Another successful, exciting and diverse auction season has drawn to a close. The classic collecting fields which we have been offering for several decades, such as old master paintings, Swiss art, and modern and contemporary art enjoyed good results. We also were entrusted with several high-calibre private collections in 2023, among them the Legrain Collection, with exquisite sculptures and objects from Greco-Roman and Egyptian antiquity.

Our auctions continue to focus on fine art, jewellery, wristwatches, decorative arts and Asian art, which have been an integral part of our auction programme for many years. At the same time, new categories have been met with great interest, especially among collectors of traditional art. In our new ‘Out of This World’ auctions, for example, within the past year we sold fossils of two of the most iconic dinosaurs: a Tyrannosaurus rex and a young Triceratops.

On the following pages you will find some of the highlights of the past auction year; the images and results speak for themselves. Further information about our past and future auctions can be found on our website.

We would like to thank you for continuing to place your trust in us in 2023 and wish you confidence, happiness and good health for the New Year.

Brochure

Looking back over the past twelve months, we’d like to express our gratitude to all of you who participated in this exceptionally successful year of auctions. Over 80% of the lots offered found buyers, across all categories and price segments, with prices often exceeding expectations – in fact, the percentage sold by value attained the remarkable score of 150% of the lower estimates, and several new auction records were set.

If you are considering selling part or all of your collection, we are convinced that now is the right time. With our extensive and constantly developing international network, we can present your works of art to a worldwide audience.

In the following pages (click the link below) we present some of the highlights that passed through our hands in the past year. The works shown are just the ‘tip of the iceberg’: in 2021 we auctioned more than 9,000 lots from 20 distinct collecting categories, and they found new owners in over 65 countries worldwide.

We would be pleased to value your works of art and advise you with regard to our upcoming auctions. We look forward to hearing from you.

See the 2021 Highlights

Lot 1232 - Decorative Arts - Thursday, 21. September 2023, 10.00 Uhr

Such birdcage automatons were often created as a collaboration of various specialized watchmakers and automaton makers from Neuchâtel and the Jura. They are witnesses of great skill and enjoyed great popularity in the period between 1780 and 1840. Among the most important watchmaking dynasties are the Robert, Jaquet-Droz, Frédéric Leschot, Maillardet, Fochat and Bruguier families. Others, such as François Nicole and Charles-Frédéric Nardin, specialized in the making of music boxes. The luxury objects resulting from this collaboration were often sold to the European aristocracy as well as to China, Russia, and the Ottoman Empire through Geneva-based makers and sellers, such as Jean-François Bautte (1772-1837), who signed the clock on offer. The founding of Bautte & Moynier dates back to 1791, when case maker Jean-François Bautte joined forces with watchmaker Dauphin Moulinié. The company was expanded in 1804 when watchmaker Jean-Gabriel Moynier joined, and thereafter operated as Moulinié, Bautte & Moynier, fabrique d'horlogerie. The luxury company employed about 60 workers and produced watches as well as jewelry of the highest quality. Bautte became one of the most important watch dealers in Geneva. After the departure of Moulinié around 1824, the name was changed to Bautte & Moynier.

Lot 2824 - An extremely rare and large gold enamel pocket watch

Veigneur Frères, with 1/4-repeater and automaton, for the Chinese market, ca. 1790.

Sold for CHF 12 500

Old Master paintings specialist Karoline Weser presents a landscape by one of the most important artists of the Golden Age of Dutch painting, Salomon van Ruysdael.

The minute workings of this fascinating astronomical clock are revealed by Furniture & Decorative Arts specialist Stephan Koller.

Eine seltene, ausdrucksstarke Figur einer tantrische Gottheit

Regi Preiswerk, Expertin für asiatische Kunst bei Koller, präsentiert eine bedeutende Tempelfigur aus der Kangxi-Periode. Erfahren Sie mehr über diese schrecklich anmutende Figur und ihre überhaupt nicht schreckliche Bedeutung im tantrischen Buddhismus.

Lot ansehen

Ein bedeutendes kaiserliches Objekt aus China unter dem Hammer

Die beeindruckend geschnitzte Palastwand wurde Recherchen zu Folge sehr wahrscheinlich für die Räumlichkeiten der Kaiserwitwe Cixi (1835–1908) angefertigt. Die beidseitig kunstvoll durchbrochene Wand ist ein charakteristisches Beispiel für die Innenausstattung der kaiserlichen Paläste der Qing-Zeit. Aus Peking sind zwei weitere vergleichbare Objekte mit oktogonaler Türöffnung bekannt: ein Raumteiler befand sich im Yiluandian Palast, wurde aber 1901 bei einem Brand vollständig zerstört. Die zweite Wand befindet sich in einem Wohngebäude im westlichen Teil der Verbotenen Stadt. Bei der hier ange botenen Trennwand handelte es sich um das einzige je auf dem weltweiten Kunstmarkt angebotene Kunstwerk dieser Art. Für 940’000 Franken gelangte es nun in asiatischen Besitz.

ARTMYN, ein Startup aus EPFL/LCAV, bietet eine bahnbrechende Lösung für die präzise Digitalisierung von Kunstwerken mit interaktivem Rendering auf mobilen Geräten, zugänglich über einen einfachen Webbrowser. Ein einzigartiger tragbarer Scanner erfasst Gigabytes von Daten, welche die Kunstwerke in seinen feinsten Details beschreiben und zusammen mit proprietären Webtechnologien einer True-to-Life-Visualisierung resultiert. Diese völlig neue Erfahrung ermöglicht es den Benutzern, sich auf eine emotionale Reise zu begeben, auf welcher die digitalen Kopien geradezu in realistischer Weise betrachtet werden können, ganz so als halte man die Originale in den eigenen Händen.
Entdecken Sie diese neue Technologie hier