discovery: important £400,000 meissen monkey at sotheby's london

7/29/2019 Discovery: Important 400,000 Meissen Monkey at Sotheby's London

1/5

For Immediate ReleasePress Release London

London | +44 (0)20 7293 6000 | Leyla Daybelge | [email protected] | Rosamund Chester |

[email protected]

New York | +1 212 606 7176 | Dan Abernethy |[email protected]

SOTHEBYS LONDON TO OFFER AN EXCEPTIONALLY RARE

MEISSEN JAPANESE PALACE' MONKEY DISCOVERED IN

THE COLLECTION OF

SIR GAWAINE AND LADY BAILLIE

Monkey with Snuff Box, Meissen Porcelain, modelled by Johann Joachim Kndler, circa 1732, Est. 200,000-400,000

Sothebys London is pleased to announce that the highlight of the Meissen section from the

Collection of Sir Gawaine and Lady Baillie Sale on May 1st 2013,isan exceptionally rare and earlyporcelain monkey c.1732, modelled by the innovative sculptor Johann Joachim Kndler. Estimatedat 200,000-400,000, the finely modelled monkey is characteristic of Kndlers earliest large-scale

animal works, which appear only rarely at auction. Depicted taking snuff, the monkey was

commissioned by Augustus II, the Strong, Prince Elector of Saxony and King of Poland, and

displayed in his porcelain menagerie at the famous Japanese Palace in Dresden. Recorded in the

Palace inventories of 1770 and 1779, it was most likely sold during the second half of the 19th

century and at some point acquired by Sir Jacob Astley, 6th B.t, later 16th Lord Hastings (1797

1859), one of the foremost 19th century Meissen collectors. Olive, Lady Baillie, purchased the

figure at Sothebys in London in 1947 for her home in Nassau, Bahamas. The monkey, which was

passed to her son, Sir Gawaine, in the 1960s, its illustrious provenance becoming forgotten and the

fine details of its modelling obscured by later restoration, has been recently authenticated by the

leading Meissen authority, Professor Ulrich Pietsch, as an original 1732 work. Presently, only two


2/5

other examples are known one in the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and the other

in the Dresden State Art Collections.

Henry House, Sothebys Senior Director and

Head of Furniture and Decorative Arts

department said: This is a thrilling discovery.

Johann Joachim Kndler was court sculptor toAugustus the Strong and perhaps the most

important in the evolution of European porcelain.

Olive, Lady Baillie, grand-daughter of the great

William Whitney, displayed the monkey in her

dining room in the Bahamas. It was latterly

believed to date from the 19th century, but its

remarkable story and royal provenance lay hidden

beneath restoration work, which once removed

revealed it as a treasure from Augustus the

Strongs fantastic menagerie of porcelain beasts.

Professor Ulrich Pietsch explained: In the [porcelain] paste

one finds some dark ash dots from the kiln and a lot of fire cracks,

typical of the big animals of Augustus the Strong. To avoid those

cracks, the Meissen workers put a lot of holes into the body to let

the hot air emanate during firing. Each of the pieces has these holes

at the same place: two in the ears, two in the trunk on which

monkey is sitting and one in the belt. There is no doubt from theart historical standpoint, that the monkey of the Baillie Collection

is genuine Meissen from c.1732 and was then part of the Royal

Collection of Augustus II in the Japanese Palace of Dresden.

THE MEISSEN COLLECTION OF SIR GAWAINE AND LADY BAILLIE

TheMeissen Collection of Sir Gawaine and Lady Baillie represents one of the most extensive groups of

18th century Meissen animals and birds ever to appear at auction. Comprising over 140 different

figures, almost all of which were created at Meissen during the 1730s and 1740s by the legendary

Johann Joachim Kndler, the collection was started in the 1930s by the Anglo-American heiress

Olive, Lady Baillie (grand-daughter of William Whitney), who bought many of the pieces for her

home, Leeds Castle in Kent and Lowndes House, London. She passed her love for Meissen on to

her son, Sir Gawaine Baillie, Bt., who with his wife Margot, built it into one of the most extensive

Meissen menageries in private hands.

The monkey displayed on a sideboard in Olive, Lady Baillies

Nassau dining room


3/5

With estimates ranging from 400 - 400,000 the works will be offered together with a selection of

furniture and decorations from the West Sussex House designed by Sir Gawaine and Lady Baillie,

their home for over 40 years. In total, the sale is expected to achieve in excess of 1.8 million.

FURTHER HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE COLLECTION

Two Meissen figures of Guinea Fowl

circa 1735

Modelled by J. J. Kndler

43.5cm high

Est. 150,000 - 200,000

A pair of Meissen figures of Cats

circa 1740-45


21.5cm high overall

Est. 20,000 - 30,000

A pair of Meissen figures of Indian Parrots

circa 1740

33cm and 35cm highEst. 20,000 - 30,000


4/5

FOR MORE NEWS FROM SOTHEBYS

Visit:www.sothebys.com/en/inside/services/press/news/news.html

Follow:www.twitter.com/sothebys

Join:www.facebook.com/sothebys&www.weibo.com/sothebyshongkong

Watch:www.youtube.com/sothebys

Sothebys has been uniting collectors with world-class works of art since1744. Sothebys became the first international

auction house when it expanded from London to New York (1955), the first to conduct sales in Hong Kong (1973) and

France (2001), and the first international fine art auction house in China (2012). Today, Sothebys presents auctions in 10

different salesrooms, includingNew York,London,Hong KongandParis, and SothebysBidNowprogram allows visitors to

view all auctions live online and place bids in real-time from anywhere in the world. Sothebys offers collectors the

