LEIPZIG, Germany – All of Leipzig is marking a double anniversary on Oct. 8. Two hundred years ago, Napoleon’s forces were trounced by the Army of Nations in a fierce battle just outside the city. One hundred years later, the massive pyramid-shaped memorial known as the Völkerschlactdenkmal or Monument to the Battle of Nations, was opened.

Already in 1814, there was a call to create a monument to mark this massive loss of life. Plans were drawn up by architect Friedrich Weinbrenner, but sat unused. On the 50th anniversary of the battle in 1863, a foundation stone was laid.

Architect Clemens Theime took a special interest in this unfinished project. In 1894 he formed the Deutsche Patriotenbund (Association of German Patriots) and campaigned vigorously for funds through private donations and a lottery. He chose as his site the slight hillside where Napoleon announced his retreat, and keeping Weinbrenner’s pyramid form, created the present Völkerschlactdenkmal.

The granite-faced concrete building is a masterwork of the Wilhelmina style. Colossal sculpted soldiers solemnly watch over all who enter and exit. The interior is dark, and silent as a tomb.

Since its appearance on the Leipzig skyline, the Völkerschlactdenkmal has been reproduced on everything from ceramic souvenir cow creamers to canned goods, jewelry to cigars. While its 100th anniversary has inspired a novel, a cabaret performance, and special exhibits, Leipziger Münzhandlung und Auktion Heidrun Höhn found some very special pieces of memorabilia for their Sept. 13-14 auction.

“There is only one of these,” said Christine Höhn as she pointed to lot 610, a large bronze medallion of the Völkerschlactdenkmal, designed in 1913 by Hermann Schöne and presented to Clemens Thieme by the Deutschen Patriotbund. The Jugendstil plaque hung outside the architect’s house in Leipzig for many years.

While the auction features many coins and medallions with various portraits of Napoleon, perhaps one of the most delicate and intriguing is found in lot 652, a pair of ivory-framed miniatures of Napoleon and Josephine. Related ephemera in the auction include a Leipzig newspaper with an account of the battle from 1813, and even Napoleon’s signature on a certificate bequeathing the title “Baron.”

For more information on events surrounding the Völkerschlactdenkmal anniversary, or its opening hours, visit www.Stadtgeschichtles-Museum-Leipzig.de

 

Lempertz’s Hanstein Appointed President

The European Federation of Auctioneers voted Henrik Hanstein of Brussels, president; Sonia Farsetti of Florence, Italy, and Jean Pierre Osenat of Paris were elected vice presidents.

Hanstein, director of Art Auctionhouse Lempertz, Brussels and Cologne, has engaged himself in successfully harmonizing the resale right (subsequent decisions) within Europe. It is the first time that a German has held this office. The EFA represents the interest of European auctioneers before the European Commission and the European Parliament.

 

Upcoming Shows and Auctions

Sept. 24: Quittenbaums, Munich, design and art after 1945. www.Quittenbaum.de

Sept. 24-25: Gerhard Hirsch Nachf., Munich, antiques auction featuring objects of glass, ceramic and metal; their coin auction follows on Sept. 25-26. www.Coinhirsch.de

Oct. 4-5: A four-part sale of jewelry and watches; Asian, African and non-European art; handcrafts, antiques and paintings; as well as modern and contemporary art at Auktionshaus Kaupp, in Sulzburg. www.Kaupp.de

Oct. 11-12: Peter Kiefer Kunst und Buch Auktionen, Pforzheim. www.Kiefer.de

Oct. 12: Antique art, advertising art and modern works at the Lempertz auction in Berlin. They are also hosting two benefit auctions on Oct. 20 and Nov. 15. See www.Lempertz.com for details.

Oct. 12: Dr. Fischer Kunstauktionen, Heilbronn, offers European Glass and Studio Glass, as well as a private collection of Jugendstil and Art Deco objects. www.Auctions-Fischer.de

Oct. 18-19: Autumn stamp auction at Schwarzenbach Auktion, Zurich. www.Schwarzenbach-Auktion.ch

Nov. 6-9: Dobiachovsky, Bern, hosts their autumn art auction. www.Dobiaschovsky.com

Nov. 27-30: A widely varied auction of classical and contemporary art and photography at Villa Grisebach, Berlin. www.Villa-Grisebach.de

Nov. 28-30: Bassenge in Berlin-Grunewald offers art from the 15th to 19th centuries, as well as modern and contemporary art. www.Bassenge.com

Dec. 1: Antique and flea market with a special focus on Christmas decorations at Gießener Hessenhallen from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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COLOGNE, Germany – Finally warmth, green leaves and the spring auctions in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Auction houses continue to report strong results with a few surprises. Auction Team Breker, Cologne, broke their own record on May 25, selling one of six known functioning Apple 1 computers for $668,000 (€568,000). The 1976 model went to a buyer in Asia who preferred to remain anonymous. This smashes Breker’s own record of $640,000 (€492,000) for an Apple 1 in 2012.

