Mirror, mirror, on the wall... A series of busts gazed at their reflections in the pure water of a pair of Baroque wall fountains.
Italy, Baroque period, 17th century. A pair of shell-shaped wall fountains in gray and white Carrara marble, 115 x 100 x 69 cm/45.3 x 39.4 x 27.2 in.
Result: €130,000
A tapestry from Beauvais found no takers. But beautiful decorative design was greeted by equally stunning results, mainly through a few after-sales highlighting Baroque Italy. A series of 12 white marble busts (see photo) sculpted in Venice in the late 17th or early 18th century by an artist from the circle of Giusto Le Court (aka Josse Le Corte) fetched €130,000. Depicting Roman gods and goddesses mingled with allegories of the seasons, these statues have the gentle faces and billowing draperies typical of the Flemish master's style. The series, epitomizing the Venetian Baroque, was designed to adorn a palace staircase. The same amount went to this pair of shell-shaped wall fountains in gray and white Carrara marble. Both are decorated with a grimacing mask typical of 17th-century Roman works—for which numerous preparatory drawings are extant—but with an additional feature: a highly attractive spiral movement in the mollusk.
Circle of Giusto Le Court, aka Josse Le Corte (1627-1679), a series of twelve allegorical busts in white marble (three reproduced), Venice, late 17th-early 18th century, h. 78 to 86 cm/30.7 to 33.9 in, l. 49 to 62 cm/19.3 to 24.4 in, d. 15 to 28 cm/5.9 to 11 in.
Result: €130,000
A number of furnishings came from a private collection belonging to Ms. P., led by a mirror (140 x 78 cm/55.1 x 30.7 in) in glass eglomized in gold on a red background attributed to the Swede Burchard Precht the Elder (1651-1738). This garnered €48,100, while a Louis XIV console table (80 x 160 x 68 cm/31.5 x 63 x 26.8 in.) in giltwood carved with torches and quivers fetched €83,200, and a Chinese night light (h. 19 cm/7.5 in) in blue porcelain from the Kangxi period (1662-1722) evoked relations between the distant empire and the West, with its mid-18th century gilt bronze frame, probably German. This object in the form of a cat went for €19,500. Four Louis XVI chased gilt bronze sconces (55 x 29.4 x 15 cm/21.7 x 11.6 x 8.9 in) sporting hunting horns were acclaimed at their true value with a resounding €48,100. A large pedestal table (h. 76.5 cm/30.1 in, diam. 46 cm/18.1 in) in burl arborvitae with solid mahogany moldings and a Wedgwood plaque, attributed to Adam Weisweiler (1746-1820)—one of the greatest cabinetmakers of the same reign—garnered a splendid €101,400.
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