1937
See also : Spain Picasso Picasso 1930s The Woman Orientalism Matisse Cars 1930s Mercedes-Benz French cars
1937 Marie-Thérèse and Dora
2018 SOLD for £ 50M including premium
In 1937 Picasso is deeply saddened by the Spanish war. He is no longer the matamore disguised as a Minotaur. The impromptu meeting of his two mistresses in his workshop during the preparation of Guernica also opens a major sentimental dilemma. He makes his choice : his fate attracts him to Dora but he will not break with Marie-Thérèse.
He tries by their portraits to compare the opposite temperaments of his two mistresses. Two paintings dated in the same day, December 4, 1937, displays them separately. The contours of the faces are identical, in his signature style defining altogether front side and profile. The eyes, nose, mouth and even the big heart-shaped tear that covers the entire cheek are similar.
Beyond such a similarity the differences are all the more significant, as for example between the white skin of Marie-Thérèse and the bright yellow of Dora. Maya's young mother is nicely dressed in a checkered dress and wears a beret. The new mistress has a circus hat and a fur collar.
Pablo has hidden his dual love in both individual portraits. The oval shadow that appears between Dora's face and her dark hair is Marie-Thérèse's cheek. On the dark background of Marie-Thérèse's portrait a black shadow is barely discernible. This one follows the right profile of the head in an angular line that evokes Dora.
This interpretation is not exaggerated. The symbolic use of shadow had already been practiced by Pablo as a self-portrait behind Olga in 1931 when he was still trying to hide his relationship with Marie-Thérèse but had already decided to part from his wife.
On January 12, 1938 Picasso gives a continuation to the double portrait of the previous month by amalgamating the features of Dora and Marie-Thérèse in a single figure. Buste de femme (femme à la résille) was sold for $ 67M including premium by Christie's on May 11, 2015. These three artworks of 1937 and 1938 were highly important for Picasso seeking to control his own emotional crisis : he kept them until his death 35 years later.
On February 28 in London, Sotheby's sells as lot 7 Femme au béret et à la robe quadrillée (Marie-Thérèse Walter), the oil on canvas 55 x 46 cm painted on December 4, 1937. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
He tries by their portraits to compare the opposite temperaments of his two mistresses. Two paintings dated in the same day, December 4, 1937, displays them separately. The contours of the faces are identical, in his signature style defining altogether front side and profile. The eyes, nose, mouth and even the big heart-shaped tear that covers the entire cheek are similar.
Beyond such a similarity the differences are all the more significant, as for example between the white skin of Marie-Thérèse and the bright yellow of Dora. Maya's young mother is nicely dressed in a checkered dress and wears a beret. The new mistress has a circus hat and a fur collar.
Pablo has hidden his dual love in both individual portraits. The oval shadow that appears between Dora's face and her dark hair is Marie-Thérèse's cheek. On the dark background of Marie-Thérèse's portrait a black shadow is barely discernible. This one follows the right profile of the head in an angular line that evokes Dora.
This interpretation is not exaggerated. The symbolic use of shadow had already been practiced by Pablo as a self-portrait behind Olga in 1931 when he was still trying to hide his relationship with Marie-Thérèse but had already decided to part from his wife.
On January 12, 1938 Picasso gives a continuation to the double portrait of the previous month by amalgamating the features of Dora and Marie-Thérèse in a single figure. Buste de femme (femme à la résille) was sold for $ 67M including premium by Christie's on May 11, 2015. These three artworks of 1937 and 1938 were highly important for Picasso seeking to control his own emotional crisis : he kept them until his death 35 years later.
On February 28 in London, Sotheby's sells as lot 7 Femme au béret et à la robe quadrillée (Marie-Thérèse Walter), the oil on canvas 55 x 46 cm painted on December 4, 1937. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
1937 Odalisque by Matisse
2007 SOLD 33.6 M$ including premium by Christie's
1937 Portrait of a Russian Princess
2014 SOLD 9.2 M£ including premium
PRE SALE DISCUSSION
Completed in 1932 for Barnes, la Danse is a key step in the career of Matisse who appreciates that the simplicity of the drawing brings power and emotion to the artwork.
