Birkin No.1: Jane’s Own Handbag Goes Under the Hammer

Posted on July 10, 2025July 10, 2025 by Helen Doyle

Jane Birkin’s original Birkin bag, a legendary prototype that sparked the creation of one of the world’s most iconic and coveted handbags, is currently being sold at Sotheby’s in Paris.

This historic piece, distinguishable by unique features like its attached shoulder strap and “J.B.” stamp, was designed for Birkin in 1984 after a chance encounter. Having been used by Birkin for nearly a decade and previously auctioned for charity in 1994, it has since been owned by a private collector and exhibited in prestigious museums. Now, as the highlight of Sotheby’s “Fashion Icons” sale running from 26th June to 10th July, this black leather artifact, still bearing traces of its storied past, including humanitarian stickers and even cat bite marks, is poised to fetch a significant sum, potentially setting a new record for a Birkin bag at auction.

This isn’t just any Birkin; it’s the very first one ever made, custom-designed for Jane herself and it boasts seven unique design elements that you won’t find in any other Birkin bag, making this prototype truly a unique buy.

So, let’s start with how it came about. In 1984, Jane Birkin found herself on a flight from Paris to London, seated next to Jean-Louis Dumas, the then chief executive of Hermès. Birkin was struggling with her existing handbag – a wicker basket – whose contents had spilled across the aisle. She expressed her frustration to Dumas, lamenting the difficulty of finding a stylish yet functional bag large enough to hold all her essentials, especially baby bottles (she had her daughter Lou Doillon at the time). Dumas, ever the visionary, was intrigued by her predicament. He listened intently as Birkin described her ideal bag: something softer than a rigid briefcase, but still substantial enough to be practical for everyday use. He then sketched a design on the spot, reportedly on the back of an airplane sickness bag – a rectangular, supple holdall with a distinctive flap and clochette. Thus, the concept for the Birkin bag was born.

It’s not the first time one of Jane Birkin’s Hermes Handbags has been sold at auction, in 2021 at Bonham’s her Birkin 35 in Togo sold for £119,000, five times its presale estimate!

The sale of Jane Birkin’s Original Birkin is slightly more significant in that it’s the very first one ever made, custom-designed for Jane herself, based on her ideas and it boasts seven unique design elements that you won’t find in any other Birkin bag, making this prototype truly a unique buy.

Shoulder strap

Perhaps the most striking detail of the bag is its integrated shoulder strap. This wasn’t just a design choice; it’s a feature that was never replicated in any commercially produced Birkin. Though Hermès later offered a limited edition with a detachable strap in the 1990s, Jane’s original stands alone as the only Birkin to boast a fixed, non-removable shoulder strap.

Size

Breaking from the standard 40 and 35 sizes of the Hermès Birkins, Jane’s Original Birkin offered a distinct hybrid design. It ingeniously combined the sleek width and height of a Birkin 35 with the more spacious depth of a Birkin 40, another truly unique specification.

Hardware

Initially, it featured gilded brass hardware. This early detail evolved when the Birkin officially launched, moving to gold-plated hardware distinguished by a check mark stamp. As the Birkin line matured, Hermès diversified its hardware choices, eventually offering palladium, rose gold, and other finishes.

Rings / Pontet

Another unique detail is its closed metal rings which the leather straps thread through to close the bag, this is reminiscent of the Hermès Sac Haut à Courroies (HAC). In contrast, early commercial Birkin’s, introduced until the early 1990s, featured rings open at the bottom. Today’s Birkin bags now display rings that are open at the top.

Studs and zippers

Hers features notably smaller bottom studs than those found on later production bags. Additionally, its zippers were sourced from Éclair, a detail unique to this prototype. In the 1990s, Hermès partnered with Riri, who remains the exclusive zipper manufacturer for all Birkin bags today.

Initials

More than just an accessory, it was a deeply personal extension of herself, proudly marked with her “J.B.” initials on the front flap. It quickly became her constant companion, often cradled close in her arms as she took it everywhere. The bag’s well-loved condition eloquently speaks to years of dedicated use by the iconic actress and singer, embodying her inimitable style and spirit.

And finally, a rather quirky element, Jane Birkin preferred natural, well-maintained nails over polished fake nails. Ever practical, she kept a nail clipper readily accessible, tethered to a chain inside her Birkin and hanging from the shoulder strap’s base, ensuring her nails were always perfectly trimmed.

This prototype was more than just a fashion statement; it became inseparable from Jane herself. She carried it daily for nearly a decade, and its well-worn condition reflects her life on the move. Her Birkin served not only as a functional accessory but also as a canvas for her activism. Jane famously adorned it with stickers supporting Médecins du Monde and UNICEF, transforming the luxury handbag into a powerful symbol of her humanitarian efforts.

The impending sale of Jane Birkin’s original Birkin prototype at Sotheby’s is poised to significantly impact the broader Hermès market. By potentially fetching a record-breaking sum, this historic auction will not only set a new benchmark for bags with unparalleled provenance but also likely elevate the perceived value and desirability of all Birkin bags, from new releases to vintage models, across the primary and secondary markets. This event powerfully reinforces Hermès’ narrative as the epitome of luxury, craftsmanship, and timeless investment, further solidifying the Birkin’s status as the most coveted handbag in the world and intensifying collector interest in rare and unique pieces.

Insuring the Infamous: Valuing Al Capone’s Custom Timepiece

Posted on July 10, 2025July 8, 2025 by Liz Bailey

We have seen watches boasting fantastic provenance hitting the auction block this year, including a limited edition Omega Speedmaster owned by Neil Armstrong selling at RR Auctions for $2.1 million (LINK), a Rolex Daytona ‘Big Red’ gifted to F1 Driver Jean-Pierre Jabouille selling at Phillips for $215,900, and a Rolex GMT-Master, owned by Sheila Scott OBE ‘Britain’s Queen of the Air’ selling at Spink for £30,000.

Perhaps one of the most notorious and nefarious watches to be offered in the June Watch Sales was a platinum Patek Philippe pocket watch, owned and customised by the legendary Chicago born gangster, Al Capone. Dating to 1919, this 42mm open face pocket watch was custom-cased in platinum, and personalised with ninety single-cut diamonds spelling out the initials ‘AC’ to the case back. Interestingly, the pocket watch is missing its minute hand, and undoubtedly would have some real tales to tell, of a criminal provenance that belies its sleek and stylish Art Deco aesthetic.

Reputedly, Capone was unhappy with the original ‘plain’ case of this timepiece, and took the watch to a jewellers to re-case in this striking platinum and diamond design. Making a ‘project’ out of this Patek pocket watch, Capone was an early adopter of the customised watch. As Sotheby’s catalogue notes point out, “such a watch was hardly subtle, and ultimately it was tax evasion that enabled the federal government to send Capone to jail, eventually landing him in the legendary Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary.”

