ADespite all the disputes that keep flaring up around the term Prussia, Lempertz’ format of what has been known as the “Prussia Auction” since 2018 has established itself and has become a fixture in the calendar of the Cologne house. A filigree Art Nouveau Berlin biscuit tin from the Twinight Collection stands out from the offer of 280 lots that will be called up in Berlin today, April 22nd. In 2019, Lempertz sold the counterpart for 18,750 euros with a premium (estimate 15,000 to 20,000 euros).
Both boxes were made in 1903 in the Königliche Porzellanmanufaktur Berlin KPM according to a design by Emil Rutte and differ only slightly in the coloring of the large moths on a midnight blue underglaze background that decorate the vessels. The 16 centimeter high box now offered by Lempertz was once in the collection of the Berlin art dealer Wilhelm Weick and is now coming from a Berlin private collection for 15,000 to 20,000 euros.
A colorful set of six Biedermeier cups and saucers painted with fine flowers would go well with this. It was made around 1830 in the Imperial Manufactory in Vienna and is estimated at 2000 to 2500 euros. A little earlier, from 1826 to 1832, the “Munich Vase No. 1” with flowers and fruit was created by KPM, whose design Friedrich Gärtner made in 1822 for the Nymphenburg manufactory.
The vase shape came to Berlin as a gift from the Munich court for the wedding of Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm to the Bavarian Princess Elisabeth Ludovika in 1823. It was taken over by KPM from 1826 and produced in four different sizes exclusively for the king as a diplomatic or family gift. There are a total of 137 specimens of the 50 centimeter high species (12,000/15,000). From the same period and also from KPM comes a covered vase with the portrait of King Frederick II, shiny etched gilding and a plastic Jupiter eagle as a knob, which can boast a provenance of the Royal House of Hanover (8000/12,000).
Among the few paintings are three works from the Brandenburgiana cycle by the Berlin painter Bernhard Rode, whom Prince August Wilhelm of Prussia commissioned in 1757 to illustrate the history of Brandenburg in 14 pictures – including “The Anointing of King Frederick I.” (30,000/40,000) .
In the “Berliner Salon” section, Lempertz is offering 39 lots – including a market-fresh scissor chair with a reconstructed silk damask cover, designed by Franz von Stuck around 1898 (3000/4000), as well as a mahogany cabinet decorated with inlays, also coming onto the market for the first time Music room of Joseph Maria Olbrich from 1905 (18,000/25,000). A collection of suitcases from the Parisian manufacturer Louis Vuitton and Edmond Goyard (1000/7000) completes the glamorous offer, which is expected to bring in a total of 682,000 euros.
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