Coming back to a Fauviste expression, he then seeks to associate the rarest and most spectacular colors which he uses to display the clothes of his sitters and the wallpapers. The effect is more important than the image, and the composition has the audacity of a Degas.
This trend results in 1937 in the theme of the Odalisques. An oil on canvas 60 x 50 cm was sold for $ 33.6 million including premium at Christie's on November 6, 2007.
On that year his favorite models are the Princess Hélène Galitzine, not yet 18, and her cousin Lydia.
Boléro violet, oil on canvas 55 x 33 cm, is a close-up portrait of Hélène. The young dark haired woman is sitting and slightly leaning as to exit out of the frame, creating a nice intimate effect. The decoration of the jacket is inspired by Romanian clothing.
This painting is estimated £ 6.5 million, for sale by Sotheby's in London on February 5, lot 45 in the catalog.
POST SALE COMMENT
Very good price for this emotional portrait : £ 9.2M including premium.
Completed in 1932 for Barnes, la Danse is a key step in the career of Matisse who appreciates that the simplicity of the drawing brings power and emotion to the artwork.
Coming back to a Fauviste expression, he then seeks to associate the rarest and most spectacular colors which he uses to display the clothes of his sitters and the wallpapers. The effect is more important than the image, and the composition has the audacity of a Degas.
This trend results in 1937 in the theme of the Odalisques. An oil on canvas 60 x 50 cm was sold for $ 33.6 million including premium at Christie's on November 6, 2007.
On that year his favorite models are the Princess Hélène Galitzine, not yet 18, and her cousin Lydia.
Boléro violet, oil on canvas 55 x 33 cm, is a close-up portrait of Hélène. The young dark haired woman is sitting and slightly leaning as to exit out of the frame, creating a nice intimate effect. The decoration of the jacket is inspired by Romanian clothing.
This painting is estimated £ 6.5 million, for sale by Sotheby's in London on February 5, lot 45 in the catalog.
POST SALE COMMENT
Very good price for this emotional portrait : £ 9.2M including premium.
1937 The Hypercar of the 1930s
2016 SOLD for $ 9.9M including premium
Mercedes-Benz designed and produced the automotive masterpiece of the 1930s, the 540K Special Roadster. It is not an isolated element in the catalog but really the top of a range. It is the biggest, the most powerful, the fastest, the most beautiful and the most expensive.
Its engine 5.4 liter with compressor is the achievement of a technical evolution that will have no following. The project of a 580K with an increase to 5.8 liters aborted.
It is the biggest, 5.10 m long, but its open cabin as a two-seater convertible is light. The weight gain enables a top speed at 185 km / h which is 25 km / h more than a 540K in a closed bodywork.
Aesthetically, it is a marvel due to the skill of the team of Hermann Ahrens and the engineers in Sindelfingen : its tapered shape makes forget its huge size. It has a long tail, which allows to state that it anticipates by eight decades the hypercars of today with the cockpit centered on the chassis.
It is the most expensive: 28,000 Reichsmarks, which is 6,000 Reichsmarks more than any other model. This is an advantage because it appeals the elite as a car for prestige and parade, although nothing prevents pushing the performance of this roadster on an Autobahn.
The political events in Germany did not prevent Mercedes-Benz to maintain an international clientele. The 540K Special Roadster for sale by RM Sotheby's in Phoenix on January 29 had been delivered in April 1937 to an American dealer who sold it immediately to a collector, happy heir of one of the largest industrial fortunes.
This original collector car was rarely driven. It is estimated $ 10M,lot 242. Keep in mind that the car from the same model that had been found intact in 1989 in the estate of the Baroness von Krieger was sold for $ 11,8M including premium by Gooding on August 18, 2012, a very high price for a car at that time.
