Press article : From Majorelle to Romanée-Conti on the Croisette - Gazette Drouot, 2023 April 16th

Bracelet Alexandre REZA
Sold for 27600€

We will start with the most spectacular lot of the sale : a sinuous gilt bronze sconce (121 x 54 cm) composed of a Majorelle mounting, in its original gilding, and six tulips signed Daum (two of them missing). The latter are made of two layers of blown glass, gentian blue on a white background, acid-etched. In addition to its characteristic art nouveau aesthetic, its value was enhanced by the fact that it was a special order for the Nancy International Exhibition in 1909. Thus, this artefact was able to fetch up to 46450€. On the other side of the room, there were some fine pieces of modern painting, of which one of the most popular was the neo-impressionist Maximilien Luce's painting of Madame Bouin, dated 1901; this oil (41 x 33 cm), showing the artist's return to a more traditional style than his earlier pointillism, fetched 32000€. It is undoubtedly a portrait of Ambroisine Bouin, a young girl he met in 1893 and who was to become his companion before their marriage in 1940.

For a more contemporary expression, there was also Jean Messagier's Untitled (117 x 205 cm), marked by the spontaneous gestures of his creator. At the crossroads of lyrical abstraction and informal art, his art gives pride of place to colour, as here (23850€). Robert Combas offered Danse tribale, a diptych with a frenzied rhythm from 1985 in acrylic on paper (100 x 74 cm), which fetched 23850€. Finally, the many pieces of fine jewellery were ranked behind a sumptuous line bracelet by Cartier, in white gold set with 34 brilliant-cut diamonds, estimated colour D/E/F and clarity IF/VS, for a total of around 10 ct (l. 17.30 cm, gross weight : 20.30 g), which fetched 34150€. On the other hand, the Ligne indéterminée designed by Bernar Vernet (see Gazette n°13, page 165) was unsold.

Daum and Majorelle. Wall lamp with six lights (two tulips missing), Majorelle gilt bronze mount, tulips signed Daum in blown glass, 121 x 54 cm. Sold for : 46450€

Jean-Gabriel Domergue (1889-1962) - "the inventor of the pin-up" in his own words - once again delivers his feminine ideal with this Woman with a Bouquet. The signed oil on panel (46 x 38 cm), depicting a young, blonde, naked and graceful model, is in fact the preparatory painting for the poster advertising the charms of Monte Carlo. He produced it at the request of the Principality around 1950, but it is only one of many dedicated to the Monegasque city since the 1930s. It was therefore sold for 37650€, tripling its high estimate.

At the heart of the signed jewellery sale on Monday 10 April was this baroque bracelet by Parisian jeweller Alexandre Reza, which finally fetched 27600€. It is made of yellow gold with articulated sections, its scroll decoration set with approximately 8.60 ct of diamonds and eight beautiful deep green pear-cut emeralds, probably Colombian, totalling approximately 7.90 ct (the main ones weighing 1.20 and 1.10 ct). The accessory measures 16 cm long and weighs 41.60 g.

Stars of the Cannes auction, Cartier watches were represented, among others, by this "Tortue" model (ref. "2645 cal 430. Mc"), which was sold for 20000€. The case of this rare example is made of pink gold, and its dial is set with approximately 2 ct of brilliant-cut diamonds, with a metallic background. The winding mechanism is also adorned with a diamond, for a Cartier automatic movement. Naturally, the timepiece is fitted with a pink gold bracelet with original signed folding clasp (diam. 2.8 cm, gross weight : 137.50 g).

This Easter event also gave wine lovers the opportunity to draw from a catalogue of 2000 lots, the winner of which was a set of four cases containing 13 bottles, sold for 86800€. All came from the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, with a 2009 vintage : one bottle of Romanée-Conti, three of La-Tâche, two of Richebourg, two of Romanée-Saint-Vivant, two of Grand-Echezeaux, two of Echezeaux and one of Corton-Prince Florent de Merode.