At Sotheby’s in Geneva, Gina Lollobrigida’s pearl and diamond earrings sold for $2,391,321 (€1,843,449) on May 14. The white pearl drops, said to have once belonged to the House of Habsburg, set a new record for natural pearl pendant earrings.

At WestLicht in Vienna, a 1931 gilded Leica camera with reptile leather trim and two lenses sold for an impressive €528,000 ($688,974). It was the most expensive lot at their May 25 camera auction.

Dobiaschofsky, Bern, again reported strong prices at their spring Swiss art auction. A nude study by Félix Vallotton, Torse à l′étoffe bleue, was estimated at €90,000 ($117,424) and ended up fetching €190,000 ($247,895).

Van Ham had a surprise of a different kind, as an impostor Baroque table attributed to 17th century German furniture maker David Roentgen was discovered shortly before their May 18 auction. Department Director Christoph Bouillon expressed doubts over lot 1080, a gilded oval multipurpose table. Through consultation with an expert furniture restorer and use of the Datenbank kritischer Werke (an information source on forged artworks) founded by Van Ham Director Markus Eisenbeis, the table was exposed as a 21st century copy. The police were alerted and the furniture workshop where the modern day piece was made was quickly found. Its maker now faces charges.

Furniture by Abraham und David Roentgen is highly desirable, as the pair crafted exquisite pieces with marquetry patterns and secret drawers for noble families and kings. Museums consider themselves lucky to have Roentgen furniture in their collections. The forged table was estimated to sell for €60,000 to 80,000 ($77,690 to $103,585) if it had been an authentic Roentgen.

Upcoming Auctions:

Bassenge, Berlin, has a selection of U.S. space photography in their June 5 photography auction, including Neil Armstrong’s famous photo of astronaut Buzz Aldrin standing next to the American flag. June 5. www.Bassenge.com

Galerie Kornfeld, Bern, hosts a two-day sale June 13 and 14 with art of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Old Master works, prints, and artist autographs offered in cooperation with Moirandat Company, AG, Basel. www.kornfeld.ch

David Feldman has a specialty stamp auction June 13 and 14 in Geneva, with focus on Olympic stamps the second day of the sale. www.DavidFeldman.com

Auktionshaus Gut Bernstorf, Kranzberg, invites car lovers to an Oldtimer and Automobile Auction on June 15 at the Klassikwelt Bodensee. www.GutBernstorf.de

Quittenbaum’s offers a selection of post-World War II and contemporary furniture, lighting and art at their design auction on June 18. www.Quittenbaum.de

Koller Auktionen, Zurich, holds their spring auctions June 19-22, featuring jewelry and watches, art and design including Swiss art on June 21. www.KollerAuktionen.ch

Dr. Fischer Kunstauktionen holds their annual glass auction in Zwiesel on June 29. www.Auktions-Fischer.de

Auktionshaus Bloss, Merzhausen, holds an art and antiques auction on July 1 and 2. www.Bloss-Auktionen.de

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Protesting to keep the Berlin Wall intact in 2013? That’s exactly what happened when art lovers gathered to preserve the open-air East Side Gallery, a remaining section of the Berlin Wall covered with politically intriguing murals. A portion of the gallery wall was to be removed to make a pathway for a luxury apartment complex to be built on the banks of the Spree River.

Following a March 18 meeting between borough mayor and real estate developer, it was announced that while construction would go on as planned, existing openings in the wall would be used to bring in construction equipment.

The Berlin Wall, erected in 1961 and opened in 1989, is a magnet for tourists as well as lovers of street art. The nearly mile-long East Side Gallery portion was painted in 1990 by 118 artists from 21 countries. Included among its famous art works is the mural Fraternal Kiss depicting Lenonid Brezhnev, chairman of the presidium of the Supreme Soviet (1964-1982) of the former USSR, and Erich Honecker, former chairman of the State Council of the GDR (1976-1989).

Another well-loved figure from former East Germany, the painter and graphic artist Willi Sitte, 92, has a new exhibit of his works opening at his own gallery in Merseburg near Halle (River Saale). His paintings and graphic works of social realism are identifiable by their muscular human figures and a prismatic use of light and color that play over solidly outlined surfaces. Sitte was president of the artists’ union in the GDR (Verbandes Bildender Künstler), and received numerous awards. His work can be viewed at www.willi-sitte-galerie-merseburg.de

A fellow artist from eastern Germany, painter Neo Rauch, 53, has experienced success of which most painters can only dream. His work has already broken the million dollar mark, when his painting Suche was auctioned at Christie’s New York in 2004 for $1,082,500. A retrospective of his paintings titled “Neo Rauch: The Obsession of the Demiurge” is currently on display at the Palais des Beaux-Arts, also known as Bozar Expo, in Brussels.