I invite you to watch the video shared by the auction house.
Its engine 5.4 liter with compressor is the achievement of a technical evolution that will have no following. The project of a 580K with an increase to 5.8 liters aborted.
It is the biggest, 5.10 m long, but its open cabin as a two-seater convertible is light. The weight gain enables a top speed at 185 km / h which is 25 km / h more than a 540K in a closed bodywork.
Aesthetically, it is a marvel due to the skill of the team of Hermann Ahrens and the engineers in Sindelfingen : its tapered shape makes forget its huge size. It has a long tail, which allows to state that it anticipates by eight decades the hypercars of today with the cockpit centered on the chassis.
It is the most expensive: 28,000 Reichsmarks, which is 6,000 Reichsmarks more than any other model. This is an advantage because it appeals the elite as a car for prestige and parade, although nothing prevents pushing the performance of this roadster on an Autobahn.
The political events in Germany did not prevent Mercedes-Benz to maintain an international clientele. The 540K Special Roadster for sale by RM Sotheby's in Phoenix on January 29 had been delivered in April 1937 to an American dealer who sold it immediately to a collector, happy heir of one of the largest industrial fortunes.
This original collector car was rarely driven. It is estimated $ 10M,lot 242. Keep in mind that the car from the same model that had been found intact in 1989 in the estate of the Baroness von Krieger was sold for $ 11,8M including premium by Gooding on August 18, 2012, a very high price for a car at that time.
I invite you to watch the video shared by the auction house.
1937 British Elegance for a Bugatti
2016 SOLD for $ 9.7M including premium
The Type 57 introduced by Bugatti in 1934 invites for any elegance. With a lowered chassis designed in 1937 under the reference 57S, this luxury model belongs firmly to the category of sports cars.
Various bodies are proposed by Bugatti for the 57 or 57S: Galibier berline, Ventoux coach, Stelvio and Aravis cabriolets, Atalante and Atlantic coupés. They are manufactured in Colmar by Gangloff, a subcontractor of Bugatti.
In the practice of that time, the outsourcing of the body is also accepted by the brand. In 1937, the new Bugatti agent in New York commissions a four-seater touring roadster which is made by Vanden Plas in the minimalist style of the British taste.
No American customer is interested and the Bugatti - Vanden Plas car returns to London. It is appreciated by Bugatti who pictures it in the 1937-1938 catalog and exhibits it at the 1938 London Motor Show, but it will nevertheless remain unique.
The car resurfaced slightly modified in 1947 as a Type 57SC sports tourer. It is supercharged, a very attractive option for the users because the car can now reach 190 km/h. Its compressor will be replaced later by a similar equipment more in accordance with the original design of a Type 57SC.
This masterpiece of the Franco-British pre-war automobile is estimated $ 11M for sale by Bonhams in Amelia Island on March 10, lot 139. The estimate, not indicated in the catalog, is revealed by the press release of February 17. Its perfect working condition is shown in the video shared by the auction house.
Various bodies are proposed by Bugatti for the 57 or 57S: Galibier berline, Ventoux coach, Stelvio and Aravis cabriolets, Atalante and Atlantic coupés. They are manufactured in Colmar by Gangloff, a subcontractor of Bugatti.
In the practice of that time, the outsourcing of the body is also accepted by the brand. In 1937, the new Bugatti agent in New York commissions a four-seater touring roadster which is made by Vanden Plas in the minimalist style of the British taste.
No American customer is interested and the Bugatti - Vanden Plas car returns to London. It is appreciated by Bugatti who pictures it in the 1937-1938 catalog and exhibits it at the 1938 London Motor Show, but it will nevertheless remain unique.
The car resurfaced slightly modified in 1947 as a Type 57SC sports tourer. It is supercharged, a very attractive option for the users because the car can now reach 190 km/h. Its compressor will be replaced later by a similar equipment more in accordance with the original design of a Type 57SC.
