The top lot of the auction, valued at € 400/500,000, is a monumental ornate armoire in French Japonism style made by Edouard Lièvre about 1877. Lièvre was one of the most important designers of French historicism, being rediscovered in the last few years. The imposing piece of furniture at auction is a demonstration of his discerning taste and his outstanding capabilities (lot 693). French decorative art is additionally represented by an Art Nouveau paravent by Paul Girardet, showing an atmospheric autumnal landscape (lot 713, € 35/40,000). It is signed and dated 1905. From the Art Déco epoch are a rivière necklace (lot 480, € 15/20,000, see left) as well as a brooche with a natural pearl drop (lot 479, € 12/15,000, see left) leading the jewellery offer comprising 106 lots.

Early porcelain is the traditional highlight of Lempertz’ decorative arts auction. A very rare Höchst figurine showing Isabella’s servant dressed as Pantalon is the choice lot. This figurine from the large series of Commedia dell’arte figures was produced only three times and consequently extremely rare, the modelleur is thought to be Johann Christoph Ludwig von Lücke. Just as unusual is a rare “Hausmaler” pitcher from Hanau dated second quarter of the 18th century (lot 203, € 40/45,000, see left).

The silver offer comprises 209 objects from the 15th to 20th centuries. One of the most important pieces is a St. Petersburg tea set by Henrik Hacklin, Nicholls Plincke from 1864-67. This service was a wedding present of the Russian grand prince Konstantin, son of Czar Nikolaus I, to his illegitimate daughter Anna Konstantinovna Kniazev. The service came to Belgium upon her 1917 escape and remained family property since (lot 397, € 10/14,000). Of particular interest is a 1900 copy of the cantor staff of the Aachen cathedral treasure, made by the Aachen silversmith Reinhold Vasters (lot 228, , € 18/22,000), who was a recently discovered to be a forger of kunstkammer objects, nevertheless to no damage to his reputation as important silversmith of historism.

Among furniture, a rare small chest of drawers by Abraham Roentgen stands out (lot 631, € 15/25,000), originating from his early period around 1755, as well as a further chest attributed to A. Roentgen (lot 630, 25/35,000). The result of select German and French decorative art is the pendule Louis XV, the Meissen porcelain figurines by J.J. Kaendler, while the mounting was made in France (lot 629, € 28/32,000 see above).

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The beginning of Japan-influenced fashion in Europe can be associated with the Paris World Fair of 1867. For the first time, Japan – having been closed toward Europe for centuries – exhibited there. The visitors had the opportunity to become acquainted with beautiful Japanese art objects, woodcuts, metal works, porcelains – and last but not least the lacquer ware and furniture. Among Paris designers, the new Japanese influence developed into fruitful cooperation intertwined with rediscovered China-fashion of the 18th century. It was not slavish copying but free combination of elements of the Asian cultures that became the measure of contemporary production. One of the protagonists of this early time is Edouard Lièvre, born in 1829, who studied painting with Thomas Couture. His first major work as designer of art objects is the “grand vase persan” for the firm of Christofle in 1874. From that time, Lièvre participated regularly in the major Paris fairs, was patronized by illustrious collectors of the time, for instance the actress Sarah Bernhardt, or the director of the ceramic factory in Bordeaux Albert Vieillard, one of the first great collectors of Japonism. The famous furniture designed for Vieillard are in the Musée d’Orsay in Paris today. Upon the untimely death of Lièvre in 1886, George and Henri Pannier acquired his design drawings and produced very few objects with small variations. The elegant Paris home furnishings store Escalier de Cristal, operated by the Panniers, sold the art objects worldwide. The grand prince Vladimir of Russia, for instance, acquired a cabinet today in the Hermitage St. Petersburg.

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