Quittenbaum
Joseph-Gabriel Rousseau (1885-1953), who assumed the name Argy-Rousseau after his 1913 marriage to Marianne Argyriadès, is known for his innovative glasswares.
His particular forte was pâte-de-verre. A prime example of his craft is on offer at Quittenbaum in Munich on November 22.
In 1921, already a successful artist, Argy-Rousseau joined forces with Gustave Moser-Millot to found the Société Anonyme des Pâtes de Verre d’Argy-Rousseau. Production started in 1923 with a staff of 20 workers producing glass vases. Moser-Millot had exclusive sales rights, but Argy-Rousseau never divulged the secrets of his techniques and retained these rights until his death.
One of the early pieces produced by the company was the Libations vase in the Munich sale. The artist’s Greek wife is thought to have encouraged his interest in classical motifs, such as the portraits of two woman holding vases which adorn the sides of the vase. At 11in (29cm) high, it is unusually tall for a vase by the artist. Quittenbaum is expecting €25,000-28,000.
Hermann Historica
According to the Chinese zodiacal calendar, the next Year of the Ox will start on February 2, 2021. The ox comes between rat and tiger and can often be encountered in Chinese mythology and art.
Tang Dynasty (618-907AD) carved oxen estimated at €50,000 at Hermann Historica.
A pair of finely carved oxen is the potential top lot in a collection of some 150 jade carvings being offered by Hermann Historica in its November 6-17 sale. The 11in (27cm) long and 5½in (14cm) high figures are dated to the Tang Dynasty (618-907AD).
A popular Chinese saying states: “Gold is valuable, jade is priceless.” In this case, the auctioneer has put a figure on it: the estimate is €50,000.
Ketterer Kunst
The French artist Jean-Léon Gérôme (1824-1904) was one of the most celebrated Orientalist painters of the late 19th century.
From 1855 onwards he undertook numerous journeys to north Africa, the Holy Land and Syria, and with the help of the photographs he took and his extensive collection of sketches, he created scenes from the Orient.
His precise style was not necessarily historically correct, but struck a chord with the collectors. A case in point is his 9 x 7in (24 x 18cm) panel 'Arnaute buvant' (Arnaut drinking) from 1856, which is coming up for sale at Ketterer in Munich on November 24, estimated at €25,000-35,000.
'Arnaute buvant' (Arnaut drinking) by Jean-Léon Gérôme, estimated at €25,000-35,000 at Ketterer Kunst in Munich.
The Arnauts were soldiers of Albanian origin who fought for the Ottoman armies against the French in the late 18th century. Many of them settled in Egypt after hostilities ceased; they figure prominently in Gérôme’s oeuvre.
The first documented owner of this painting was Petr (Pierre) Botkine, a Russian diplomat based in Brussels. It now comes from a German collection.