This masterpiece of the Franco-British pre-war automobile is estimated $ 11M for sale by Bonhams in Amelia Island on March 10, lot 139. The estimate, not indicated in the catalog, is revealed by the press release of February 17. Its perfect working condition is shown in the video shared by the auction house.
1937 The High-End Car by Mercedes-Benz
2011 SOLD 9.7 M$ including premium
The political rivalry between France and Germany in the late 1930's is well known. With regard to the cars, it has resulted in fierce competition for both racing and high-end models.
The Mercedes-Benz 540K was contemporary with the Bugatti 57S. The brand of Sindelfingen equipped a small number of 540K chassis as roadsters, while the brand of Molsheim assembled the Atlantic coupe on the chassis 57S. While the Atlantic has an extraordinary futuristic shape, the 540K roadster, which is a two-seater convertible, has an extraordinary classical beauty.
A metallic gray specimen of 540K Spezial Roadster, made in 1937 with high doors and a long tail, is for sale on August 20 by RM Auctions in Monterey. The press release indicated that there are only three surviving examples of this type, and that this one will go into history as one of the most expensive cars ever sold at auction.
It is illustrated on the top of the page in the article shared by Sports Car Digest.
POST SALE COMMENT
It is always nice to have a great price on an exceptional vehicle: $ 8.8 million before fees, 9.7 million including premium.
The Mercedes-Benz 540K was contemporary with the Bugatti 57S. The brand of Sindelfingen equipped a small number of 540K chassis as roadsters, while the brand of Molsheim assembled the Atlantic coupe on the chassis 57S. While the Atlantic has an extraordinary futuristic shape, the 540K roadster, which is a two-seater convertible, has an extraordinary classical beauty.
A metallic gray specimen of 540K Spezial Roadster, made in 1937 with high doors and a long tail, is for sale on August 20 by RM Auctions in Monterey. The press release indicated that there are only three surviving examples of this type, and that this one will go into history as one of the most expensive cars ever sold at auction.
It is illustrated on the top of the page in the article shared by Sports Car Digest.
POST SALE COMMENT
It is always nice to have a great price on an exceptional vehicle: $ 8.8 million before fees, 9.7 million including premium.
1937 The Lowered Chassis by Jean Bugatti
2013 SOLD 8.7 M$ including premium
Jean Bugatti was one of the great innovators of automobile design. The lowered variant 57S of the chassis type 57 paves the way for unprecedented solutions for sport and luxury, like the 57S Atalante and Atlantic. From the beginning their rarity makes them true works of art.
The ultimate improvement of the Bugatti 57 is the supercharged SC model. Dr. Williamson had one of the two surviving Bugatti 57SC Atlantic and one 57SC Atalante. His Atlantic was sold for more than $ 30M in a private sale facilitated by Gooding in 2010. His Atalante was sold for $ 7.9 million including premium at auction in August 2008, also by Gooding.
The supercharger was an appealing enhancement for the richest clients of Bugatti, and a high proportion of 57S were transformed into 57SC.
On August 18 at Pebble Beach Gooding sells an Atalante that has retained its original engine and body and is presented in an elegant original-like black finish. It was made in 1937, the same year as Williamson's Atalante, and was one of the first units to return to the factory for being equipped as an SC.
Here is the link to the catalog.
POST SALE COMMENT
Very good result, $ 8.7 million including premium, just above Williamson's Atalante sold in 2008.
The ultimate improvement of the Bugatti 57 is the supercharged SC model. Dr. Williamson had one of the two surviving Bugatti 57SC Atlantic and one 57SC Atalante. His Atlantic was sold for more than $ 30M in a private sale facilitated by Gooding in 2010. His Atalante was sold for $ 7.9 million including premium at auction in August 2008, also by Gooding.
The supercharger was an appealing enhancement for the richest clients of Bugatti, and a high proportion of 57S were transformed into 57SC.
On August 18 at Pebble Beach Gooding sells an Atalante that has retained its original engine and body and is presented in an elegant original-like black finish. It was made in 1937, the same year as Williamson's Atalante, and was one of the first units to return to the factory for being equipped as an SC.