Sold with a provenance letter from Capone’s granddaughter, Barbara Mae Capone, this watch was estimated at $80,000-160,000, and reached mid-estimate inclusive of fees. The watch was last sold in 2021 by Witherells Auctioneers for $229,900 against a $25,000-50,000 estimate. At the June sale in 2025 it made just $95,250.

So what could account for this drop in hammer price? Perhaps it was simply offered too soon after its initial sale. In 2021, the piece was completely ‘market fresh,’ and so the buzz and interest around this piece understandably would have been much greater, even compared to Sotheby’s world-class marketing and lot presentation.

The watch was sold in 2021 as part of an ‘estate sale’ together with 174 other lots relating to the Capone family. This sale included letters from Alcatraz, photographs, pistols, jewellery, watches and furniture. Browsing this sale does provide a real insight into Al Capone’s personal life, his belongings, style, and manner of collecting. Similarly personalised stickpins, cufflinks, and accessories really help to contextualise and allow us to picture the pocket watch as part of a larger collection. Pieces such as the 14k white gold and diamond notebook cover in particular, are decorated in such a similar manner that they may well have been commissioned by Al Capone at the same time – this piece sold for $36,300 against a $2,000-5,000 estimate.

As the value trajectory of this legendary pocket watch will show, the value of provenanced items and fine timepieces can fluctuate! Various factors including timing, the appetite of the market, condition, originality, working order, can impact collections in the short to medium term. I have no doubt that in the long term, this watch will continue to grow in value, but it serves to show the importance of regular valuations of your items to protect against over or under insurance.

Images with thanks to Sotheby’s and Witherills Auctioneers.

The Scottish Colourists

Posted on June 19, 2025June 19, 2025 by Jonathan Horwich

I have a long list of personal artistic heroes from all eras, each is talented in their own ways however rare among my list of heroes are groups of artists. One notable and exceptional group of my ‘hero’ artists are the Scottish Colourists, all hugely talented individuals in their own right whose love of colour, light, form and the open air sing out from all of their pictures.

The Scottish Colourists were a group of four artists—Samuel John Peploe, Francis Cadell, George Leslie Hunter, and John Duncan Fergusson—who all worked primarily in the early 20th century and are celebrated for bringing bold, modern European artistic influences into Scottish art. Though they were not a formal movement during their lifetimes, their work is now collectively recognised as a group of four and their work is admired by private collectors across the world for its vibrant palette, modernist approach, and synthesis of Scottish subject matter with the avant-garde styles of France.

The four drew heavily on French Impressionism, Fauvism, and Post-Impressionism art, particularly from the work of Manet, Cézanne and Matisse, the Colourists emphasised light, colour, and compositional clarity. Each artist had strong personal ties to France, where they absorbed the stylistic innovations of the Parisian art world, returning to Scotland with a fresh and radical aesthetic.

Francis Cadell – Artist Profile

Full Name: Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell
Birth: April 12, 1883, Edinburgh, Scotland
Death: December 6, 1937, Edinburgh, Scotland

Early Life & Family

Francis Cadell was born into a well-to-do, cultured Edinburgh family. His father, Dr. Francis Cadell, was a distinguished surgeon and Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. His mother, Mary Hamilton Boileau, came from a family with military and aristocratic ties. Cadell was raised in a supportive environment that encouraged his artistic pursuits from an early age.

At just 16 years old, he moved to Paris to study at the prestigious Académie Julian, an experience that would shape his early style and expose him to the modernist developments then unfolding in France.

Education & Career

After Paris, Cadell continued his studies in Munich before settling back in Scotland. His career truly flourished in the years following World War I, during which he served in the army. His style matured into a distinctive blend of elegant modernism, defined by clean lines, vibrant but controlled colour, and a refined sense of composition.

Cadell was particularly associated with the New Town of Edinburgh and the Hebridean island of Iona, both of which featured prominently in his work. His paintings ranged from chic interiors and society portraits to luminous seascapes and landscapes.

Style & Legacy

Cadell’s work is known for its:

Bold yet harmonious colour palette
Strong decorative sense
Elegantly stylized compositions

He was deeply influenced by the French avant-garde, particularly Manet and Matisse, however he maintained a distinctly Scottish sensibility in his choice of subject matter.

Although he faced financial difficulties later in life and died in relative obscurity, Cadell’s reputation has since grown. Today, he is celebrated as one of the key figures in Scottish modern art and an integral member of the Scottish Colourists.

Samuel Peploe - Artist Profile

Full Name: Samuel John Peploe
Birth: January 27, 1871, Edinburgh, Scotland
Death: October 11, 1935, Edinburgh, Scotland

Early Life & Education

Samuel Peploe was born into a wealthy Edinburgh family. His father, Robert L. Peploe, was a successful banker, and the young Samuel was initially expected to carve out a professional career in law or banking. However, his artistic talent and passion for painting quickly became evident. After briefly studying law, Peploe chose instead to pursue art, enrolling first at the Trustees’ Academy in Edinburgh, and then continuing his training in Paris at the Académie Julian and later at the Académie Colarossi , also in Paris and run by the artist’s model and sculptor Filippo Colarossi.

While in Paris, Peploe was exposed to the then revolutionary work of the Impressionists and Post-Impressionists, particularly Édouard Manet, whose influence would echo throughout Peploe’s mature work.

Career Development

Peploe initially painted landscapes, portraits, and interiors, but found his distinctive voice in still-life painting. His early palette was quite restrained, characterised by tonal subtlety and a sense of quiet harmony.

By the 1910s and 1920s, Peploe had begun experimenting with bolder colour and tighter compositions, reflecting his deepening interest in Cézanne and Fauvism. His move toward high-keyed colour, simplified forms, and carefully balanced arrangements made his work instantly recognisable and marked a radical departure from the much more conservative narrative traditions of Scottish painting.

Peploe painted in France, particularly in Paris and on the coast of Brittany, he also worked extensively in Scotland, especially in the Hebrides, where he often painted alongside Francis Cadell.

Style and Technique

Peploe’s work is known for:

Vibrant colour and a bold, deliberate brushstroke
Carefully structured compositions, often with objects placed on crisp white tablecloths or against dramatic black backdrops
A modernist sensibility rooted in observation, yet transformed by formal abstraction

He is particularly celebrated for his still lifes—featuring flowers, fruit, ceramics, and drapery—which demonstrate his acute sensitivity to form, space, and light. He was not fully appreciated during his lifetime, however Peploe’s work gained greater recognition after his death. Today, he is widely regarded as one of the most significant Scottish artists of the 20th century. His paintings are held in major collections, including the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, and continue to be highly sought after by collectors.

