2020 in Review
Exceptional results at Bonhams
Introduction
Looking back at Bonhams’ incredible results in 2020, one might be forgiven for forgetting that they took place during the most tumultuous year in living memory. The combination of our global network and our already highly developed digital foundations has meant that our Valuations Trusts & Estates team has been able to keep communicating and assisting our clients and their professional advisors throughout the many challenges of the last year.
This experience has reaffirmed once more, that fine and rare artworks tend to make their mark at auction whatever the external economic, political and social situation. The following examples give you a flavour of some of the important, beautiful and exquisite lots that our Valuations Trusts & Estates department has been involved with over the last twelve months. We hope you enjoy it, and look forward to continuing to talk with you, and look forward to connecting with you as the restrictions begin to lift over the course of 2021.
To hear more from our Valuations team, please follow the link below.
Fine Art
Impressionist & Modern Art
Salvador Dalí (1904-1989) Couple aux têtes pleines de nuages.
Sold for £8,171,062
Impressionist & Modern Art, 15 Oct 2020
"It has been a real privilege to bring one of Dalí's surrealist masterpieces, Couple aux têtes pleines de nuages, to auction for the first time. This was a signature work by the artist, revealing his two great obsessions – Freudian psychology, and his great muse, Gala. Dalí painted this incredible diptych at a time of intense personal discovery and expression, while the world around him erupted into conflict. I am delighted that this work gained the attention it deserved." - India Phillips, Global Head of Impressionist & Modern Art
Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944), Einige Spitzen.
Sold for US$ 3,270,312 (£ 2,405,203)
Impressionist & Modern Art, 17 Nov 2020
Modern British & Irish Art
David Bomberg, (British, 1890-1957), The Old City and Cathedral, Ronda
Sold for £ 790,750
Modern British and Irish Art, 18 Nov 2020
Roger Fry, (British, 1866-1934) Portrait of E.M. Forster
Sold for £ 325,062 inc. premium
Modern British and Irish Art, 1 Jul 2020
"We are delighted with the result. Discovered as part of a fascinating Estate, Roger Fry's portrait of E.M. Forster is an extraordinary and important work and it's fitting that it set a new world record for the artist at auction." - Chris Dawson, Bonhams Director of Modern British and Irish Art
Post-War and Contemporary Art
Gerhard Richter, (German, born 1932) Abstraktes Bild (Untitled) 679-31988
Sold for US$ 3,450,312 (£ 2,537,586)
Post-War & Contemporary Art, 18 Nov 2020
"Both Richter's Abstraktes Bild (Untitled) 679-3 and Calder's Little Red and Blue were exceptional signature works by two titans of contemporary art. Each work was created during pivotal points in their careers – and both are simply spectacular. This was the first time that these two masterworks had been offered at auction, and I am ecstatic that they both achieved such fantastic results at Bonhams." - Jacqueline Towers-Perkins, Bonhams Vice President, Director of Post-War & Contemporary Art
Banksy, (British, b. 1975) Oh My God, 2006
Sold for £ 855,062
Post-War & Contemporary Art, 22 Oct 2020
Banksy's Oh My God, 2006 first exhibited at Banksy's landmark Barely Legal exhibition in Los Angeles in 2006. His debut show in the United States, Barely Legal drew celebrity and global press attention, and cemented Banksy as one of the most admired, and notorious, artists working today.
