 652-653 (ill. in colour on these pages, figs. 524-525, and pp. 650-660); Kulturstiftung Ruhr Essen, ed., Pieter Breughel der Jüngere-Jan Brueghel der Ältere, Flämische Malerei um 1600, Tradition und Fortschritt, Lingen, 1997, pp. 398-400, n° 135 (ill. in colour on p. 399); Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, ed., Pieter Brueghel le Jeune - Jan Brueghel l’Ancien, Une famille de peintres flamands vers 1600, Antwerp, 1988, p. 384, n° 140 (ill. in colour on p. 385) Exhibitions: Brussels, Galerie Robert Finck, Pieter Brueghel de Jongere in Belgische privécollecties, 1969; Essen, Kulturstiftung Ruhr, Villa Hügel, Brueghel-Brueghel, Pieter Brueghel d.J.-Jan Brueghel d.Ä., Flämische Malerei um 1600, Tradition und Fortschritt, 16 August-16 November 1997, n° 135; Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Brueghel–Brueghel, Pieter Brueghel d.J. - Jan Brueghel d.Ä., Flämische Malerei um 1600, Tradition und Fortschritt, 9 December 1997-14 April 1998, n° 135; Antwerp, Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Pieter Brueghel le Jeune-Jan Brueghel l’Ancien. Une famille de peintres flamands vers 1600, 3 May-26 July 1998, n° 140