Personal Life

Peploe married Margaret MacKay in 1910. The couple had one son, Denis Peploe, who also became a painter. Despite periods of financial hardship, particularly during World War I, Peploe remained dedicated to his artistic vision until his death in 1935.

George Leslie Hunter – Artist Profile

Full Name: George Leslie Hunter
Birth: August 7, 1877, Rothesay, Isle of Bute, Scotland
Death: December 7, 1931, Glasgow, Scotland

Early Life & Background

George Leslie Hunter was born into a large family in Rothesay on the Isle of Bute, but at the age of 15, he emigrated with his family to California, settling near San Francisco. Unlike the other Scottish Colourists, Hunter was largely self-taught, and his route to painting was highly unconventional.

In his early years, Hunter worked as a graphic illustrator and cartoonist, producing drawings for magazines and newspapers. He also studied briefly at the California School of Design, but his development was largely informal. After the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, which destroyed much of his early work, he returned to Scotland, determined to devote himself fully to painting.

Career Development

Hunter’s career was a story of struggle, persistence, and transformation. He began exhibiting in Glasgow and quickly became known for his expressive landscapes and still lifes. In 1908, a trip to Paris introduced him to French modernism, especially the work of the Impressionists and Post-Impressionists, and began a shift in his style toward more vivid colour and looser brushwork.

A pivotal moment came in 1922 when Alexander Reid, a prominent Glasgow art dealer, organized a joint exhibition of Hunter’s work alongside that of Peploe, Fergusson, and Cadell. This show helped solidify the public’s perception of the four artists as the Scottish Colourists, though they never formally operated as a group.

Style & Technique

Hunter’s style is marked by:

Luminous, radiant colour, often layered in broken brushstrokes or loose, spontaneous patches
A sensitive, emotionally charged handling of paint, conveying a direct response to nature and atmosphere
A focus on landscapes, still lifes, and harbour scenes, especially views in around Fife, Loch Lomond, Provence, and the south of France

His still lifes—particularly those with fruit, jugs, and flowers—show his remarkable ability to create harmony and vitality with colour and form. His landscapes, meanwhile, often capture a shimmering, almost dreamlike sense of place.

Despite his technical sophistication, Hunter remained plagued by self-doubt, frequently reworking or even destroying his own paintings, believing them inadequate. This insecurity, combined with physical and mental health struggles, affected both his output and recognition during his lifetime.

Personality & Later Years

Hunter was known for his eccentric and unpredictable temperament, often struggling with bouts of depression and illness. He lived a somewhat bohemian lifestyle, moving between France and Scotland, and was known for his intense periods of creativity followed by periods of complete withdrawal.

By the late 1920s, Hunter’s work had matured into a distinct and powerful style. However, his health deteriorated sharply. He died in 1931 at the age of 54, just as he was beginning to receive the recognition he had long sought.

J.D. Fergusson – Artist Profile

Full Name: John Duncan Fergusson
Birth: March 9, 1874, Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland
Death: January 30, 1961, Glasgow, Scotland

Early Life & Education

J.D. Fergusson was born in Leith, the port district of Edinburgh, into a middle-class family. Originally intended for a career in medicine, he soon abandoned formal education to pursue his passion for art. He studied briefly at the Trustees’ Academy in Edinburgh but quickly rejected its academic approach. Like Hunter, Fergusson was largely self-taught, relying on travel, observation, and personal exploration to shape his style.

In the late 1890s, he began spending time in Paris, a city that would deeply influence his artistic direction. There, he immersed himself in café culture, intellectual life, and the art scene, encountering the work of Impressionists, Fauves, and Post-Impressionists firsthand.

Paris and the Avant-Garde

From 1907 to 1914, Fergusson lived in Paris, and this period proved to be a catalyst for his future development as an artist.During this time he connected with artists and writers in the heart of the European avant-garde, including Matisse, Derain, and members of the École de Paris. He exhibited at the Salon d’Automne, becoming part of the broader modernist movement.

Fergusson embraced the Fauvist love of vibrant, unmixed colour, as well as Cubist ideas about structure and form, although he remained committed to a personal and sensual response to the world, particularly the human figure.

Artistic Style and Themes

Fergusson’s work is distinguished by:

Vivid, expressive colourful and confident brushwork
A strong focus on the female form, often idealized and stylized, exploring themes of vitality, movement, and beauty
Engagement with dance and performance, especially during his time in Paris
A tendency toward rhythmic composition and sculptural solidity, blending Fauvism with classical influences

His later work shows a shift toward a more structured, monumental style, especially in his depictions of nudes and dancers, which reflect both modernist abstraction and an enduring interest in classical balance.

War and Return to Britain

With the outbreak of World War I, Fergusson returned to the UK and was devastated by the loss of many Parisian friends and the fragmentation of the vibrant prewar cultural scene. He spent time in London and Edinburgh, eventually settling in Glasgow.

During the interwar years, he became a driving force in the Scottish art world, founding the New Art Club in Glasgow and later the New Scottish Group, advocating for modernist principles in Scottish art.

Personal Life

A deeply cosmopolitan and passionate figure, Fergusson was also a writer, thinker, and art theorist. He had a lifelong partnership with Margaret Morris, a pioneering dancer and choreographer whose work strongly influenced his art. Through Morris, Fergusson developed a keen interest in movement, rhythm, and human anatomy, which became central motifs in his paintings and sculptures.

Later Years and Legacy

Fergusson lived a long and productive life, remaining active into his 80s. He died in 1961 in Glasgow, by which time his reputation had undergone a significant revival. His legacy is that of a true modernist—one who brought the spirit of European avant-garde into Scottish art and insisted on the emotional and intellectual richness of modern painting.

The Fergusson Gallery in Perth, Scotland, holds an extensive collection of his work and remains a major centre for studying his contributions to British and European art.

Legacy of the Colourists

While J.D. Fergusson was perhaps the most forward-looking and intellectually ambitious of the Scottish Colourists, Peploe and Cadell refined the still life and landscape, and Hunter brought lyrical spontaneity, Fergusson aimed for something larger: a synthesis of body, rhythm, and spirit in a modern idiom.

The legacy of the Scottish Colourists perhaps most significantly lies in their transformation of Scottish painting, bridging the gap between traditional academic approaches and the modernist spirit of the early 20th century. Today, they are recognised not only for their technical skill and aesthetic innovation, but also for their pivotal role in placing Scottish art on an international stage.

What Went Wrong (And What Went Right) at Sotheby’s Old Masters Sale?