Rauch’s oversize canvases have a way of pulling you into their world of juxtaposed frenetic activity and loneliness; his vast expanses become a meeting place for characters of the past, present and future. Curator Harald Kunde has complemented this experience by arranging the work in the exhibit from 2012 to 1993. So visitors time travel through Rauch’s complex style, back to its simpler beginnings as one of the Neue Leipziger Schule painters. Rauch’s work is on display at the Bozar through May 19.

In Vienna, Galerie OstLicht opens an exhibit of photographs by Hellen van Meene on April 13. The Netherland-born photographer documents the fragility and impressionability of young girls on their way to womanhood. Her carefully composed shots expose an intuitive communication with her subjects, be they girls or in her new series of photos, dogs. The Ost Licht exhibit runs through June 15.

Art collectors have already marked their calendars for Art Basel, in Basel, Switzerland, June 13-16. This enormous show and sale offers artwork from 304 international galleries, from early 20th century classic modern to contemporary. For details visit www.artbasel.com

 

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Legend has it that the German pastor Martin Luther was so moved by the sight of stars sparking through a pine tree against a dark winter sky, that he created the first Christmas tree. Whether this is true or not, there is a constant theme that a Christmas tree must sparkle like precious metal and jewels. One of the loveliest imposters must surely be the Dresden Christmas ornament.

“People are always so surprised when I show them the tree with the Dresdens and then tell them they are made of paper,” said Bill Steely, collector and publicity chairman for The Golden Glow of Christmas Past, an international collectors club based in Bridgeton, New Jersey.

The small (2-3 inch) ornaments are an elaborate hand-made ruse of embossed paper, gilded or silvered and sometimes painted, with lacy edgings and textural designs so deceiving they look like repoussé metal. But they are actually hollow, fragile ornaments made of many pieces of embossed paper cut and fitted precisely together, then painted with detailed care. The nimble fingers that made these lovely creations belonged to women and children or whole families who lived in or near Dresden, Germany, from 1880 to 1914.

At the time, eastern Germany was a hotbed of ornament production. F.W. Woolworth made his early fortune by visiting Lauscha in Thuringia to bring back colored glass ornaments that subsequently sold out at his US stores. Ornaments of painted, pressed cotton were also made there. In the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) miners and their families spent the winter carving nutcrackers and other decorations. Families in nearby Sebnitz assembled charming ornaments using scraps of fabric and wire.

“It was the Industrial Revolution. The Germans had developed glass-blowing techniques, like using a gas flame that burned hotter and made finer glass. Their chromolithography printing techniques were highly advanced, using up to 28 different plates. And they developed special die presses for making the paper parts of the Dresdens,” noted Steely.

A damp sheet of heavy paper was loaded into the concave part of the press, with the convex pattern die pressed down on top of it. Soon, out popped the rounded side of a horse, or half the side of a dirigible, or half a French horn on its way to being a three-dimensional Dresden ornament. Some Dresdens, called “flats” were two-dimensional and embossed only on one side. Some of the flats were embossed on two sides, with the two embossed halves glued together.

The die embossing press had the advantage of making many, many identical parts at once. Families then came to the 9 or 10 factories in Dresden and Leipzig to collect the parts for home assembly.

“Each family made a small amount (of Dresdens), yet they were produced in large quantities,” noted Steely. “They were paid very little and had to work quickly.”

Even so, the factories got back ornaments of a superb quality. At the time, the Dresdens were the most expensive among the German ornaments. Not everyone could afford them, and many were exported to other countries, including Great Britain and the United States.

Motifs for the Dresden ornaments seem endless. They include insects and animals of the land, sea and sky, both wild and domestic; enough musical instruments to form an orchestra; popular modes of early 20th century transportation including carriages, sleighs and bicycles, steam ships, trains and the new-fangled automobile; figures such as angels and horseback riders; and whimsical objects like clocks, pipes, opera glasses, boots and Champagne bottles.

“They were not just used as Christmas tree ornaments,” said Steely. “They were used on invitations and as place cards with a person’s name on them. Some opened and had a little paper candy bag inside for candy or a small gift. And some were made as crackers, but very few of these exist.”

With the start of World War I in 1914, the production of Dresdens was interrupted. Although they were made again after the war, the level of quality was never the same. If there is one Dresden ornament that seems to signal the end of their era, it is the Dresden shaped like a rather drab World War I tank.

