Around the Globe

Edinburgh: Your Toast

After the deposition of James II (James VII of Scotland) in the Glorious Revolution of 1688, supporters of the Stuart line, known as Jacobites, continued to fight for the restoration of the House of Stuart. Clinging to the idea of the Divine Right of Kings, they regarded the revolution as an afront to both God’s will and Scottish liberties. The final Jacobite rising of 1745 saw the rebels, led by the Stuart claimant to the throne ‘Bonnie Prince Charlie’, crushed at the Battle of Culloden. Though the battle is often seen as the formal end of the attempts at a Stuart restoration, many Jacobites did not give up hope, continuing to take pride in their identity. Wine glasses engraved with Jacobite symbols would be used to toast their beliefs and the ‘King across the water’ – a reference to the time that James II spent in exile and a phrase that was used long after his death. Rare examples of some of these glasses come to Bonhams Edinburgh in September.

Sale: The Scottish and Celtic Sale, Edinburgh, 14 September

Enquiries: Gordon Mcfarlan, +44 (0) 141 223 8866,
gordon.mcfarlan@bonhams.com

Hong Kong: Forever Yongle

The Ming court (1368-1644) was the most significant patron of Buddhist art in China. While it used Buddhism as a means to exert influence over Tibet and Mongolia, Buddhism was far more than just a political tool for some rulers. The Yongle emperor (1402-1424) favoured Confucianism, but nevertheless supported Taoism and Buddhism. Dozens of gilt copper alloy Buddhist sculptures were made under Yongle imperial patronage, each bearing the reign mark of the third Ming ruler, da Ming Yongle nian shi. This important group of sculptures were either brought to Tibet as tribute by visiting Chinese dignitaries or given to Tibetan monks visiting the Yongle court. The bronzes were then sometimes regifted: during the Qianlong period (1736-1795), the Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama sent objects of the Yongle and Xuande periods as gifts to the Manchu ruler. This gilt copper alloy sculpture of Manjushri is offered by Bonhams Hong Kong in October for the final part of the Claude de Marteau Collection sale.

Sale: Claude de Marteau: The Final Journey, 5 October

Enquiries: Edward Wilkinson, +44 (0) 20 7468 8314, edward.wilkinson@bonhams.com

Paris: The great escape

Sometimes the pressures of daily life get a little too much and we can all do with a little escape. As early as the 1880s, with the expansion of rail travel, posters were aiming to capitalise on that feeling, aiming to attract upper-middle-class holidaymakers to seaside or mountain resorts, such as Monaco or Gstaad. Such posters reached their peak between the end of the First World War and the 1950s, when they were replaced by other forms of advertising. The great masters of the form – Hugo d’Alesi, René Péan, Roger Broders and Cassandre – were experts at capturing the allure of travel, as a fine selection of posters offered by Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr this autumn will demonstrate.

Sale: Vintage Posters Online, 27 September - 4 October

Enquiries: Richard Barclay, +33 625 572 389, richard.barclay@bonhams.com

Knightsbridge: Timeless style

She was the designer who freed fashionable women from their corsets and, as ‘Coco’ Chanel, became one of the first fashion designers to be recognised across the world. Now, to coincide with the opening of the V&A’s Gabrielle Chanel: Fashion Manifesto exhibition, Bonhams Knightsbridge will shine the spotlight on the world of Chanel with ‘The Art of Luxury: Chanel’, a sale dedicated to the craftmanship of the illustrious fashion house. Among the lots are an exceptional cream and gold silk jacket by Gabriel Chanel (1883-1971) herself, probably from her autumn/winter collection of 1966/67.

Sale: The Art of Luxury: Chanel, 11-21 September

Enquiries: Meg Randell, +44 (0) 20 7393 3876, meg.randell@bonhams.com

New York: Worth a watch

Actor, racing driver, style icon – Paul Newman was the epitome of cool. Not everyone can have his piercing blue eyes and effortless charm, but his watch is another matter. Coming to Bonhams Fine Watches sale in New York, the exceptional Rolex Daytona Chronograph ‘Paul Newman’ – a stainless steel bracelet watch made around 1965 – is considered one of the greatest vintage Rolexes. Introduced in 1963, this was both the first iteration of the Daytona and the first Daytona with an exotic dial, since named ‘the Paul Newman dial’ in reference to the watch the actor wore himself. It is believed Rolex only produced between 2,000 and 3,000 exotic Daytona dials, hence this model’s cult status. The image of Paul Newman – leading lady on one arm and this watch on the other – has lost none of its iconic cool, and now it can be yours too.