Posted on June 12, 2025June 12, 2025 by David Dallas

The much-vaunted sale at Sotheby’s in New York of the collection of Old Masters from the Jordan and Thomas A. Saunders III collection did not hit the high notes, which Sotheby’s had predicted, when offered on May 21st.

The title of the sale was “Elegance and Wonder: Masterpieces from the collection of Jordan and Thomas A. Saunders III”. A more accurate description might have been “Unchallenging Old Masters, in lovely state, from….”, but perhaps that is a little uncharitable. There were, however, no religious pictures, only one from classical mythology, no history paintings and no portraits of characterful old codgers, just pretty young people and children. In fact, one of the most expensive casualties was the charming portrait of Miss Julia Peel by Sir Thomas Lawrence P.R.A., (1769-1830) which was unsold against an estimate of $6-8M, the low estimate being more than double the current world record for the artist at auction!

16 of the 43 paintings (37%) failed to find buyers on the day and the sale total of $65 million was well below the pre-sale estimate of $80-120 million.

So what went wrong? Apart from the state of geo-politics, surprising economic upheavals triggered by the Trump administration and the volatility of crypto currencies, which all contribute to a feeling of uncertainty, what else might have made the sale feel a bit of a damp squib?

I think the first thing to focus on is the estimates. These were probably set a year ago, when the world was a rather different place and proved to be ambitious and seldom exceeded. Furthermore, if one delves into the specifics of the sale, certain facts reveal themselves, which may, in part, explain what happened. The last couple of years, for instance, has shown a softening of the market for Dutch and Flemish pictures and this may explain why two van Kessels, a Brueghel, a Bosschaert, and a Hulsdonck still life all failed to sell. The Osias Beert (1580-1623), however, did sell at $1.39M, so it’s not simply that the genre feels outdated.

The beautiful little still life by the Utrecht artist, Adriaen Coorte (1665-1707), of a porcelain bowl of wild strawberries made $2.978m, a strong price, when one considers that the three small paintings by Coorte in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, bought for Daisy Linda Ward by her husband and gifted to the Ashmolean by her, cost £24 for the three in the 1920s. Different times, I know, but all the same, to have risen 372,250 times in 100 years is a significant uplift!

Among other Dutch pictures to catch the eye was the Brazilian landscape by Frans Post (1612-1680).

Apparently, this came from the attic of a barn on a farm in Connecticut, covered in soot. It cleaned up very nicely and made a world record price for the artist of $7.4M, over 50% more than his previous best. It shows the town of Olinda in Brazil, with the ruins of the Jesuit church and various exotic plants. It must have been painted by Post from drawings done on the spot, when he was back home in Haarlem, as it has a bright blue sky. The oil paintings done in Brazil have white skies, as he had no blue pigment with him!

Another super-glamorous painting was the flamboyant upright canvas of flowers in a vase by Jan Davidsz. De Heem (1606-1684), the Netherlandish painter, living in both Utrecht and Antwerp, who was arguably the most brilliant still life painter of his generation in Europe. The painting, which was delivered to the Saunderses in a plastic rubbish bag, to hide its departure from the previous owner’s wife, also made a world record for the artist of $8.8M.

So what is one to make of these results? The sale made 15% less than the bottom estimate and had a large unsold rate. The estimates were very bullish, which will always make the results look less successful, but it achieved 7 world records! I think it just says that we don’t really have a clue what is going to happen, but if the right people are in the mood, there will be fireworks.

PS. I can’t review this sale without making mention of one other world record price – that of the Luis Melendez (1716-1780) still life of a cauliflower, a basket of eggs and fish and assorted kitchen utensils, which made $6.2M. The Saunderses had bought it from the collection of Michale Hornstein in Canada, but not without a struggle. Hornstein had amassed a great collection of Old Master paintings and via George Wachter, at Sotheby’s New York, the Saunderses had access to it. When they arrived to inspect the pictures for sale, Hornstein said he had changed his mind about the Melendez, at which point Thomas Saunders said if I can’t have the Melendez, I’m not buying anything. It was duly dragged out from under a bed and sold.

Melendez took to still life painting because he failed to become court painter in Madrid and, therefore, had no commissions, but there was always a market for a beautifully painted still life. He lived in abject poverty and in a letter of 1772 to the King, stated that he owned only his brushes. I wonder what he would have made of the $6M Cauliflower? It’s a pity that Artist’s Resale Rights don’t apply to Old Masters.

A Tale of Two Tiaras…

Posted on June 5, 2025June 11, 2025 by Liz Bailey

Two tiaras, remarkably similar in design and created by Cartier for two society sisters are on display and sale in London this week.

A hotly anticipated lot in Bonhams’ 5^th June London Jewels Sale is the Astor turquoise and diamond tiara, owned by Nancy, Viscountess Astor. Estimated at £250,000-300,000, this incredibly rare piece dating from 1930 is seen on the market for the first time since it was sold to Lord Astor by Cartier London. The Astor Tiara comprises an earlier bandeau, circa 1915, that was adapted by Cartier using these beautiful turquoise carvings. The order for these carvings’ dates to 1929 and the finished piece was purchased soon after completion in 1930.

Incredibly, and reunited once more in London, is a second tiara, commissioned six years later for Nancy’s sister, Phyllis. Part of Cartier’s permanent collection, this remarkable reiteration and commissioned piece is on display as part of the Cartier exhibition at the V&A until November.

In the early 1930s, Lady Nancy Astor loaned the tiara to her sister, Phyllis Langhorne Brand for a court presentation at Buckingham Palace. Inspired by this exquisite Cartier jewel, Nancy’s brother-in-law, the Hon. Robert Henry Brand (1878-1963), commissioned Cartier to produce a similar turquoise and diamond tiara in 1935.

There are differences between the Astor and Brand tiaras, commissioned within six years of one another, yet both display the international influences in Cartier’s jewels of the time. The Astor tiara is detailed with carved turquoise plumes, leaves and scrolls that were drawn from Egyptian, Indian and Persian motifs. Similarly, the Brand Tiara features a teardrop shaped Boteh motif that originates to Iran, where turquoise was originally mined. The scrolling terminals on each were likely influenced by traditional headdresses worn in Thailand and Cambodia (V&A, 2025).

Sisters coveting one another’s clothing, jewellery – and tiaras – is a tale as old as time. Nancy and Phyllis were two of the five famously beautiful Langhorne sisters, born in Danville, Virginia, and four of whom found exciting and covetable lives in British Society. Nancy Astor met and married the 2^nd Viscount Astor in 1906 and moved into Cliveden, Buckinghamshire. She quickly became a prominent part of the British social elite, and through her advocating for temperance, welfare, education reform and women’s rights in parliament she became the first woman to take her seat in Parliament, serving from 1919 to 1945.

