MUNICH — A trio of sales held across two days is planned for Quittenbaum, with a two-part Art Deco and Art Nouveau sale spanning Tuesday, November 14 and Wednesday, November 15, and a third session featuring 1920s Weimar-era figurative ceramics from KPM Meissen and Goldscheider on the 15th. All three catalogs are now available for bidding at LiveAuctioneers (Session 1, Session 2, Session 3).
French Art Nouveau titan Émile Gallé (1846-1904) is considered a father of the movement’s glass and furniture, and Quittenbaum’s sale features an astounding 47 lots representing his work. The top-estimated lot is a Nancy Soufflé Rhododendron table light, created in the 1925-36 timeframe, well after his death. The cased glass is opalescent, colorless, yellow and violet, and blown using the so-called “soufflé” technique. The lamp is estimated at €80,000-€90,000 ($84,896-$95,508).
The first session is similarly heavy with a fine range of Lalique. Vases, figurals and paperweights are all well-represented and include this René Lalique Ronces vase dated 1921 but likely produced before 1947 at either Combs-la-Ville or Wingen-sur-Moder. It is estimated at €3,500-€4,500 ($3,714-$4,775).
Fans of Gabriel Argy-Rousseau (1885-1953), a master of pâte de verre (glass paste), have 11 lots from which to choose. His 1925 Floréal table light features his trademark pâte de verre technique and is estimated at €20,000-€24,000 ($21,224-$25,468).
The second session leads with a bronze by Alexander Kéléty (circa-1874-1940) whose Art Deco sculptures were widely exhibited between the two world wars throughout Europe. Archer is dated 1930, from the peak of his career, features a dark brown and greenish patina and carries the manufacturer’s mark ETLING Paris. It’s estimated at €30,000-€40,000 ($31,836-$42,448).
The third session, titled Mythological Beauties. Figurative Ceramics, is packed with 155 lots, dominated by KPM Meissen porcelain figurals from the Weimar period. Leading this session is a KPM Meissen execution of Arthur Lange’s Night from 1901, but thought to have been produced before 1924. The 17in figure is estimated at €6,000-€8,000 ($6,367-$8,489).