Here is the link to the catalog.
POST SALE COMMENT
Very good result, $ 8.7 million including premium, just above Williamson's Atalante sold in 2008.
1937 Twelve Bugattis including an Atalante coupé
2008 SOLD 7.9 M$ including premium
The sale will take place on 16 and 17 August, but fans of Bugatti are already watching toward Pebble Beach, California. At these dates Gooding will disperse a collection of twelve Bugattis, including a 57SC Atalante coupe of 1937, and a 35B of 1928 whose first owner was Louis Chiron, one of the most successful racing drivers of these ancient times.
This collection from an estate is unique in the range of models and the personality of their former owner, a professor of medicine whose passion for automobiles were raised exclusively for that mark and who was president of the American Bugatti Club. The proceeds from the sale will go to medical organizations.
Indeed there is no Bugatti Royale in this group, but Bugatti was renowned to produce at the same time models of luxury and race, and the two top lots of the sale, mentioned here above, are not bad either.
All these vehicles are announced as being in exceptional condition, and the auction house announced to expect more than $ 15 million. The individual estimates are not given, but we easily appreciate from these figures that the coupé and the race car prices will be multimillionaire. The same can be said of a third car, a roadster type 55, 1931, which enters the short list of the lots highlighted in the press release.
POST SALE COMMENT
Excellent results.
The Atalante coupe, which is one of the masterpieces of Bugatti, was sold $ 7.9 million.
The other two cars mentioned in my article also well behaved: Chiron's 35 B has been sold $ 1.45 million and the 55 roadster was sold $ 1.75 million.
These prices are including fees.
This collection from an estate is unique in the range of models and the personality of their former owner, a professor of medicine whose passion for automobiles were raised exclusively for that mark and who was president of the American Bugatti Club. The proceeds from the sale will go to medical organizations.
Indeed there is no Bugatti Royale in this group, but Bugatti was renowned to produce at the same time models of luxury and race, and the two top lots of the sale, mentioned here above, are not bad either.
All these vehicles are announced as being in exceptional condition, and the auction house announced to expect more than $ 15 million. The individual estimates are not given, but we easily appreciate from these figures that the coupé and the race car prices will be multimillionaire. The same can be said of a third car, a roadster type 55, 1931, which enters the short list of the lots highlighted in the press release.
POST SALE COMMENT
Excellent results.
The Atalante coupe, which is one of the masterpieces of Bugatti, was sold $ 7.9 million.
The other two cars mentioned in my article also well behaved: Chiron's 35 B has been sold $ 1.45 million and the 55 roadster was sold $ 1.75 million.
These prices are including fees.
1937 A 57S Cabriolet by Vanvooren
2017 SOLD for $ 7.7M including premium
Introduced in 1934, the Bugatti Type 57 had a spectacular broadening of its range in October 1936 when the 57C supercharged and the 57S are simultaneously unveiled at the Salon de l'Automobile in Paris. The 57S standing for "surbaissé" (lowered) has a chassis different from the other 57. The similar reference designating all these models is certainly to claim that the Type 57 offers a complete choice to the most demanding customers for luxury and sport.
In its time the 57S was only exciting the true connoisseurs. Its production was stopped in May 1938 for focusing onto the other variants whose commercial success was flourishing. Only 42 57S chassis have been produced. Some owners have transformed their 57S into the supercharged 57SC configuration and the genuine 57S are now very rare.
The 57S is offered in the catalog of the brand with a wide range of bodyworks that are made in Colmar by Gangloff, a subsidiary of Bugatti. The supply of chassis to independent workshops on specific request from a customer or a retailer is also encouraged. A unique 57S/SC bodyworked for the British taste by Vanden Plas was sold for $ 9.7M including premium by Bonhams on March 10, 2016.