Phyllis moved to London in 1913 and married English economist Robert Brand, “the Wisest Man in the Empire” in 1917. The two sisters were incredibly close – I would recommend further reading of their letters in Vanity Fair’s The Lady Vanquishes feature, written by James Fox in 2020.

These two tiaras not only display Cartier’s height of creativity and society commissions of the early 20^th century, reflecting an international flair for design and a commitment to excellence. They also represent the tale of the two Langhorne sisters, their bond and shared – impeccable – taste.

Update: As expected, the Astor Tiara attracted a huge amount of interest from across the globe and was fiercely contested at Bonhams 5^th June London Jewels Auction. Exceeding its pre-sale estimate three times over, this exceptional piece sold for a hammer of £700,000, totalling £889,400 inclusive of fees.

The Brand Tiara will be on display at the V&A Cartier Exhibition until November 2025.

Barry Humphries: A Life in Comedy, Art and Satire

Posted on February 19, 2025February 19, 2025 by Jonathan Horwich

Early Life and Education

John Barry Humphries was born on February 17 1934, in Melbourne, Australia. Raised in a comfortable suburban home, he developed a love for theatre, literature, and surreal humour from an early age. He was also a budding artist – as a young child his father would encourage him by drawing head studies and he would do the bodies. Then as a teenager he became a junior pupil in the life class at Melbourne’s George Bell painting school and he continued to paint throughout his life.

Career Beginnings and Move to London

Humphries first made a mark in the Melbourne theatre scene in the 1950s, performing in satirical revues. During this time, he created Dame Edna Everage, originally as a parody of an Australian suburban housewife. In 1959, he moved to London, where he became involved in the vibrant theatre and comedy world. He worked with comedy legends such as Peter Cook and Dudley Moore and became part of the satire boom that influenced British comedy for decades to follow.

Rise to Fame: The Evolution of Dame Edna

Barry’s best known and perhaps best loved character, Dame Edna Everage had transformed over the years from a meek Melbourne housewife in the 50s into an extravagant, purple-haired “megastar” known for her razor-sharp wit, oversized glasses, and love of gladioli. She hosted TV talk shows such as The Dame Edna Experience; and also live stage shows in London’s West End, such as Edna-The Spectacle where she humorously and often ruthlessly insulted members of the audience.

I was an audience member at one of these shows in the early 90s. Our seats were fairly near the front of the stalls, and as I was sitting in the aisle unwittingly I became a prime target for Dane Edna’s audience spotters, who picked me out to come up on stage along with a dozen other people. We were all lined up across the right hand side of the stage, standing rather awkwardly waiting for what was to come. I got off quite lightly, for women Dame Edna made a thorough search through their handbags looking for anything suitably embarrassing and for men it was down to their ‘pocket litter’ and wallets. Somehow I had managed to lose my wallet or at least misplace it in between leaving the car and arriving at the theatre so I just got a severe teasing for having done so…..

Other Iconic Characters

Humphries was a master of character comedy and created several other satirical figures, including:

Sir Les Patterson – A vulgar, drunken Australian politician who with his heavily food stained tie and suit lapels unashamedly mocked all and every cultural stereotype.
Sandy Stone – A melancholic elderly man reminiscing about a lost Australia.
Barry McKenzie – A beer-loving Australian expatriate, featured in comic strips and films.

Film, TV, and Literary Work

Humphries enjoyed success in various mediums:

Voiced Bruce the Shark in Finding Nemo (2003).
Appeared in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012).
Wrote novels, memoirs (More Please, My Life as Me), and satirical essays.
Starred in numerous stage productions, including one-man shows combining comedy, improv, and audience interaction.

Later Life and Legacy

Despite announcing his retirement several times, Humphries continued performing well into his 80s. He received numerous honours, including a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) and an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO).

Barry Humphries was not only a brilliant comedian and satirist but also a passionate art collector. Over his lifetime, he built an impressive collection of paintings, drawings, and sculptures, particularly focusing on Australian modernist and surrealist art.

Humphries’ Love of Fine Art

Through his appreciation for modernist and avant-garde art in his youth, Barry was also influenced by movements such as Dadaism and Surrealism. Barry further developed an extraordinarily good ‘eye ‘ for Fine Art and objects. This innate ability later lead to an almost obsessive desire to acquire art and objects he lusted for.

Later during his time in London, Barry mingled with artists and intellectuals, which only deepened this already very strong interest in collecting.

I first came across Barry in the early 1980’s when I was a picture specialist at Christie’s in South Kensington. We held regular sales of Australian and decorative International Fine Art and objects and Barry was a regular attendee at many of these sales. I met him viewing in person at our auction previews on many occasions over the years. He cut a very striking figure in his broad brimmed black velvet hat, usually pulled down low over his eyes and an equally black stylish cape, this gave him an air of mystery always caused a buzz in the sale room. It was always exciting whenever a celebrity came to view one of our auctions , however Barry was different in that he was not only very knowledgeable, he was also very happy to spend time talking about what interested him and why and he was happy to share his knowledge … in his purchasing he showed all the classic hallmarks of the truly dedicated collector, I remember him declaring that he was constantly stretching his finances to buy the best and rarest pieces and then worrying about where the money was going to come from afterwards…..!

Artistic Influence on His Comedy

His love of surrealism and modernist art influenced his comedic style, seen in the absurdity of his characters and his sharp satire. His appreciation for visual aesthetics was also evident in the flamboyant costumes and theatricality of Dame Edna Everage.

Barry Humphries’ art collection is a true reflection of his intellectual curiosity, humour, and love for the avant-garde, making him not just a performer but also a serious connoisseur of fine art.

Barry died on April 22, 2023, at the age of 89, a significant number of works from his collection along with pieces from his work as an entertainer such as Dame Edna’s flamboyant glasses were included in the first of a series of auctions, this first auction took place in London on February 13th and is called ‘Barry Humphries, the personal collection’, unsurprisingly the printed catalogue has completely sold out, however it’s still possible to view the auction online and I have highlighted the results for a few pieces from this remarkable very personal collection, which includes numerous pairs of Dame Edna’s trademark glasses along with Fine objects, original paintings and prints by various artists, plus a number of fine original paintings by Barry himself!

Barry really was a man of many talents and interests and he leaves behind a much larger legacy as one of the greatest satirists and entertainers of his time. While his humour, characters, and sharp social commentary remain an enduring part of comedy history; his contribution as an avid, determined and hugely knowledgeable art collector adds significantly to his much more widely known legacy as an entertainer.