Alexander Calder, (American, 1898-1976) Little Red and Blue, 1976
Sold for US$ 2,070,312 (£ 1,522,644)
Post-War & Contemporary Art, 18 Nov 2020
Modern & Contemporary Middle Eastern Art
Mahmoud Said (Egypt, 1897-1964), Le Chômeur (The Vagabond)
Sold for £1,222,750
Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art, 24 Nov 2020
"It is extremely rare for any of Said's work to be brought to auction as most of his pieces are held by institutions or in permanent collections and we are very pleased that Le Chômeur sold for nearly triple its pre-sale estimate. Poignant, enigmatic and graceful, the work is the archetypal synthesis of Said's inimitable portraits of noble Egyptian peasants and truly deserved its high-selling price." Nima Sagharchi, Bonhams Department Director of Islamic, Middle Eastern and South Asian Art
African Art
Irma Stern, (South African, 1894-1966) Watussi Chief's Wife, 1946
Sold for £447,062
Modern & Contemporary African Art, 18 Mar 2020
"Watussi Chief's Wife is a wonderful and moving work that reflects Irma Stern's respect for a sitter whose innate nobility Stern deeply admired. The bidding and the final price reflected its importance. Overall, I was pleased that under such difficult circumstance we were able to hold such a successful sale." - Giles Peppiatt, Bonhams Director of Modern & Contemporary African Art
19th Century Pictures
Ludwig Deutsch (Austrian, 1855-1935) A Dealer in Artefacts
Sold for £ 312,562
Orientalist Art, 26 Oct 2020, 17:00 GMT
Old Masters
Jacopo Vignali, (1592-1664 Florence) David with the Head of Goliath
Sold for £ 162,750
Old Master Paintings, 17 Dec 2020
Luxury
Jewellery
An Important Fancy Pink Diamond and Diamond Ring, by Meister, Circa 1968
Sold for £ 838,750
London Jewels, 12 Nov 2020
"We are delighted with the results of this sale. Despite taking place behind closed doors, the bidding remained spirited and the results demonstrate that high quality pieces with extraordinary provenance continue to captivate buyers around the world." - Jean Ghika, Global Head of Jewellery
A Superb Unmounted Kashmir Sapphire
Sold for US$ 1,244,075 (£ 914,974)
New York Jewels, 28 Jul 2020
New York – On July 28, Bonhams' New York Jewels sale achieved a total of $3,685,953 with 80% sold by lot. The top lot of the sale was a rare and fine cushion-cut Kashmir sapphire, weighing 9.23ct, which sold for $1,244,075, over 2.5 times the low estimate.
Watches
Rolex. A Fine and Rare Stainless Steel Manual Wind Chronograph Bracelet Watch with Paul Newman Exotic Dial, Cosmograph Daytona 'Paul Newman', Ref: 6262/6265, circa 1972
Sold for £225,250
Fine Watches, 11 Dec 2020
Designer Handbags & Fashion
Hermès, Matt Geranium Alligator, circa 2012.
Sold for £25,062
Designer Handbags & Fashion, 16 Jul 2020
"I'm very pleased with the results of our first Designer Handbags and Fashion sale. We offered a wonderful curated selection showcasing luxury labels, including Hermès, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, and Gucci, so it's no surprise that such desirable pieces attracted such competitive bidding." - Meg Randell, Head of Designer Handbags & Fashion Department
Wine & Whisky
Château Latour 1961, Pauillac 1er Grand Cru Classé (12)
Sold for £42,700
Fine and Rare Wines, featuring the Cellar of the Ritz Club, 26 Nov 2020
Hanyu Ichiro's 'Full Card Series', Whisky from Club Qing.
Sold for a combined total of HK$11,890,360
Fine & Rare Wine and Whisky, 20 Nov 2020
The legendary Hanyu Ichiro 'Full Card Series' whisky of 54 bottles sold for a sweeping combined total of HK$11,890,360/ US$1,520,000, setting a new world auction record for a whisky series.
Motoring
1931 Bugatti Type 55 Two-Seat Supersport 1931, Coachwork by Carrosserie Figoni, Paris.
Sold for € 4,600,000
Les Grandes Marques du Monde au Grand Palais, 6 Feb 2020
"We were extremely proud to have been entrusted with this exceptional and historic sportscar. It presented a once in a lifetime opportunity to buy one of the most important examples of the golden age of automotive craftsmanship and performance." - Philip Kantor, Bonhams Director European Board
2021 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport Coupé , Chassis n.
Sold for CHF 1,840,000
The Bonmont Sale Collectors' Motor Cars, 20 Sep 2020
A 2012 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport Coupé – arguably the car which set a new benchmark for the supercar category – was the top lot, selling for CHF 1,840,000, in The Bonmont Sale, the first traditional live auction staged by Bonhams European Motor Car Department since the Grand Palais sale in Paris in February.
"The rare supercar, one of only 48 produced, had covered just 693 kms from new and was offered by its original owner who commissioned its bespoke specification, including a full exposed-carbon fibre body." - Jamie Knight, Global Director of Motoring
Interiors & Collectibles
Modern Design
Francois-Xavier Lalanne (1927 - 2008) Carpe (Très Grande) Conceived and Cast in 2000, gilt-bronze, from an edition of eight.
Sold for US$2,430,312
Modern Decorative Art + Design, 17 Dec 2020
Ceramics
An Extremely Rare Vienna Model of an Elephant, circa 1750.