“Collectors value the earlier Dresdens for their artistry,” noted Steely.

As a collector, Steely says his favorite Dresdens are a painted ram’s head with a candy bag, and a chameleon painted in iridescent colors. Although he collects other types of Christmas decorations, he especially enjoys hanging the Dresdens on a Christmas tree each year. When not shining from his tree, his Dresdens are packed carefully away in tissue paper and boxes.

As well they should be. The fragile paper ornaments have survived many Christmases. The overall supply of Dresdens has been depleted with use and time. But demand for them is increasing. Stumbling upon one for a bargain price at a flea market doesn’t happen anymore.

“I haven’t been so lucky,” noted Steely. “There’s a big demand for Dresdens in the American market.”

He cited Bertoia Auctions and Morphy Auctions – both auction-house partners with LiveAuctioneers.com – as good sources for collectors. He also searches for Dresdens in specialty antique shops and at the annual Golden Glow convention. Collectors can start out at $25 (€19) for a simple flat, advancing to hundreds of dollars for a three-dimensional ornament. Very rare examples can sell for over $10,000 (€7,700).

“At the convention collectors buy, trade and sell,” said Steely. “Because we have collectors of many different kinds of Christmas decorations, during this four-day time period we say it is the largest collection of Christmas anywhere in the world.”

For more information on Dresdens and other types of German Christmas ornaments, visit www.GoldenGlow.org

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Given its history, it is not surprising Vienna is a treasure trove for antiques. At the turn of the 20th century the city was a center for artistic and intellectual change.

Gustav Mahler left Romanticism behind with his new compositions. Sigmund Freud opened a door into the unconscious mind. And the Sucessionist artists, headed by Gustav Klimt, broke away from dusty academic traditions to clear new pathways in art. The flowing line of Jugendstil traveled like a fresh breeze through architecture, typography and furnishings. The Wiener Werkstätte gifted even everyday objects with artistic importance. Art and intellectualism flourished in this café culture.

So much of this legacy can be discovered in Vienna’s antique shops, auction houses and flea markets. The historic city center is clearly St. Stephan’s Cathedral, which comes into view as you walk up Kärntner Strasse. Even there you can find one of the Dorotheum’s many retail shops for estate jewelry, porcelain and silver. But if you walk a few blocks away from the busloads of tourists into the narrower Dorotheergasse, you find the venerable old auction house. Started as a pawn shop in 1707, the company has expanded to include international offices and hosts about 600 auctions per year, selling everything from fine art to classic cars. The surrounding neighborhood is peppered with antique shops.

“We usually recommend Dorotheergasse, Spiegelgasse, Bräunerstraße and Stallburggasse if people are looking for antiques,” noted Cornelia Pirka of the Vienna Tourist Board.

Shop windows in this neighborhood area are so loaded with the remnants of yesteryear that the sparkle of crystal, flash of tarnished bronze and richly hued canvases in gold-rimmed frames make it impossible to walk directly down the street.

Also not to be missed is Wiener Kunst Auktionen GmbH, located in the Palace Kinsky in Freyung Strasse. Their setting is serious and elegant, fitting for their auctions of old masters, fine contemporary paintings and Jugendstil antiques.

Another Vienna auction house that is internationally recognized is WestLicht at Westbahntrasse 40. They hold the record for selling the world’s most expensive camera, a 0 Series 1923 Leica in 2011, for 1,320,000 Euro (nearly $2 million). WestLicht’s next photography and camera auctions are Nov. 23-24. Photography enthusiasts who visit the auction house will be delighted to find WestLicht’s Leica Shop directly next door, fully stocked with new and vintage products.

One needn’t walk far from WestLicht to discover something nearly extinct – a record store. Scout Records, to be exact. But visitors should prepare themselves for stumbling on small antique or secondhand shops throughout the city. Be it old books, coins, stamps or even kitch, you never know what you will find.

For collectors who like to try their luck at a flea market, Vienna has three great choices. The largest is by far the Naschmarkt, where endless food stands and little restaurants give way to endless booths overflowing with trash and treasure. Shoppers were carrying out 1950s furniture and lamps, spice jar sets, silverware, vintage videos, costume jewelry, books and tools. But there was so much more. The Naschmarkt is a weekend institution, and visitors can browse antiques Saturdays from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., when at closing time the bargaining possibilities increase three-fold.

The trendy Danube Canal, lined with graffiti murals and interesting canal-side cafes, is home to a weekend flea market from May to September. Visitors need only find their way to the Salztorbrücke to enter.