Post auction insurance values

A very recent auction such as this one has arguably established a market or auction value represented by the prices achieved, however they do not represent a value for insurance purposes, they are only the price achieved on the day and on another day at another time the price may well be quite different. Therefore, it is important to have any new purchases valued for insurance and added to your policy schedule as soon as possible and from then on, have them re-valued on a regular basis, ideally every four years also with the rest of your collection.
Looking at the results of the sale, I’d say there were two distinct groups of buyers. Generally, prices for the traditional art, sculpture, and paintings were closer to their estimates than those for the Dame Edna souvenirs, dresses, glasses, and so on.

Barry Humphries was, as I saw him, a very serious collector who made significant financial sacrifices to amass such a fine ‘private collection’, as the auction title suggests. Strong prices were achieved for the traditional art, sculpture, and paintings, which sold much closer to their estimates. The more ‘frivolous’ Dame Edna souvenirs, strictly speaking not collected by Barry but ‘acquired’ over the years, were less predictable.

The top lot of the sale, Sand Dunes by Charles Conder, sold for £239,400 against an estimate of £200K to £300K, so spot on. I imagine the buyers of dresses and glasses had little or no interest in this painting or any of the other serious artworks. Quite understandably, they just wanted to own something as a memory of a celebrity they loved and weren’t too concerned about what they should pay.

I don’t envy the person who had to estimate the value of Edna’s glasses or stage costumes. Perhaps the estimates were perfectly reasonable if people hadn’t loved Dame Edna so much. In hindsight, they might appear cautious, but I think they were fair to begin with. After that, it simply became a matter of passion and a hugely enjoyable bidding war to determine the winners.

By contrast, prices for the paintings were more predictable as there were comparable results from past auctions, many likely bought by Barry himself. On average, these works sold closer to their estimates, though some did exceed expectations. That happens even in single-owner sales of non-famous people’s collections, where prices almost always exceed expectations. I once worked it out and found that, on average, the final total for a single-owner sale was 2.4 times the pre-sale low estimate.

As they say in football, this was a game of two halves. Fans of Dame Edna were on one side and, on the other, serious collectors of late 19th- and 20th-century British illustrators, Australian artists, and admirers of Oscar Wilde and his followers. It made for a truly memorable auction and great entertainment. The final sale total was £4,627,224.

Barry would have loved it!

To arrange a memorabilia valuation or an art valuation call us on 01883 722736 or email us at [email protected].

Unapologeticaly Iris – The Iris Apfel Collection Auction

Posted on February 19, 2025February 19, 2025 by Liz Bailey

Highly anticipated, Christie’s Sale of Iris Apfel’s collection took place as a timed auction from New York, running from 28th January until 13th February. The sale included 220 lots from the late ‘Matriarch of Maximialism’s’ personal collection across fashion, furnishings, textiles, accessories and of course, jewellery.

Known and celebrated for her bold and bright signature style, Apfel was a renowned interior designer, fashion icon, model, curator and collector. Her irreverent, eclectic and playful style was absolutely reflected in the incredible lots on offer.

Accessories

It seems fitting that the lot to ‘kick off’ this stylish sale was a selection of eighteen pairs of glasses. In bright hues, zebra prints and heart shapes, this striking mixed lot certainly set the tone for the rest of the sale. Estimated initially at $400-600, the bids were sitting at over ten times that amount a mere few days into the two-week timed sale, and one lucky bidder secured this lot for $15,120.

Another lot that was unsurprisingly popular was lot 48, ten pairs of eyewear. Only two days into the sale the bidding was at $3,500 against a modest $200-300 estimate, and bidding concluded at an incredible $16,380.

Another lot of Apfel’s accessories included a selection of evening bags. Including all the hallmarks of Apfel’s signature style to include embroidery, bold colours, feathers and embellishments, this popular lot sold for $10,080.

Furnishings

The daughter of an antique dealer and an expert on interiors (having decorated the White House for no less than nine Presidents!) bidders were offered a glimpse into Apfel’s extraordinary collection of interiors and decorative objects.

Animals were a huge feature in Apfel’s interiors collection, multiple paintings of Maltese dogs (a clear favourite), Black Forest bears, and even a giant carved ostrich were just a few of the animal lots on offer. The carved 1970s Italian ostrich stood 124cm high and had been featured in Apfel’s Architectural Digest issue of 2016, estimated at 6,000-8,000, this big bird sold for $16,380.

Vibrant prints, colours, and an eclectic mixture of items from Greek style all the way to the present day ensured the catalogue was a visual treat!

A personal favourite of mine was a pair of wonderful Italian armchairs. Modelled with a scallop shell back, dolphin armrests and raised on shell legs, these 20th century carved and silvered chairs exuded sheer opulence! Estimated at $2,000-3,000, these chairs reached $8,820. The back and seat in scallop-shell form, the arms modeled as dolphins raised on shell-form legs, the back legs on each example attached backwards. 40 in. (101.5 cm) high, overall.

Fashion

Hotly anticipated was Apfel’s selection of fashion and couture pieces. Taking up just under half of the sale, there were ninety-six lots from Iris’s collection, ranging from group lots of unattributed vintage clothing at the lower end of the offering, all the way to custom couture pieces Iris wore in printed publications. This wonderful mixture of high-low dressing was absolutely Apfel’s trademark and lent an accessibility to collectors of all levels.

Designer garments by Carolina Herrera, Balenciaga, Dries Van Noten, Moschino, Christian Dior, Alice & Olivia, Valentino, Prada, Jean Paul Gautier, Iris Apfel x H&M and countless other designers were offered with estimates from $100-200 to $1,200-1,800.

Lot 51: A MULTICOLOR FEATHER COAT
LABELED DIOR HAUTE COUTURE, PARIS, 21ST CENTURY

Amongst the top sellers was this fabulous Dior Haute Couture feather coat that Apfel had been photographed in by James Mollison for the Collectors series, featured in a 2018 Issue of Christie’s Magazine. This piece instantly attracted bids and reached $9,000 very early on in the timed sale, finally settling at $11,970 at the conclusion of the sale.

A heavily beaded and embroidered coat by Stacey Bendet for Alice & Olivia in 2022 was also fought for by bidders and reached $6,048 against a $400-600 estimate.

Another garment by this designer was an eye-catching A-line skirt detailed with Iris’ own embroidered and sequinned portrait sold for $7,560.

Jewellery

Another layer of Apfel’s iconic style was of course her jewellery. This sale featured sixteen lots of jewellery, all beautifully bold and eye-catching!

Group lots of brightly coloured lucite bangles, costume jewellery acquired from travels to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, China and the Hindu Kush region, beaded necklaces, rhinestone suites, and Southwestern American jewels were all a part of this spectacular offering of stylish jewellery.

The top-selling lot for the jewellery was this wonderful selection of turquoise, lucite and resin costume jewellery. Featuring an Alexis Bittar bangle, Jianhui London necklaces and bracelet, Rara Avis bracelets, blue hardstone studded lucite cuffs and bangle among others, this beautiful collection sold for $9,450 against an estimate of $300-500.