Sold for £121,500
Fine European Ceramics , 3 Dec 2020
The Heinrich Rothberger Collection, featuring an impressive selection of fine antique porcelain – stolen by the Nazis in 1938 and only returned to the family from 2003 onwards – was 100% sold at Bonhams' Fine European Ceramics sale in London on Thursday 3 December. One of the highlights of the sale was an extremely rare Vienna model of an elephant, circa 1750, which sold for £121,500 against an estimate of £10,000-15,000. The 26-lot collection made a total of £979,309.
"Heinrich Rothberger had a wonderful appreciation of Viennese porcelain and assembled an astonishing collection. The long struggle to obtain restitution is an all too familiar story, yet this at least is one which has a very positive outcome. The appearance on the market of these remarkable pieces clearly excited collectors, and we are very pleased they achieved such impressive results – with many far exceeding their estimates." - Sebastian Kuhn, Bonhams Director of European Ceramics
Clocks
A Fine and Rare 18th Century Gilt-Metal Mounted, Ebony-Veneered Quarter-Repeating and Striking Table Clock of Small Style, Thomas Tompion, London.
Sold for £262,750
Fine Clocks, 16 Dec 2020
Silver
A Pair of George IV Silver 'Warwick Vase' Wine Coolers, Paul Storr, London 1821.
Sold for £ 60,250
Fine Decorative Arts, 1200-1900, 18 Dec 2020
Works of Art
Sir Alfred Gilbert, A.R.A., M.V.O (British, 1854-1934): A Rare and Probably Unique Patinated and Parcel Gilt-Bronze 'Double Size' Figure of St George ordered by John Charles Williams of Werrington Park, Launceston, Cornwall directly from the sculptor, circa 1895-6.
Sold for £1,222,750
Fine Decorative Arts, 1200-1900, 18 Dec 2020
"Being involved in identifying this wonderful statue and bringing it to market has been truly exciting. I am delighted that it sold for such an astonishing sum and set a new world auction record for a work by Gilbert." - Michael Lake, Bonhams Head of European Sculpture and Works of Art
Memorabilia
The Historically Important Football Association Challenge Cup, 1896-1910.
Sold for £ 759,062
Spectacular Sporting Trophies & Memorabilia, 29 Sep 2020
George Harrison: A Rare Bartell Fretless Electric Guitar Owned by George Harrison, believed made circa 1967.
Sold for £ 237,562
Entertainment Memorabilia including a collection from BAFTA, 13 Oct 2020
Books & Manuscripts
Schedel (Hartmann), Liber chronicarum, Nuremburg, 1493
Sold for $437,812
Fine Books and Manuscripts, 11 Dec 2020
Antique Arms & Armour
An Exceptionally Rare Cased Deluxe .34 Percussion Colt Paterson no. 2 Belt Model Revolver, No. 576, Circa 1840.
Sold for £ 275,250
Antique Arms, Modern Sporting Guns & Exceptional Firearms, 3 Dec 2020
Asian & Middle Eastern Art
Chinese Art
A Pair of Very Rare Iron-Red and Green Enamelled Ovoid Jars, Yongzheng six-character marks and of the period
Sold for £ 312,562
Fine Chinese Art, 5 Nov 2020
Islamic and Indian Art
An Umayyad carved marble panel Cordoba, probably Medinat al Zahra, 10th Century
Sold for £312,563
Islamic and Indian Art, 26 Oct 2020
Single-Owner Collections
Our ‘Collections’ sales allow us the flexibility to offer smaller private collections and estates in our renowned iconic ‘House Sale’ format. Over the last decade these auctions have consistently produced a sell-through rate of over 90%.
The Jacob Collection: The Property of an Important Swiss Collector, 29 Jul 2020
Auction results: 99% sold by value, 94% by lot
Built over the course of three decades, the items in the collection span more than three thousand years and range from Egyptian and Roman antiquities to 20th century design. The sale boasts several impressive collections. These include: a large selection of cameras, scientific instruments, Victorian erotica, Japanese works of art, books and ephemera, clocks, 17th and 18th century furniture, artworks ranging from Old Masters to 20th century works, silver, watches, jewellery, and toys – including a full-size children's carrousel.
Collections, 24 Nov 2020
Auction results: 97% of lots sold (by value) 93% (by lot)
*all prices listed include buyer's premium
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