The third browsing point is the Antiquitätenmarkt am Hof, open through mid-November, Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

With so many antiquing possibilities, it is only fortunate that Vienna has a café around every corner. Be sure to unwind with coffee and a piece of Sachertorte before plotting out your next shopping trip.

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If an auction house happens to be located in a fairy-tale castle, that’s a double treat for those who love antiques. Kunst und Auktionshaus Schloss Hagenburg is one of those lucky occurrences where stately antiques are showcased in a castle that dates back to the 14th century. Located in the county of Schaumburg near Hannover, Germany, Schloss Hagenburg is part of an idyllic natural setting.

“We also live in this castle near the beautiful Steinhuder Lake,” said owner and auctioneer Karl-Heinz Frantz.

Frantz, his wife, Ute, and daughter, Anne, all work in the family business. Their mixed breed Weimariner, Lily, is considered part of the team. Frantz started the business in 1969, auctioning only fine art. The auction house has since added antique furniture, porcelain, jewelry and much more to their offerings. In 1995 they bought Schloss Hagenburg as an auction house and home.

“If you have a clean modern hall, it’s not such a good background for antiques,” Frantz noted. “The Schloss has the painted ceilings, the plaster moldings, it’s a very nice setting for the auctions.”

Like many old castles, Schloss Hagenburg has changed in design and size since its first inception. Its most extensive renovation was undertaken by Princess Juliane in the late 1700s, who dreamed of creating a palace of pleasures. As anyone who has renovated can appreciate, the work took longer than expected. Both the designer, Clemens August von Vagedes, and the princess, did not live to see the project completed.

Visitors today enter the castle through a central portico supported by Tuscan columns. A white stork nests in the middle chimney of the main building. The little Steinhuder Lake is connected to the castle by a small canal. The grounds open onto a wooded park filled with songbirds.

It’s easy to find a reason to visit, as Frantz not only holds three to four auctions per year, but also sells antique furniture, jewelry and even real estate year-round.

“Sometimes we get antiques from someone cleaning out a house, and then we get the house to sell too, because the people are moving away,” said Frantz.

“We don’t specialize in any particular style,” he added. “We auction what we get. Every auction is another happening.”

Schloss Hagenburg’s next auction on June 30 features a large collection of Chinese furniture, porcelain and bronzes. Details can be found at www.SchlossHagenburg.de

 

Outstanding Prices & Upcoming Sales

Items with historical significance are selling well. Auction Team Breker, Cologne, reported that a 1938 Enigma ciphering machine – used for sending and decoding secret messages during World War II – sold for 81,158 euros ($100,000), at their spring auction of Science, Technology and Toys. the machine went for over 10 times its estimated price. Their next auction of Photography and Film is set for Sept. 22. www.Breker.com

A world record price for the most expensive camera ever sold was set by Viennese auction house WestLicht this spring. A 1923 test camera from the Leica 0-Series, estimated at 300,000 euros ($379,000), was pushed to an astonishing 2,160,000 euros ($2,729,857), through a flurry of floor, telephone and Internet bids. This is the fifth time WestLicht can say it has auctioned the most expensive camera in the world. They will hold photo and camera auctions on Nov. 23 and 24. www.Westlicht-Auction.com

Schwarzenbach Auktions Zurich are accepting items for their next international postage stamp through the end of July. The auction on Oct. 19 and 20 will included single lots from Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Europe and overseas. For details visit www.Schwarzenbach-Auktion.ch

Auktionshaus Gut Bernstorf in Kranzberg, Germany, will hold a large art and antique auction on July 14. www.GutBernstorf.de

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From the outside, the neat brick and plaster commercial building at Sürther Hauptstrasse 143, in Cologne, Sürth, looks like just another storefront. But behind this simple facade are auctioned some of the world’s most sought after antique toys.

Managing Director Christian Gärtner is proud that Antico Mondo has maintained its modest quarters since its founding in 1999, while still managing to serve an enthusiastic audience of international toy collectors. There are no plans to move into a fancy auction hall, as this would considerably raise overhead.

Antico Mondo remains constant with its 12.50 euros ($16.35) consignment fee plus VAT, with no additional commission charged to the seller. This attractive option brings in a wide variety of interesting toys for their auctions, which are held four times a year in March, June, September and December.

Colorful tin toys, model trains and cars, dolls, teddy bears and figurines from 1900 to 1970 form the basis of these sales. But for some time now Antico Mondo has also been offering historic advertisements and writing instruments.

In their March auction lot 8564, a 13.2 inches by 20.4 inches enameled Persil sign from the 1930s, fetched 2,600 euros ($3,400). Persil laundry soap is still a familiar brand in Germany today, and the sign, featuring a woman hanging out fresh laundry on a windy day, was one of only three known in existence. While many enamel signs in the auction went for 30, 50 or 100 euros, the rarity and unblemished quality of the Persil sign contributed to its value.