Pieces from Apfel’s own line of costume jewellery Rara Avis, originally sold through the Home Shopping Network were also amongst the lots on offer. Her playful lucite bangles set with googly eyes were trademark Iris and one of the most popular designs from Rara Avis at the time. These typically retail on the secondary market between $300-400, however with the added provenance, this lot of fifteen bangles (six by Rara Avis) sold for $6,300.

To arrange a jewellery valuation, call us on 01883 722736 or email us on [email protected].

Old Masters Sales December 2024

Posted on January 9, 2025March 20, 2025 by David Dallas

I was very alarmed when I previewed the December 2024 Old Master Sales in London that there weren’t many pictures, no masterpieces and too high a percentage of pictures were in less than perfect state.

What was going to happen? I felt very discouraged. I have talked before about the effects of geo-politics and the economy on the timing of Old Master sales, but why weren’t there more paintings appearing out of necessity – the old 3D chestnuts of death, divorce and destitution? Sotheby’s had just 26 lots of which two were of prints and two of late 19^th Century pictures, hardly Old Masters. Christie’s was the same with 26 lots, one of which was sculpture and three late 19^th Century pictures. The Day Sales were even thinner with sculpture, 19^th Century paintings, watercolours, drawings and even Limoges enamels to bulk them out. It doesn’t bode well for the future.

As it happens, the sales, in relation to their estimates, were quite strong. Six lots failed to sell at Sotheby’s and the same at Christie’s, but there, the two auction houses diverge. The Sotheby’s total was £24.2M and Christie’s a very modest £13.99M.

The star of the Sotheby’s sale was a Botticelli Madonna and Child, that realized £9.96M; not far short of the Christie’s total. Botticelli is, of course, a magic name and this picture hadn’t been on the market for 120 years. They also had a handsome Stubbs of a Pointer in a Landscape. I love his work, but the colouring in this oil painting was most peculiar. The landscape, instead of being a vibrant green, as Constable would have painted it, was made up of smudgy pinks and browns, making it look like an aquatint! It made a sound £1.8M, nevertheless.

Christie’s had a powerful oil sketch of a prancing horse by van Dyck, which had a hastily sketched landscape on the reverse, so the purchaser, at £3.4M, got two for the price of one. They also offered an unusual still life by Clara Peeters of a Stack of Cheeses. This made £655,000 against an estimate of £100-150,000, just showing the continuing interest in works by female artists, especially when they are slightly off-beat.

My favourite offering of the week was the pair of what I suppose one would call ‘fancy pictures’, rather than portraits, that Bonhams offered. They were of a girl selling watercress and a girl selling flowers by the German artist Johan Zoffany, who worked for many years in London and was a founder member of the Royal Academy. I had catalogued this pair of paintings 30 years ago and was very surprised and sad when they failed to sell then. This time round, having established that a distant ancestor of the vendor had bought them directly from the artist, they took wing at a very healthy £991,000 with premiums.

What do these results tell us? That the supply of good/great is diminishing, but there is a market for them and the prices are strong. The same cannot be said of third-rate Old Masters. There is almost no demand at all. It’s not just a price correction, there aren’t any bids.

There will be more Old Master news after the February sales in New York, which looked much more interesting than their London counterparts, when I viewed the best lots in London last week. In particular, Sotheby’s are selling the remnants of the celebrated collection of Aso Tivitian. He was a philanthropic, Armenian billionaire who made his money out of microchips. He started life in New York as a cab driver before getting a scholarship to Columbia University. He has left a painting to the Frick and one to the Met in New York and over 330 works of art to the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts.

The “remnants” are by no means lesser fry, they just don’t fit with the public collections he has supported. They are significant paintings in a wonderful state of preservation. He also collected great English furniture and European sculpture. Their sale should give us a more accurate idea of how much taste there is for Old Masters, currently.

Inside the Record-Breaking Sale of the Anglesey Necklace

Posted on November 15, 2024November 22, 2024 by Liz Bailey

Sotheby’s Royal & Noble Jewels Sale took place in Geneva on Wednesday 13^th November. This historic sale presented a spectacular selection of historic fine jewellery, with provenance relating to several royal and noble families, including Tsar Ferdinand of Bulgaria and his family, Countess Mona Bismarcak, King Umberto II of Italy, the Ducal House of Bavaria and the Princely Thurn und Taxis family. Featuring 174 lots, this auction featured a stunning selection of tiaras, necklaces, rings, suites, cufflinks, tie pins, cigarette cases, seals, pocket watches and many more jewels with illustrious provenance.

The Anglesey Necklace

Designed as a pair of old cushion-shaped diamond tassels connected by three rows of collet-set old cushion-shaped and circular-cut diamonds, length approximately 670mm, fitted case.

Undoubtedly the most anticipated lot of the sale was the Anglesey Necklace. This highly important and historic jewel is an incredibly rare survivor of the Georgian court, set with a breathtaking 300 carats of diamonds and crafted with hugely innovative techniques for the time. An outstanding jewel to be in private hands, this piece has been known as the Anglesey Necklace, owned by the Paget family for centuries, thence a private collector, and offered for auction as the centrepiece to this historical sale. Estimated at 1,600,000 – 2,200,000 CHF (£1.4 to 1.9 million), this significant Georgian necklace finally sold at 3,550,000 CHF (£3,154,246.00).

Formerly in the collection of the Marquess of Anglesey, the Anglesey Necklace has featured in two important jewellery exhibitions of the 20^th century, first in 1959 as part of The Ageless Diamond Loan exhibition in London, sitting alongside many famous Royal and aristocratic diamond jewels including the Williamson Pink Diamond and the brooch set with the Cullinan III and IV diamonds belonging to Queen Elizabeth II. Twenty years later in 1979, the necklace featured in the American Museum of Natural History’s Bicentennial Exhibition.

A Marie Antoinette Connection? The lore of the Anglesey Necklace

The lore surrounding this jewel carried a huge significance and of course an impact on the subsequent value. Although there is no formal or documented evidence of a connection between the Anglesey necklace and the jewel that sparked the French Revolution, there are of course compelling factors that could plausibly link the two.

The sheer grandeur and scale of this piece narrows down the few noble ladies who could have owned this jewel. Set with nearly 300 carats of rare, Golconda diamonds (the South African mines were not discovered until 1867) and encased within unconventional, innovative and cutting-edge open back settings to allow the full radiance of these valuable stones.

There are no documents detailing this piece in the collection of the Paget family until the later part of the 19^th century. From its creation in the late 18th century, this is a monumental jewel to not be featured in inventories and documents of the time. As Sotheby’s point out,

“it is unclear exactly how the Paget family came in possession of this diamond jewel, a link to the first Marquess seems plausible given its date.”