As for the cabriolets Bugatti proposes the Aravis model which originally fitted 19 of the 42 57S chassis. The Carrosserie Vanvooren in Courbevoie realizes for its part four cabriolets 57S of which three are surviving today.
A 57S cabriolet assembled in 1937 by Vanvooren has been carefully preserved by its successive owners and is offered today with its original chassis, body, engine and gearbox. It was repainted in the early 1960s with elegant primrose yellow sides that reinforce its resemblance to an Atalante coupe.
An exceptional witness to the mechanical construction of the 57S and to the art of Vanvooren, this cabriolet is estimated $ 8.5M for sale by RM Sotheby's on March 11 at Amelia Island, lot 232.
In its time the 57S was only exciting the true connoisseurs. Its production was stopped in May 1938 for focusing onto the other variants whose commercial success was flourishing. Only 42 57S chassis have been produced. Some owners have transformed their 57S into the supercharged 57SC configuration and the genuine 57S are now very rare.
The 57S is offered in the catalog of the brand with a wide range of bodyworks that are made in Colmar by Gangloff, a subsidiary of Bugatti. The supply of chassis to independent workshops on specific request from a customer or a retailer is also encouraged. A unique 57S/SC bodyworked for the British taste by Vanden Plas was sold for $ 9.7M including premium by Bonhams on March 10, 2016.
As for the cabriolets Bugatti proposes the Aravis model which originally fitted 19 of the 42 57S chassis. The Carrosserie Vanvooren in Courbevoie realizes for its part four cabriolets 57S of which three are surviving today.
A 57S cabriolet assembled in 1937 by Vanvooren has been carefully preserved by its successive owners and is offered today with its original chassis, body, engine and gearbox. It was repainted in the early 1960s with elegant primrose yellow sides that reinforce its resemblance to an Atalante coupe.
An exceptional witness to the mechanical construction of the 57S and to the art of Vanvooren, this cabriolet is estimated $ 8.5M for sale by RM Sotheby's on March 11 at Amelia Island, lot 232.
1937 Short Chassis by Delahaye
2014 SOLD 6.6 M$ including premium
The Delahaye type 135, released in 1935, is the great rival of the Bugatti 57. Its wide range of chassis includes the 135 Compétition Court, specially designed for racing as its name suggests.
Approximately 30 cars were built in Compétition Court and many of them were equipped with various bodies due to the rival talents of two contractors of Delahaye, the illustrator Géo Ham and the coachbuilder Figoni et Falaschi.
One of Figoni's specialties is the Goutte d'Eau coupe, a closed body also used for Talbot-Lago. Made in 1936, a Delahaye 135 Compétition Court Goutte d'Eau was sold for $ 2.4 million including premium by RM Auctions on November 21, 2013.
The Torpedo Roadster open body is a symbol of the top automotive luxury of its time and caused a sensation at the Salon de l'Auto in Paris in 1936. On March 8 in Amelia Island, RM Auctions sells a Delahaye 135 Compétition Court Torpedo Roadster, even rarer than the coupe from the same frame, lot 167 in the catalog.
This car also was bodied by Figoni et Falaschi who delivered it back to Delahaye in 1937. It is one of few examples where the coachbuilder has formally recognized the participation of Géo Ham.
This superb and rare Delahaye was for half a century the favorite of an American collector who nicknamed it his French Mistress.
POST SALE COMMENT
This exceptional roadster of the 1930s was sold for $ 6.6M including premium.
Approximately 30 cars were built in Compétition Court and many of them were equipped with various bodies due to the rival talents of two contractors of Delahaye, the illustrator Géo Ham and the coachbuilder Figoni et Falaschi.
One of Figoni's specialties is the Goutte d'Eau coupe, a closed body also used for Talbot-Lago. Made in 1936, a Delahaye 135 Compétition Court Goutte d'Eau was sold for $ 2.4 million including premium by RM Auctions on November 21, 2013.
