2008 Auction History

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

All Results in BOLD

Two 1 / 2 scale cars are competing at Bonhams in London on December 1st : a Cadillac (£ 6 K, lot 408) (UNSOLD) and a Ferrari (£ 8 K, lot 409). (SOLD 8 K£ before fees)

For my first operational visit to the site of James D. Julia in Fairfield, I present you with Lukat the lucky cat, a lying cat used as a coin-operated gambling device. It is worth $ 9 K in a sale of toys and collectibles on November 20. (SOLD 9.2 K$ including fees)

Seen on the site of the expert Theimer: a wooden doll manufactured circa 1774, with its costume from origin. This doll is also presented in an ad in La Gazette de l'Hotel Drouot by Lombrail et Teucquam, who sell it in Paris on September 27. (UNSOLD)

Two classics in the sale of Lombrail Teucquam assisted by François Theimer at the Ambassador Hotel on March 29: Bob and his frog, a large machine in its electric version manufactured by JAF, (SOLD 85 K€ before fees) and a violinist Clown, a musical automate by Leopold Lambert. (UNSOLD ; estimate was 16 K€). A doll by Albert Marque is estimated 70 K€. (SOLD 56 K€ before fees, from a LOW estimate of 50 K€).

Please note that I am not only concerned in expensive lots: lots 93 to 110 in the London sale of Phillips de Pury in March 15, display from £ 50 single robots, dinosaurs, supermen and superwomen signed by Bandai Co., Billiken Co, and others... (SOLD 2,7 K£ including fees a superb naughty vinyl dinosaur 45 cm high made in 2007 by Megahouse Artworks, that was estimated 450 £ ; 7 UNSOLD).

On March 29, at the Ambassador Hotel in Paris, the expert Francois Theimer glorifies Albert Marque: he introduces under the hammer of Lombrail Teucquam a doll for fashion made by the sculptor in 1915, (SOLD 56 K€ before fees) and on the same day releases his book "Albert Marque . Un sculpteur, une poupée.

Bonhams hold its first sale specialized in chess and other games on May 13 in London. (SOLD 10 K£ before fees a set of ivory chess pieces where characters are prehistoric beasts, recent Russian work).

An extraordinary masterpiece shall be presented in a judiciar auction sale in Carcassonne on Tuesday, January 8, by the ministries of Jean dit Cazaux and Sahuquet, in the presence of the Aude department auctioneer, J. Deleau.
Very well presented in two videos by Interencheres, it is a scenery of mechanical automata named "Theater of Venice" of large size (19 x 6 x 4.20 meters) from the collection of Paul Chaland, with the voice of Marcello Mastroianni among others. Collector of Xmas cribs (crèches) and dioramas, Paul Chaland was also the producer of this Theater of Venice. One of the videos referred above indicates the names, to be noted, of the major artists of that work: Giorgio Spiller, Guerrino Lovato, Giovanni Traversari. Several Chaland productions got the honors to be presented and operated on Paris City Hall place; this one, the manufacturing of which lasted 18 months, dates from 1993.
In the same sale are included 200 Xmas cribs and some dioramas, consisting in one-third of the total collection, and 6 sets of the same quality as the Theater of Venice would still be owned by Mr. Chaland, so we anticipate other exciting auctions in the future.
Automata were not stopped (it's a pun) with the outstanding productions of the later 19th century manufacturers Vichy, Roullet-Decamps, Lambert, Phalibois.
On November 18, Artcurial-Deauville launched the fashion of auctioning automata of the years 1980/1990, with the P. collection which included unique pieces created especially for collectors, some of them in imitation of the old models. This is a new category of art and crafts of the end of the last century that come gradually in sales, and that deserves full recognition.
In this category, the quality of the workmanship will be undoubtedly the dominant element in the price.
In the past some full wooden horse roundabouts achieved bids or six digits in Euros, but I think this is the first time that a lot such as the Theater of Venice is presented at auction in France.
(UNSOLD, no bidder at 60 K €; in a few years we will look with dismay why nobody wanted it at this price).