For its second edition of prestigious sales, Tajan is focusing on a wide variety of categories, offering collectors a huge selection of artworks, decorative items, jewellery and gold, as well as vintage fashion. It’s a golden opportunity to please loved ones with unique finds.
The opening of the sales takes place with a stunning catalogue of Asian art including more than 300 lots, to be auctioned on 10 December. Among the porcelain selection is a blue and white Yuhuchun bottle vase from the Qing dynasty bearing the sigillated mark of Emperor Qianlong. The piece is decorated with a fine decoration of rocks, pines, bamboos, banana trees and other plant elements.
This incandescent porcelain incense burner splashed with blue enamel enhanced with gilding is an exceptional work of art.
Also dating from the Qianlong period (1736-95), the piece is mounted on eight feet, and present on its belly is two monsters’ heads. Its shape takes on again that of the ancient bronzes which never stopped to inspire Chinese artists until the eleventh century.
The auction house is, as every year, also offering an impressive selection of valuable old jewels, pieces of jewellery from the biggest brands, and precious stones. Tajan’s selection of ‘Jewellery and Watches’ is taking place on 11 December.
As the first jeweller to have settled on the Place Vendôme in Paris, Frederic Boucheron was also the first jeweller who managed to capture the attention of the kings and magnates of the industry of the time. His clients included the most prestigious personalities of his time. This diamond lilac brooch is an extremely rare piece steeped in history, it was donated to Countess Anna de Grenaud of St. Christopher by King Ferdinand of Bulgaria himself, on the occasion of her marriage in 1889 to Dimitri Stancioff, the Prime Minister.
The theme of lilac was seldom addressed in the world of jewellery at that time, though it illustrates friendships, old loves, and confidence. The young Countess had also received this present as a pledge of deep friendship, the subject being specially chosen by the King to remind her of the lilacs of his youth at the Château de Chitry in Haute-Savoie.
Tajan’s selection of watches is highlighted with pieces from the largest houses. You’ll find Philipe Patek, Breguet, Audemars Piguet, alongside a large selection of Rolex watches, such as the 1968 Daytona Cosmograph model, entitled ‘Blue Daytona’.
The online-only portion of the sale is Tajan’s ‘Vintage Fashion’ catalogue, which is taking place on 13 December. This selection celebrate the largest luxury and haute couture houses, in particular, Hermès and their ‘Kelly’ bags, which remain to this day some of the most sought after pieces at auction (along with the Birkin bag).
Louis Vuitton will be, as the department's experts confirm, particularly well represented this season, with, among other things, monogrammed pieces, marvellously vintage cabin trunks, and even a canvas trunk.
This second session of prestigious sales will end in apotheosis with a catalogue of old paintings including 59 lots, and two masterpieces from the history of art, taking place on 18 December.
This great landscape, The Wooden Bridge, is by Hubert Robert, who describes here a scene of everyday life in a soft light, characteristic of his work. The impressive mastery of perspective can be seen in the different planes of the landscape, which seems to extend to infinity and reveals mountain ranges in the distance. The low-angle view, in addition to being technically ingenious, allows the viewer to attend two different scenes. One calling for movement with the cart crossing the bridge, the second bringing to contemplation the man lying in harmony with this natural landscape. The painting comes from the collections of Château de Mortefontaine.
The Bride of Abydos is one of the last painted works of Théodore Géricault. In his paintings, the artist often referred to the texts of Lord Byron, and we find in this particular scene the tumultuous love story between Zuleika and Selim. The young woman, promised to a marriage forced by her father, forbids herself to love Selim because she is convinced that he is in fact her brother. The two characters are pictured here after fleeing the harem as they take refuge in a cave. The strong luminous contrast of the painting, as well as its style and subject, confirm that Géricault is a great precursor of Romanticism.
We hope to see you on 10 December for a week packed with emotions at Tajan.