On June 29, Maitre Jean-Pierre Osenat conducted a sale of 100 lots from the collection of the Hôtel de Masseran. The sale realized a total of $14.5 million for the Republic of the Ivory Coast, which will use the funds raised for the restoration of the Hôtel de Masseran, a listed historical monument near Les Invalides.
The Hôtel de Masseran was built in 1787 for Prince Masserano by Alexandre Théodore Brongniart; past owners have included Comte Etienne de Beaumont and later Elie and Liliane de Rothschild. The residence of the heads of state of the Ivory Coast, the Hôtel de Masseran is both an architectural jewel and, because of its superb paneling and ceiling paintings, a marvel of interior design. The Republic of the Ivory Coast has decided to restore this historical monument to its former glory and sell a selection of furniture to finance the restoration work.
Notable sales included a rare pair of sideboards with brass and tortoiseshell marquetry adorned with bas reliefs of Abundance and Spring from the collection of Jean-Baptiste Roslin, first Baron d’Ivry (1775‱839), which sold for $1.92 million. An important Louis XVI ormolu mounted, five-drawer plum-pudding mahogany commode by Jean-Henri Riesener was acquired for $750,307. The exquisite ormolu mounts used by Riesener are similar to those to be found on furniture made for the Garde Meuble de la Couronne. This commode was once in the renowned collection of Charles Stein (1840‱899).
An important Louis XVI commode with the stamp of J.F. Oeben sold for $590,667. The central marquetry panel featuring a bouquet of flowers in a basket on a sycamore ground is typical of the furniture produced by Jean-François Oeben.
A Louis XVI giltwood suite of canapé (couch) and six fauteuils à la Reine (armchairs), upholstered in yellow tapestry with floral bouquets, stamped J.B. Séné, once owned by King Louis-Philippe at the Château d’Eu, were sold for $774,253. A fine pair of early Nineteenth Century ormolu mounted brass and tortoiseshell inlaid coffers on stands achieved $614,613, three times their estimate.
Among the works of art, an exceptional pair of Louis XVI agate bowls mounted in gilt bronze as potpourri vases, once owned by Count Anatole Demidoff, Prince of San Donato (1812‷0), sold for $510,847, a world record for agate bowls mounted as potpourri vases.
The delightful pastoral scene titled “La femme au Fagot” by Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841‱919) sold for $2.87 million. Executed around 1882, it had been in a private collection since 1974 and had not been exhibited publicly since 1965.
The collection also included a suite of eight very rare Eighteenth Century embroidered panels featuring the seasons and allegorical sea figures, probably made in Russia, from the collection of Elie de Rothschild, which fetched $223,495.
All prices given include the buyer’s premium, and were converted from Euros to US dollars at a 1 Euro to 1.59 dollar rate.
Osenat Sale Galleries are at 5 rue Royale, 77300 Fontainebleau. For information, www.osenat.com or +33 (0)1 4070 1693.