In 1785, a diamond necklace created for Marie Antoinette was stolen in Paris. Records show that six months later, a London jeweller William Gray purchased 300 diamonds from the Marie Antoinette necklace totalling 600 stones. Stylistically, the tassels on the Anglesey necklace and the sketches of Marie Antoinettes necklaces do appear incredibly similar, which adds to this compelling tale.

More recently, in American-born British conservative politician and society figure, Sir Henry “Chips” Channon’s diary published in 2022, there is reference to this seeming connection. He mentions a part of Queen Marie Antoinette’s infamous necklace,

“at least two ropes of it, the rest, according to history, was broken up before the French Revolution but I believe the Anglesey tassels, which Marjorie sometimes wears, are a part of it.”

Sir Cecil Beaton photographed the Anglesey Necklace, as it was then known, being worn as a négligé by the glamorous and sophisticated Marjorie Paget, Marchioness of Anglesey, during George VI’s coronation 1937. The necklace was also worn at Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953.

Irrespective of the alleged connection to the French Revolution, the Anglesey Necklace is a rare survivor of an incredibly opulent Georgian Court. Designed to be worn in many ways, knotted at the neck, worn as a négligé, draped over the back, or even as a belt, this superb diamond necklace is without a doubt “one of the most outstanding Georgian jewels” (Andres White Correal – Head of Royal and Noble Jewels, Chairman, Sotheby’s Jewellery), and a historic result at auction for jewellery of the period.

To find out more about our jewellery valuation service by calling us on 01883 722736 or emailing [email protected]

The Legacy of Elisabetta Sirani: Art, Fame, and Mystery

Posted on October 22, 2024November 25, 2024 by David Dallas

This week’s female artist is the fascinating Elisabetta Sirani (1638-1665).

She was born in Bologna on January 8^th 1638 to Margherita and Giovanni Andrea Sirani. Fortunately for her, her father Gian’Andrea Sirani was a favourite pupil of Guido Reni and took over his practice as teacher and master in the first Life School in Bologna. Naturally, Elisabetta studied under her father and, therefore, absorbed the technique of Guido. She also studied the paintings of other great Bolognese baroque painters such as Annibale Carracci, Simone Cantarini and Carlo Cignani. She was well educated, liked music and was familiar with the Bible, lives of the Saints and classical mythology, all of which provided subject matter for her paintings.

By 1654, when she was only 16, she took over the running of her father’s workshop, as Giovanni Andrea had become incapacitated by Gout. I am not sure why Gout was so prevalent in previous centuries and caused so much trouble. Joseph Banks in the late 18^th Century, for example, would take to a wheelchair for several months at a time. Enough on Gout!

Elisabetta Sirani Timoclea killing the Captain of Alexander the Great

Elisabetta Sirani – Self Portrait

From this moment on, Elisabetta, the eldest of four children became the family’s main breadwinner by a combination of income from her portraits and other commissions and tuition fees. She had more than a dozen pupils and set up the first lay, as opposed to convent, school for women artists. She was also a prolific painter, as well as celebrated teacher. She produced over 200 paintings, 13 altarpieces, 15 etchings and hundreds of drawings. In fact, she was so prolific that many people accused her of using pupils to paint the pictures, which was, after all, standard studio practice. However, Elisabetta tended to sign her pictures and in order to rebuke the accusations that she did not paint them herself, invited her accusers on May 13^th 1664 to her studio to watch her paint a portrait in a single sitting!

She became a celebrity and anyone of status visiting Bologna would ask to be invited to her studio to watch her at work. Her clientele was made up of Kings, Princes, Dukes, Cardinals, rich merchants and the church, not only from Bologna but across Europe. All of this is surprising, as she was dead by the age of 27. The cause of her death is the subject of mystery and speculation. Some say she was poisoned by a jealous maid, others that she developed ulcers because of her excessive workload.

Elisabetta Sirani – Madonna and Child

Portia wounding her thigh

In any event, the city of Bologna went into mourning at her death and she was given a most elaborate funeral. A massive catafalque was created with a life size sculpture of Elisabetta inside it. There was music composed in her honour by the most famous musicians in Bologna and orations and poems written in honour of the “Lamented Paintbrush”. She was buried in the Basilica of San Domenico in Bologna, in the same tomb as Guido Reni, who had been her father’s tutor.

A word on the Catafalque (temple of honour)

What we are looking at is a design for the catafalque by Matteo Borboni (c.1610-1667) who oversaw the decorations for her funeral. The finished monument was made of wood painted to look like marble and the life-size statue of Elisabetta at her easel was made of wax. This gives you some idea of the scale of the temple and the high regard in which Elisabetta “Gem of Italy” was held.

If you are lucky enough to own one of her paintings, make sure it is properly insured. An average Madonna and Child is worth between £50,000 and £80,000. The top price at auction is $505,000 for “Portia wounding her thigh”, sold at Sotheby’s New York in 2008.

Shoulder strap

Size

Hardware

Rings / Pontet

Studs and zippers

Initials

Francis Cadell – Artist Profile

Early Life & Family

Education & Career

Style & Legacy

Samuel Peploe - Artist Profile

Early Life & Education

Career Development

Style and Technique

Personal Life

George Leslie Hunter – Artist Profile

Early Life & Background

Career Development

Style & Technique

Personality & Later Years

J.D. Fergusson – Artist Profile

Early Life & Education

Paris and the Avant-Garde

Artistic Style and Themes

War and Return to Britain

Personal Life

Later Years and Legacy

Legacy of the Colourists

Early Life and Education

Career Beginnings and Move to London

Rise to Fame: The Evolution of Dame Edna

Other Iconic Characters

Film, TV, and Literary Work

Later Life and Legacy

Humphries’ Love of Fine Art

Artistic Influence on His Comedy

Post auction insurance values

Accessories

Furnishings

Fashion

Lot 51: A MULTICOLOR FEATHER COATLABELED DIOR HAUTE COUTURE, PARIS, 21ST CENTURY

Jewellery

A Marie Antoinette Connection? The lore of the Anglesey Necklace

This week’s female artist is the fascinating Elisabetta Sirani (1638-1665).

Elisabetta Sirani Timoclea killing the Captain of Alexander the Great

Elisabetta Sirani – Self Portrait

Elisabetta Sirani – Madonna and Child

Portia wounding her thigh

A drawing of Elisabetta’s Catafalque by Matteo Barboni (1610-1667)

Lot 51: A MULTICOLOR FEATHER COAT
LABELED DIOR HAUTE COUTURE, PARIS, 21ST CENTURY