Sale: Fine Watches, New York, 18 October

Enquiries: Nate Borgelt, +1 323 4365 406, nate.borgelt@bonhams.com

Los Angeles: Marissa Speer

Bonhams has appointed Marissa Speer as Fashion Specialist and Head of Sale for the newly created Designer Handbags & Fashion department in the United States. Marissa will be based in Los Angeles and brings 20 years of experience in the luxury sector. Before joining Bonhams, she worked with the world’s largest consignment company The RealReal, driving sales and authenticating and valuing luxury fashion. The appointment builds on the success of Bonhams’ department for designer fashion and handbags, created in London in 2020 to cater to the increasing demand for pre-loved fashion already seen across Europe. Marissa’s first sale will take place in November.

Enquiries: Marissa Speer, +1 323 436 5595, marissa.speer@bonhams.com

Zoute: Making an Impression

Charles Faroux (1872-1957) certainly knew his cars – he was an automotive engineer, a racing driver, the race director of 24 Hours of Le Mans and the editor of La Vie Automobile. In 1929, he made the wise choice of ordering a Bugatti Type 37 Grand Prix for the exceptionally low price of 40,500 francs (approximately €100,000 in today’s money). Now that same car is set to be one of the highlights of The Zoute Sale in October, with an estimate of €1,000,000 - €1,400,000. Faroux did not hold on to his purchase for long, however. He sold it straight to his friend, the Impressionist painter René Durey. The artist was clearly pleased, keeping the car until his death in 1959.

Sale: The Zoute Sale, 8 October

Enquiries: Gregory Tuytens, +32 4 7171 2736, gregory.tuytens@bonhamscars.com

Boston: American classics

The collection of William Lippman reflects his deep and wide-ranging interest in all things American. In his home, paintings on maritime themes lived harmoniously with his vast collection of American furniture and decorative arts. Lippman’s deep appreciation of exceptional craftmanship is very evident in Bonhams Skinner’s single-owner sale of his collection, being offered this November. From the rococo splendour of Pennsylvania furniture to important weathervanes, the sale will showcase the collector’s keen eye for detail and impeccable taste.

Sale: The William Lippman Collection, 14 November

Enquiries: Chris Fox, +1 508 970 3137, christopher.fox@bonhamsskinner.com

Los Angeles: Precious thing

Ed Ruscha turns words and phrases into art. With a background in graphic design and an interest in advertising, his works are collages of meaning. A pioneer of the Pop Art movement, Ruscha is to California what Warhol was to New York. His works are often both alluring and mysterious, and Gem (1968), which leads the Post-War & Contemporary Art X Made in California sale in September, is no exception. Ruscha has said, “I read what I want to read. I think most people do that. Or I read what I want to see.” Now this gem is available for interpretation.

Sale: Post-War & Contemporary Art X Made in California, 13 September

Enquiries: Kate Rosenheim, +1 323 436 5581, kate.rosenheim@bonhams.com

Bruun Rasmussen: North Stars

From the early 1870s to the turn of the 20th century, a group of Danish and Scandinavian painters gathered each summer in the small fishing village of Skagen, on Denmark’s northernmost tip. Drawn to the region’s fishing community, pristine beaches, light and natural landscape, the group – which included Peder Severin Krøyer, his wife Marie Krøyer, Laurits Tuxen, Anna Ancher and her husband Michael Ancher – gathered at Brøndums Hotel to share ideas and discuss each other’s work. Inspired by French Impressionism, they preferred to paint en plein air, and shared a particular affinity for the light of the evening ‘blue hour’ – when sky and sea appear to merge. In rejecting the traditional approach of the Royal Academy in Copenhagen, the Skagen Painters came to represent ‘The Modern Breakthrough’ in Danish art. A dedicated sale of the group’s work will take place at Bruun Rasmussen this September.

Sale: Northern Light – the Artists’ Colony at Skagen, 18 September

Enquiries: Julie Arendse Voss, +45 8818 1123, jav@bruun-rasmussen.dk