2008 Auction History

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

All Results in BOLD

On December 3 in London, Sotheby's sells a torn fragment of the Gospel of John, 250 x 77 mm, a manuscript dating from 170 years after the crucifixion (£ 200 K, lot 23). (UNSOLD)

At Sotheby's in New York on December 17, sale N08518, a Judaica collection includes an illuminated manuscript (150 K$) (SOLD 360 K$ including fees) and two incunabula (120 and 100 K$). (SOLD 250 and 190 K$ including fees)

A breviary from the early fourteenth century is a rarity that you can buy from Thierry de Maigret in Paris on November 18. La Gazette de l'Hotel Drouot showed its price: 200 K €. (SOLD 1.47 M€ before fees)

Also in Paris (Drouot) but by Tajan on December 4, here is a first edition of Paradise Lost by Milton (100 K €). (SOLD 25 K€ including fees, from an estimate that has been lowered down to 40 K€)

Lot 1 from the sale of Zisska and Schauer on November 5 in Munich is a rare example of paleography: sheets of the Vulgate which are dated from the fifth or sixth Century (12 K €). (SOLD 145 K€ before fees). Lot 232, an incunabulum printed in Ulm in 1474, expects 25 K €. (SOLD 28 K€ before fees).

On October 16 at Heritage in Dallas, we see a copy of the Nuremberg Chronicle of 1493, at 75 K $ (lot 91,190). This book often get higher results in Europe but in auction houses that do not publish press releases ... (UNSOLD)

A copy of Anatomical defoliations by Gautier d'Agoty is estimated at 75 K € by Reiss in Koenigstein. The sale takes place from 28 to 31 October. (SOLD 70 K€ before fees)

L'Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux in 10 volumes by Buffon is at 75 K € on June 20 at Drouot by Pierre Bergé et Associés. (SOLD 102 K€ before fees).

An Atlas of Johannes Blaeu in 12 volumes in folio (1667) is for sale at Pierre Bergé et Associés on June 20 at Drouot (180 K €). (SOLD 200 K€ before fees).

Lot 33 of the sale of Alde in Paris on June 3 is an Histoire de la Princesse Boudour by Mardrus illustrated by Schmied and decorated with original gouaches by the artist (150 K €). (SOLD 300 K€ before fees).

On June 17 at Christie's in New York, the original edition of De revolutionibus by Copernic is estimated 900 K $, (SOLD 2.2 M$ including fees), a collection of Tests offprints corrected by Einstein 150 K $, (SOLD 315 K$ including fees) and the first telephone directory, indicating the list in 1878 of the 391 subscribers of New Haven, 30 K $. (SOLD 170 K$ including fees).

Bonhams presents a dedicated original edition of a book of Jane Austen, on June 24 in London (50 K£). (SOLD 150 K£ before fees).

On May 28 at Lempertz in Cologne, lot 47 is Daphnis et Chloé in two volumes illustrated of 42 lithographies of Chagall (200 K€). (UNSOLD)

For better entering with you on the market of the books, I watch for some traditionals. Here a Prose du Transsibérien at Christie's Paris on April 28 (70 K€). (SOLD 162 K€ including fees).

At Sotheby's in New York on June 19, Newton's Principia (1687, first edition, 100K$) (UNSOLD) and the manuscript by Conan Doyle of one of the most famous Sherlock Holmes short stories (13 pages, 150 K$) (UNSOLD)

Reiss u. Sohn at Königstein prepares its sales of 22 to 25 April (nearly 5,000 lots including 600 lots of art), with a beautiful set of scientific and geographic books. I noted among them an Atlas novus of Janssonius and Hondius of 1638 in 3 volumes with a total of 318 plates (Lot 2951, 70 K€). (SOLD 74 K€ before fees). A religious incunable of Augsburg of 1476, incomplete, is estimated 30 K€ (Lot 840), (UNSOLD), a 1499 edition of Regiomontanus calendar 6 K€ (Lot 1298), (SOLD 6 K€ before fees), the 1566 edition of Copernicus 50 K€ (Lot 1280), (SOLD 100 K€ before fees), the Suriname insects by Merian, edition of 1719, 35 K€ (Lot 1647).(UNSOLD).

Books will be at Drouot on April 23, at Pierre Bergé et Associés. Lot 1 is an illustrated incunable of 1494 (160 K €). (SOLD 150 K€ before fees). There are also birds of Belon, 1555 (Lot 4, 45 K€), (UNSOLD), La Fontaine edited by Barbin in 1668 (Lot 16, 50 K €) (SOLD 40 K€ before fees) and an in-folio in 1543 of Vesalius (Lot 34, 140 K €). (UNSOLD).

On March 13, at Drouot, under the hammer of Binoche and Renaud Giquello, the Cabinet Revel, expert, presents a Latin Nuremberg Chronicle (1493) at 60 K €. (SOLD 32 K€ before fees, according to La Gazette de l'Hôtel Drouot ?)

On April 29, at Drouot Pierre Bergé et associés present a collection of books and drawings of the East and the Holy Land, including ancient manuscripts and incunabula. (SOLD 150 K€ before fees an in-folio by Bernhard von Breydenbach, Peregrinationes in Terram Sanctam. Moguntina (Mayence), 1486 ).

A large library comes at Drouot, with a first session by Piasa on March 11: amid the books, you can find a Boîte en valise by Duchamp (20 K €). (SOLD 82 K€ before fees).

D et FL advertised in the Gazette de l'Hotel Drouot a sale of old books which will be auctioned in Paris (Salle Rossini) on March 10. I was interested with an atlas of 174 maps by Bertius, dated very early (1602). Same sale also includes traditional Chansons from Laborde binded by Bradel-Derôme, (SOLD 19 K€ before fees), and an original edition of the Marguerites de la Marguerite des princesses (1547). This auction house is based in Rouen.

On April 2, in New York, Christie's disperses the first part of a library devoted entirely to Dickens. (SOLD 229 K$ including fees a first edition of Oliver Twist)

Newest: Bloomsbury disperse a collection of 550 original editions in 67 languages of Harry Potter books (author JK Rowling) on February 28 in London. (UNSOLD : had been offered as a single lot estimated 40 K£).


Koller sells a folio sheet from an antiphonaire on March 18 in Zurich, 40 KFS. (SOLD 90 KFS before fees).

In the Gillot sale being prepared by Christie's in Paris on 4 and 5 March, at number 259, an illuminated manuscript of Gratian decretum, circa 1320; this set of 17 sheets includes 8 paintings (no doubt under-rated at 70 K€) (SOLD 108 K€ including fees)

The only known manuscript of the Manifesto of Surrealism, in 21 pages, is the most important among nine manuscripts of Breton to be sold by Sotheby's Paris on May 20. Breton has not yet joined Rimbaud and Baudelaire in the top people of literary memorabilia auction, but the estimate given by Sotheby's (300 K €, high estimate 500 K €) is low if it is really unique. (SOLD 1.9 M€ including fees). "Poisson soluble", a 59 page experiment of automatic writing contemporary of the Manifesto, is estimated 200 K €. (SOLD 920 K€ including fees). The source is impeccable: Breton's wife.