A top highlight at the auction was lot 4028, a model 2014 tin train station made by the firm Märklin, in Göppingen, Baden-Wurttemberg. This item brought 15,000 euros ($19,620). While the prewar, first edition train station was in good original condition, tiny details such as the elaborate mansard roof and the well-dressed figures waiting on the platform made this toy special.

But in the end, it’s the memory bridge to childhood and play that spark a universal interest in antique toys. Antico Mondo will hold their next auction on June 9. Since 2006 their live auctions have been held simultaneously on the Internet; bids may be made through LiveAuctioneers.com. For details visit www.Anticomondo.de

 

Welcome to New Members

 

LiveAuctioneers is pleased to welcome four new members from the German-speaking auction scene.

Art & Design, Zurich, is a part of Frey’s Assets, known for helping their customers invest in fine art. Their next auction, Contemporary & Classical Art II, is April 19. www.Freys-Assets.com.

Auktionshaus Dannenburg in Berlin specializes in art and antiques, varia and toys. Their next antique toy auction takes place on June 18 and 19. www.Auktion-Dannenburg.de

Auktionshaus Schloss Hagenburg, which is worth a visit just to view the lovely historic schloss the business is located in, has three to four auctions per year featuring fine antique furniture, art, carpets, clocks, lighting and other furnishings. Their website has a buy-it-now section so purchases are possible year-round. www.SchlossHagenburg.de

Kastern Kustauktionen has a long tradition in the sale of fine art. They hold four to five auctions per year at their Hannover location, along with ongoing sales. Their next auctions take place on April 20 and 21, and July 7. www.Kastern.de

 

Upcoming Shows

 

The International Antique Clock Market is slated for April 28 and 29 in the Wolfwinkelhalle in Eisenbach. This is the 15th year that the popular market has taken place, and visitors can expect more than 80 dealers.

Art collectors should mark their calendar for Art 43 Basel, scheduled this year for June 14-17 in Basel, Switzerland. Works by over 2,500 artists from the 20th and 21st centuries will be presented. For a detailed list of exhibitors visit www.ArtBasel.com

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If you knock on the door of an auction house this winter, you may find no one at home. Well, that’s not entirely true, but experts from many of the larger German-speaking auction houses are under way in this frigid weather looking for prime pieces for their next auctions. This is an optimum opportunity for collectors who are considering selling an artwork or antique, but would like the chance to talk it over with an authority in the field before placing it in the hands of a reputable auction house.

Ketterer Kunst, Munich, has one of the most extensive touring schedules with 20 stops. In addition to visiting Hamburg and Dusseldorf where they have offices, they are also traveling to Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and the U.S.A.

“These are some of the most important regions for us and our clients do appreciate the personal contact,” noted Robert Ketterer, managing director of Ketterer Kunst. “It makes their lives so much easier if they do not have to pack up their works and carry them to us to obtain an expert’s point of view or a valuation.”

Collectors love the chance to talk about their collections, and the auction experts welcome new and returning customers. Not every stop on the tour turns up a new-to-the-market Old Master, but the exchange is mutually good.

“With regards to Old Masters or even the top paintings of Modern Art, it does get more and more difficult to obtain high class pieces, as the most important works are tugged away into major museums or permanent collections. Unlike in Contemporary Art, the artists have died, and it is only on very rare occasions that one of their masterpieces appears on the auction market,” said Ketterer.

“One of the more exciting works we obtained at a valuation day was Otto Griebel’s watercolor Zwei Frauen. It was estimated at €30,000-40,000 ($39,800-$53,000) and ended up fetching €158,600 ($210,456).”

The Griebel painting is a rarity. A great deal of this Dresden artist’s work was purposely destroyed following its inclusion in the 1937 Nazi-organized Degenerate Art Exhibition, which ridiculed Modernist art. Griebel’s remaining works were sadly depleted during the Allied bombing of Dresden in February 1945.

As a tangible investment in this climate of insecure stock markets and world currencies, such a scarce work is very attractive. Robert Ketterer reported that 2011 was the most financially successful year in the firm’s history, with sales over 29 million Euro (nearly $39 million). Increasing prices draw potential sellers to Expert Days, and may bring us unexpected treasures in the very near future.