A pair of Meissen figures of a Lion

and Lioness

circa 1740-45


29cm and 32.5cm Length

Est. 40,000 - 60,000

A pair of Meissen figures of

Bitterns

circa 1735

Modelled by J.J. Kndler

36cm and 37cm high

Est. 40,000 - 60,000

A pair of Meissen Duck tureens and covers

circa 1781

each approx. 29cm length

Est. 30,000 - 50,000
http://www.sothebys.com/en/inside/services/press/news/news.htmlhttp://www.sothebys.com/en/inside/services/press/news/news.htmlhttp://www.sothebys.com/en/inside/services/press/news/news.htmlhttp://www.twitter.com/sothebyshttp://www.twitter.com/sothebyshttp://www.twitter.com/sothebyshttp://www.facebook.com/sothebyshttp://www.facebook.com/sothebyshttp://www.facebook.com/sothebyshttp://www.weibo.com/sothebyshongkonghttp://www.weibo.com/sothebyshongkonghttp://www.weibo.com/sothebyshongkonghttp://www.youtube.com/sothebyshttp://www.youtube.com/sothebyshttp://www.youtube.com/sothebyshttp://www.sothebys.com/en/inside/about-us.htmlhttp://www.sothebys.com/en/inside/about-us.htmlhttp://www.sothebys.com/en/inside/about-us.htmlhttp://www.sothebys.com/en/inside/locations-worldwide/new-york/overview.htmlhttp://www.sothebys.com/en/inside/locations-worldwide/new-york/overview.htmlhttp://www.sothebys.com/en/inside/locations-worldwide/new-york/overview.htmlhttp://www.sothebys.com/en/inside/locations-worldwide/london/overview.htmlhttp://www.sothebys.com/en/inside/locations-worldwide/london/overview.htmlhttp://www.sothebys.com/en/inside/locations-worldwide/london/overview.htmlhttp://www.sothebys.com/en/inside/locations-worldwide/hong-kong/overview.htmlhttp://www.sothebys.com/en/inside/locations-worldwide/hong-kong/overview.htmlhttp://www.sothebys.com/en/inside/locations-worldwide/hong-kong/overview.htmlhttp://www.sothebys.com/en/inside/locations-worldwide/paris/overview.htmlhttp://www.sothebys.com/en/inside/locations-worldwide/paris/overview.htmlhttp://www.sothebys.com/en/inside/locations-worldwide/paris/overview.htmlhttp://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/watch-live.htmlhttp://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/watch-live.htmlhttp://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/watch-live.htmlhttp://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/watch-live.htmlhttp://www.sothebys.com/en/inside/locations-worldwide/paris/overview.htmlhttp://www.sothebys.com/en/inside/locations-worldwide/hong-kong/overview.htmlhttp://www.sothebys.com/en/inside/locations-worldwide/london/overview.htmlhttp://www.sothebys.com/en/inside/locations-worldwide/new-york/overview.htmlhttp://www.sothebys.com/en/inside/about-us.htmlhttp://www.youtube.com/sothebyshttp://www.weibo.com/sothebyshongkonghttp://www.facebook.com/sothebyshttp://www.twitter.com/sothebyshttp://www.sothebys.com/en/inside/services/press/news/news.html


5/5

resources of Sothebys Financial Services, the worlds only full-service art financing company, as well as private sale

opportunities in more than 70 categories, including S|2, the gallery arm of Sotheby's Contemporary Art department, as

well asSothebys DiamondsandSothebys Wine.Sothebys has aglobal networkof 90 offices in 40 countries and is the

oldest company listed on the New York Stock Exchange (BID).

Estimates do not include buyers premium and prices achieved include the hammer price plus buyers premium.

Images are available upon request

All catalogues are available online atwww.sothebys.comor throughSothebys Catalogue iPad App.
http://www.sothebys.com/en/inside/services/financial-services/overview.htmlhttp://www.sothebys.com/en/inside/services/financial-services/overview.htmlhttp://www.sothebys.com/en/private-sales/overview.htmlhttp://www.sothebys.com/en/private-sales/overview.htmlhttp://www.sothebys.com/en/private-sales/s2.htmlhttp://www.sothebys.com/en/private-sales/s2.htmlhttp://www.sothebysdiamonds.com/http://www.sothebysdiamonds.com/http://www.sothebysdiamonds.com/http://www.sothebyswine.com/http://www.sothebyswine.com/http://www.sothebyswine.com/http://www.sothebys.com/en/inside/locations-worldwide.htmlhttp://www.sothebys.com/en/inside/locations-worldwide.htmlhttp://www.sothebys.com/en/inside/locations-worldwide.htmlhttp://www.sothebys.com/en/catalogues/buybrowse.htmlhttp://www.sothebys.com/en/catalogues/buybrowse.htmlhttp://www.sothebys.com/en/catalogues/buybrowse.htmlhttps://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sothebys-catalogue/id471593295?ls=1&mt=8https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sothebys-catalogue/id471593295?ls=1&mt=8https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sothebys-catalogue/id471593295?ls=1&mt=8https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sothebys-catalogue/id471593295?ls=1&mt=8http://www.sothebys.com/en/catalogues/buybrowse.htmlhttp://www.sothebys.com/en/inside/locations-worldwide.htmlhttp://www.sothebyswine.com/http://www.sothebysdiamonds.com/http://www.sothebys.com/en/private-sales/s2.htmlhttp://www.sothebys.com/en/private-sales/overview.htmlhttp://www.sothebys.com/en/inside/services/financial-services/overview.html

discovery: important £400,000 meissen monkey at sotheby's london

Documents