• Leytens triumphs at The Classics Sale
• Success for the first sale of Glass in Paris
• Strong results for the first Grand Tour sale in Paris

Paris - The second part of the Merkle Collection, one of the finest collections of 18th-century German porcelain sculpture still in private hands, offered at Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr on 31 October 2024, which sold for €617,700. The top lot was a very rare Meissen group of fighting harlequins, circa 1740, modelled by J.J. Kaendler sold for €444,900. Only six other examples of this group are recorded, of which four are in museums, notably the Metropolitan Museum, New York, and the Kunstgewerbemuseum in Berlin.

The sale was devoted to figures and groups depicting the Italian Comedy or commedia dell'arte: a form of improvised and sometimes subversive theatre that enjoyed great popularity in the courts of Northern Europe. Started fifty years ago by Hadrian Merkle (1942-2018), a German businessman with an extraordinary passion for porcelain, the collection includes some of the rarest and finest examples of late-Baroque small-scale sculpture and offers a tantalising and unique glimpse of the world seen through 18th-century eyes. Part I of the collection made €948,450, smashing its pre-sale high estimate of €594,800 on 17 April 2024.

The commedia dell'arte figures and groups from the Merkle Collection feature one of the rarest and finest examples of 18th-century porcelain sculpture: a Meissen group of Fighting Harlequins modelled by J.J. Kaendler, circa 1740 (estimate: €200,000-300,000).

Sebastian Kuhn, Bonhams Head of Continental Ceramics, said: "This second part was a renewed tribute to Hadrian Merkle who loved and collected ceramics throughout his life. Mr. Merkle's goal as a collector was to show the incredible ambition of the Meissen factory as well as the genius of its master modeller, Johann Joachim Kaendler (1706-1775). A new auction offering the last part of the collection is planned in 2025."

Other highlights of the 44-lot sale included:

• A Meissen figure of the frightened Harlequin, mid-18th century, modelled by J.J. Kaendler sold for €25,600.
• A Meissen figure of Pulcinella dancing, circa 1745, Modelled by J.J. Kaendler or P. Reinicke sold for €24,320.
• A Meissen group of "Spanish Lovers," circa 1740-45, modelled by J.J. Kaendler sold for €21,760.

Leytens triumphs at The Classics Sale

A winter landscape with fishermen and hunters near a village with children playing on a frozen river by the Antwerp artist Gysbrecht Leytens (1586-1656), nicknamed the "poet of frost", was one of the top lots at Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr Classics sale on 30 October in Paris. The work sold for €190,900.

The 320-lot sale which included Old Masters, Glass, European ceramics, European furniture and Grand Tour made a total of €2,8 million with 60% sold by lot and 99% sold by value.

Stefania Lumetta, Bonhams Specialist of Old Masters Paintings and 19th Century Art and Head of sale, said: "We are delighted with the results of this sale which showcased exceptionally rare works, from a painting by the Gysbrecht Leytens sold for €190,900, to a selection of Flemish paintings, including a still life attributed to Jan Pauwel Gillemans the Elder sold for €16,640. The series featured impressive single owner collections, including the Fiszel collection, which brought together paintings by Dupuis, Dutillieu, Lajoue and Charpentier for a total of €625,020 reflecting the taste of a pure French 18th century collector."

Nette Megens, Bonhams Head of Continental Ceramics, added: "This sale was notable for offering pieces from various private collections sourced in Europe. The high quality of the pieces attracted an increase in registrations for the sale and, encouragingly, new buyers too. All the best-known manufactories were well-represented, but the sale was particularly strong in Maiolica, Meissen and Delft with some rare pieces including a very rare Dutch Delftware mirror which attracted competitive bidding and sold well over their estimates. We look forward the Barbet collection on 14 November offering a very rare selection of Delftware."

Other highlights of the collection included:

• A very rare Dutch Delftware mirror, circa 1680 sold for €82,950, double its estimate.

• Two paintings, first attributed to the circle of Carl van Loo and then to Pierre-Charles Le Mettay (1726- 1759) sold for €81,680 and €43,520, far surpassing their pre-sale estimate and are considered as a world record price for the artist. They depict exotic scenes and embody the period's fascination with the exotic and the noble's contemplation of distant cultures, highlighting the refined execution of Le Mettay in capturing both narrative and grandeur.

• A rare and important Meissen tea and coffee service, circa 1735 sold for €51,200

• A rare Louis XVI rosewood, amaranth and violet wood desk stamped Nicolas Petit sold for €16,640.

• A bronze equestrian group representing Louis XIV after Martin van den Bogaert, known as Desjardin (1637-1694), France, second half of the 18th century sold for €19,200.

23 exceptional pieces of glassware from the collection of Christian von Reitzenstein showcased in The Classics Sale sold for a total of €106,000.

Jim Peake, Head of the British and European Glass department, said: "The Christian von Reitzenstein Collection was a remarkable collection formed primarily during the late 1970s and 1980s from some of the leading and most respected dealers in Germany at that time including Uwe Friedleben, Heide Hübner, Karl Brunnarius and Helene Brück. It brought together a number of carefully chosen high-quality pieces with excellent provenance, with a particular focus on German glass spanning the late 17th and 18th centuries."

Katharina Upmeyer, Bonhams' representative in South Germany, added: "The results stem from the natural excitement generated when such a prestigious collection, sourced in South Germany, comes onto the market for the first time. The success of this sale reflects our position as the international market leaders in the sale of early European glass not just in London, but now also in Paris."

Highlights of the sale included:

• A fine and large royal Bohemian engraved Zwischengoldglas goblet and cover, circa 1730-40 sold for €12,160.
• An exceptional Lauenstein gilded and engraved goblet and cover, mid-18th century sold for €9,600.
• A fine and rare Silesian (Hirschberger Tal) engraved goblet attributed to Christian Gottfried Schneider, Warmbrunn, circa 1740, formerly in the Dr K Rühmann Collection in Vienna sold for €7,040, more than twice its estimate.
• An exceptional Potsdam engraved goblet in the manner of Gottfried Spiller, circa 1720-30 sold for €5,760. With its particularly fine and lively cutting, this goblet can probably be attributed to the workshop of Gottfried Spiller, which was active in Berlin until 1728.

The first Grand Tour sale in Paris

The first Grand Tour sale in Paris was led by a pair of Italian ormolu and tole peinte two-light wall-lights, probably Rome, mid-18th century sold for €40,960.

Highlights of the sale included:

• A pair of French patinated bronze and gilt bronze large group of nubian water carriers by Louis Charles Hippolyte Buhot (1815-1865) cast by Graux Marly foundry, third quarter 19th Century from a private Italian noble collection sold for €20,480

• An Italian Spanish Brocatella, Giallo di Siena, Rosso Antico, Alabastro fiorito, jasper and lapis lazuli specimen marble top, Rome, 19th century sold for €25,600.

• Piazza San Marco, Venise and Palais des Doges, oil on canvas by Vincenzo Chilone (Venise 1768-1840) sold €19,200 and €15,360 far surpassing their estimate of €8,000-12,000 each.

• A Grand Tour giallo antico marble model of a 'colonna rostrata', Italy, second half 19th century sold for €12,160, twice its estimate.

• Giovanni Paolo Panini (1691 - 1765). Pair of capricci. Oil on canvas. 75x60cm. XVIII century sold for €7,424.