For an appointment and a complete schedule of Expert Days visit www.KettererKunst.de

Here is a sampling of other Auction Houses with experts under way, possibly in your own neighborhood:

Dr. Fischer Kunstauktionen, Heilbronn, will be in Munich on March 1-2; Hamburg and Bremen on March 7-9; Zwiesel and Munich on April 18-20. An appointment is requested. Contact them at www.Auctions-Fischer.de

Hauswedell & Nolte, Hamburg, will be in Stuttgart on Feb. 29; Munich on March 2; Zurich on March 5; and Freiberg on March 7. Appointment requested. www.Hauswedell-Nolte.de

Karl & Faber Kunstauktionen GmbH, Munich, will be in Offenburg on Feb. 29; Dusseldorf on March 5-7; Karlsruhe on March 7-8; Cologne and Bonn on March 7-9; Nuremberg on March 14-16; Salzburg on March 21; and Innsbruck on March 23. Contact them at www.KarlundFaber.de

Lempertz, Cologne, will be in San Francisco on Feb. 21-23; in Paris on Feb. 23-24; in Munster on Feb. 24; and in Switzerland on Feb. 28, and March 1-2, 8-9. Appointment requested. www.Lempertz.com

Quittenbaum Kunstauktionen, Munich, will be in Parma on March 1; in Brussels on March 6, and Vienna and Salzburg on March 5-7. Contact for appointment. www.Quittenbaum.de

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The annals of history are filled with the tactics and results of war. Its subsidiary handcrafts are often overlooked. Sculptor and building mogul Karsten Klingbeil of Berlin has spent the last 50 years assembling an astounding collection of handcrafted arms and armor documenting European cultural history from the first millennium to 1650.

The collection of 600 objects will be sold in a two-part cooperative auction beginning Dec. 13 at Pierre Bergé & Associés, Brussels. The second auction will be held in June 2012 at Hermann Historica oHG, Munich. Surprisingly, in addition to 40 full suits of armor, 120 helmets, swords daggers, shields and guns, mounted and preserved crustaceans are a part of this sale.

The reason for this is clear. Klingbeil’s deep interest in the way the human form was clad and protected in hand-forged metal related to the way these members of the animal kingdom are protected by their own natural armor.

“The Art of Protection,” as sale is titled, includes many treasures not often available for sale: a 16th century Milanese armor intricately etched and gilded from head to toe, credited to master Pompeo della Chiesa; a decorative 16th century Venetian parade shield made for Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau, Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg; and a parade saber with coral-set hilt made for the Electors of Saxony, 1620-30.

Some of these pieces were formerly in the collections of such notables as William Randolph Hearst and Lord Astor of Hever.

Karsten Klingbeil is as interesting as his collection. At 14 he knew he wanted to become a sculptor and always pursued this dream, but life got in the way. Following time as a prisoner of war during World War II, he returned to Berlin and financed his art studies by newspaper distribution and an employment service for students. He started a construction firm that became wildly successful. In a 60th birthday present to himself, he sold the company and focused on sculpture full time.

His sculptures, not surprisingly, involve the human form. And as an artist he writes not of war, but of man living in harmony with his natural environment. Maybe that is why his armor collecting has run its course.

Whatever the reason, “The Art of Protection” is an arms and armor auction that will be long remembered.

For details on the auctions please visit www.Hermann-Hostorica.de ; to see Klingbeil’s sculpture see www.KarstenKlingbeil.com

Upcoming Auctions

Dec. 6-11: David Feldman, Geneva. Stamps, covers and collections covering such themes as the Olympic Games, Belgium and Switzerland. www.DavidFeldman.com

Dec. 8-10: Auktionshaus Kaupp, Sulzburg, holds three autumn auctions. Jewelry and watches, Dec. 8; Modern and Contemporary art, Dec. 9; and handcrafts, antiques and paintings on Dec.10. www.Kaupp.de

Dec. 9: Van Ham Kunstauktionen, Cologne sells classic and contemporary photography. www.van-ham.com

Dec. 9-10: Kunsthaus Lempertz, Cologne, Asian art. www.Lempertz-online.de

Dec. 10: Ketterer Kunst, Munich, offers a sale of Modern art, art works after 1945 and Contemporary art. www.Kettererkunst.de

 

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Sometimes it’s just fun to step back and see what’s selling. Lately it seems prices for Swiss-born artists are climbing.

If there is a household name in Swiss art, it must be Giacometti. Artworks by both father Giovanni Giacometti (1868-1933), who painted in a color-rich impressionistic style, and son Alberto (1901-1966), known for lanky human sculptures, have brought astoundingly high prices at auction.

Alberto Giacometti’s Walking Man I astounded the art world when it was sold for the record price of $92.5 million (67.2 million euro) by the Dresdener Bank at Sotheby’s London in February 2010.

This past June Giovanni Giacometti’s Haus und Weg in Capolago, 1921, fetched 1.4 million euro ($1.9 million) at an auction house in Zurich. Since his painting Die Mutter, 1911, brought nearly three million dollars (2.18 million euro) at a Christie’s auction in Kunsthaus Zurich in 2007, prices for his paintings have remained determinedly strong.

