Over 1,000 items including Old
Master paintings, precious carpets, silverware and refined
furniture pieces are to be put up for auction on May 24 at the
Bolaffi auction house in Turin.
The sale items include an important collection dedicated to
Oriental art.
"The strong point of this catalogue is its cross-disciplinary
nature," Cristiano Collari, an expert from the furnishings,
paintings and art objects department, explained.
"There are objects with an easy fit, which are ideal for
furnishing, to the extent that they have already been given a
setting in the auction showroom," he added.
The section dedicated to European art alone counts over 360
items, including the delightful 'Maternità' by Angelo Morbelli
(1854-1919) depicting his wife breastfeeding their small son,
which has a starting price of 20,000 euros.
There is also an interesting selection of pencil drawings by
Giovanni Boldini (bidding to start at between 1,500 and 2,000
euros), who is the subject of an exhibition currently showing in
Rome.
"In his drawings the master from Ferrara known particularly
for his worldly portraits displays his creativity, intriguing
(the viewer) with slices of daily life, scenes of horses and
coaches, female faces and figures, in particular of his muse the
Marchioness Casati," Collari said.
The Bolaffi auction also includes important antiques,
including a late 18th-century mahogany and bronze chest of
drawers made by Guillaume Benemann, the refined cabinet maker
who worked at the Court of Versailles, with a starting price of
15,000 euros.
There is also a pair of armchairs made by Pierre Nogaret,
another renowned craftsman working at the time of Louis XV, with
a bidding price of 5,000 euros.
The catalogue also includes a section devoted to rare and
unusual objects from a Wunderkammern - a room displaying
curiosities collected by scholars, scientists and noblemen in
Italy and German-speaking areas from the 16th century onwards -
in Milan.
There is also an important section devoted to Oriental art,
including a sculpture of the Goddess Uma (Cambodia, Khmer,
Kheleang period, late 10th century) wearing a simple sampot tied
by a thin waistband and embellished by a vertical band hanging
between the legs (bidding price 10,000 euros) and a coral
engraving featuring 12 female figures and flowers set on an
ivory base (China, Qing dynasty, early 19th century, 8,000
euros).
"They are objects with an interesting bidding price for
people wanting to furnish a space with a touch of refinement,"
Aste Bolaffi COO Maurizio Piumatti said.
"Recently these art objects have drawn the attention of
oriental buyers who are interested in taking them back to their
countries of origin."
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