The Torpedo Roadster open body is a symbol of the top automotive luxury of its time and caused a sensation at the Salon de l'Auto in Paris in 1936. On March 8 in Amelia Island, RM Auctions sells a Delahaye 135 Compétition Court Torpedo Roadster, even rarer than the coupe from the same frame, lot 167 in the catalog.
This car also was bodied by Figoni et Falaschi who delivered it back to Delahaye in 1937. It is one of few examples where the coachbuilder has formally recognized the participation of Géo Ham.
This superb and rare Delahaye was for half a century the favorite of an American collector who nicknamed it his French Mistress.
POST SALE COMMENT
This exceptional roadster of the 1930s was sold for $ 6.6M including premium.
(previous sale 1937) The Grey Pearls
2015 SOLD for HK$ 41M including premium
The finest necklaces are indeed collections of jewels. Calibrated jades carved in the Qianlong period are insurmountable in their category. The assembly of a collection of rubies selected through four generations of jewelers in Bangkok was sold for HK$ 77M including premium by Sotheby's on April 7, 2014. A necklace made of a collection of Imperial Mughal spinels was sold for CHF 4.6M including premium by Christie's on May 18, 2011.
The former Cowdray collection of grey pearls is another great example.
The natural saltwater grey pearl is a rarity. It is formed by the accumulation of successive layers of nacre that can create various shapes. Unlike gemstones, it is not cut. The assembly of a large quantity of perfect pieces of homogeneous hue and luster seems to be impossible now.
The Cowdray necklace, auctioned by Sotheby's in London in 1937 as a necklace of 43 pearls totaling approximately 882 grains, is a set with no known equivalent. It was sold for £ 2,17M including premium by Christie's on June 13, 2012. It was then made up of 38 pearls.
This necklace was recently enhanced by the integration of four more pearls of the same quality of which two had been in the original necklace, for a new total of 42 round pearls graduated between 12.9 and 6.6 mm. The necklace comes with a pair of diamond earclips centered by a button shaped pearl. This suite is estimated HK $ 35M for sale by Sotheby's in Hong Kong on October 7, lot 1870.
A pearl of same nature but of phenomenal size, button shaped 21.2 x 21.1 x 12.0 mm, assembled on a brooch in a surrounding of diamonds, was sold for $ 1,87M including premium by Sotheby's on December 5, 2012.
Note that the jewelry auctions earlier this year have shown a growing interest from the buyers for cultured pearls, which allows to predict a result of high level for the natural Cowdray pearls.
The former Cowdray collection of grey pearls is another great example.
The natural saltwater grey pearl is a rarity. It is formed by the accumulation of successive layers of nacre that can create various shapes. Unlike gemstones, it is not cut. The assembly of a large quantity of perfect pieces of homogeneous hue and luster seems to be impossible now.
The Cowdray necklace, auctioned by Sotheby's in London in 1937 as a necklace of 43 pearls totaling approximately 882 grains, is a set with no known equivalent. It was sold for £ 2,17M including premium by Christie's on June 13, 2012. It was then made up of 38 pearls.
This necklace was recently enhanced by the integration of four more pearls of the same quality of which two had been in the original necklace, for a new total of 42 round pearls graduated between 12.9 and 6.6 mm. The necklace comes with a pair of diamond earclips centered by a button shaped pearl. This suite is estimated HK $ 35M for sale by Sotheby's in Hong Kong on October 7, lot 1870.
A pearl of same nature but of phenomenal size, button shaped 21.2 x 21.1 x 12.0 mm, assembled on a brooch in a surrounding of diamonds, was sold for $ 1,87M including premium by Sotheby's on December 5, 2012.
Note that the jewelry auctions earlier this year have shown a growing interest from the buyers for cultured pearls, which allows to predict a result of high level for the natural Cowdray pearls.
The Cowdray #Pearls: One of the greatest grey pearl necklaces in existence will be sold in HK http://t.co/t3GJG3Amnl pic.twitter.com/KVnFsxCsSx
— Sotheby's (@Sothebys) August 28, 2015