Painter Albert Anker (1831-1910), may have spent his career painting people in simple, everyday settings. However, his portraits are fetching far from everyday prices. Dobiaschofsky Auktionen AG sold the 1882 Bildnis eines Mädchens last May for 220,000 Swiss franc ($251,000). The small, loosely rendered oil painting more than doubled its 70,000 Swiss franc ($79,900) estimate. In June, a slightly larger, more refined pair of children’s portraits by Anker auctioned for 7.3 million Swiss franc ($8.5 million) in Zurich.

Both Germany and Switzerland lay claim to expressionist Paul Klee (1879-1940). What cannot be disputed is the magic his signature has at auction. His painting Tänzerin, 1932, sold last June at Christie’s London for over $6 million (4 million euro).

Works by Swiss painters Ferdinand Hodlers (1853-1918), Cuno Amiet (1868-1961) and Felix Vallotton (1865-1925), have brought consistently increasing results at auction. Collectors value them for their classic genre and finely rendered images, which are easy to live with.

Art collectors with an eye to the future may want to take a look at these active Swiss-born artists:

Urs Fischer (1973), has been called the world’s most expensive living artist under the age of 40. Fischer creates elaborate installations using drawings, sculpture, collage and surprising elements such as live birds and fresh fruit. One of his untitled works sold last May at Christie’s New York for $6 million (4.3 million euro).

Peter Fischli and David Weiss, a Swiss artist team creating together for 25 years, saw their best-known work, Der Lauf der Dinge, auctioned for $700,910 (512,486 euro) at Christie’s Zurich in 2008. This film records a chain reaction of inanimate objects, set into motion through clever use of the “domino effect” and chemical reaction.

Finally, Ugo Rondinone’s multimedia paintings, large-scale drawings and sculptures have reached prices in the $450,000-$500,000 range (324,000-360,000 euro). Such an upturn in price is unusual for a working artist.

German Record Set for Chinese Table

With a nearly 1.33 million euro hammer price ($1.8 million), a finely carved red sandalwood table from the 17th century Qianlong Dynasty returned to its cultural roots. A buyer in Hong Kong placed the winning bid with Nagel Auktionen GmbH & Co. KG, Stuttgart at their sale on Aug. 27. This broke the German auction record price paid for a single piece of Asian furniture. It also shattered Nagel’s estimate of 65,000 euro ($89,000) for the seven-piece group of Chinese furniture, which ended up bringing 2.6 million euro ($3.56 million). This price included the buyer’s premium. The table was originally from the estate of Dr. Edmund Dipper (1871-1933), former director of the German Hospital in Peking. The seller bought it at a time when such antiques were bringing very little money. The majority of pieces in this Stuttgart auction were sold to buyers in China.

Upcoming Auctions:

Sept. 23-24 – Auktionshaus Michael Zeller, Lindau. 110th International Bodensee Auction including African tribal art, Asian handcrafts, paintings from the 19th and 20th centuries, plus furniture, porcelain and much more. www.Zeller.de

Sept. 24 – Dr. Fischer Kunstauktionen, Trappensee-Schlösschen, Heilbronn. Their 200th Jubiläums Auction Features 200 Masterworks including paintings, sculpture and Art Deco and Jungenstil Glass. www.AuctionsFischer.de

Oct. 1 – Auction Team Breker, Cologne. Photography and film auction including stereophoto cards, spy and novelty cameras, and photographs. www.Breker.com

Oct. 5-6 – Nagel Auktionen GmbH & Co. KG, Stuttgart. Art and antiques. www.NagelAuktionen.de

Oct. 7-8 – Schwarzenbach Auktion, Zurich. International postage stamps, letters and post cards, with an emphasis on Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Europe. www.Schwarzenbach-Auktion.ch

Oct. 19-22 – Galerie Bassenge, Berlin. Decorative graphics, valuable books, autographs and a special catalog of Karl May. www.Bassenge.de

Nov. 23-25 – Gerhard Hirsch Nachfolger, Munich. Antique coins and medallions; antiques. www.CoinHirsch.de

Nov. 23-25 – Galerie Fischer Auktionen AG, Luzern. Modern and contemporary painting; old master works; Swiss and Russian art; arts and crafts and furniture; silver and jewelry. www.FischerAuktionen.ch

Nov. 24-26 – Villa Grisebach Auktionen GmbH, Berlin. The auction house celebrates 25 years with five different sales—classic and contemporary photography, art of the 19th century, selected works, and the “Third Floor” auction featuring art works with an estimated value of up to 3000 euro. www.Villa-Grisebach.de

 

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