The Measure of the Worlds: Former Collection F.

An Invitation to Travel... Through Space and Time

The private collection of precious & scientific objects totals €2.515 million.

This remarkable collection was assembled from the late 19th century through the interwar period by a prominent banking family with a passion for art and science, who mingled with French and foreign aristocracy while traveling the world.

It features an exceptional array of measuring instruments dated from the 16th to the 19th century, sourced from North Africa, Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, and England: compasses by Erasmus Habermel, surveying circles by Léonard Damery, a graphometer by Giacomo Lusuergo, astrolabes, an equatorial dial by Christophorus Schissler, a sundial by Alexius Schniep, Albrecht Karner, G.F. Brander, Christian Heiden, terrestrial and celestial globes by R. Caifhiee, G. Adams, Baradelle, ship models…

The collection also includes beautiful showcase objects and remarkable timepieces, including a musical automaton watch by Louis Duchêne and snuff boxes, one of which is an automaton box attributed to the Rochat Brothers.

Table arts are also highlighted with a collection of silverware, including a significant set of four silver candlesticks from the Louis XVI period by Robert-Joseph Auguste.

Finally, there are souvenirs from China and Japan, notably an important collection of twenty tantō and wakizashi.

Bidders turned out in large numbers to follow and participate in this exceptional sale, "The Measure of the Worlds," presenting quality objects from a rich and varied background. The two parts of the sale concluded successfully, with the first part totaling €1,266,000 while the second reached €1,255,000 for a combined total of over €2.5 million and nearly 92% of lots sold.

First Part: Rare & Precious Objects

A highly anticipated automaton box attributed to the Rochat Brothers, which also bears similarities to the works of John Rich, a feat of finesse and precision, was sold for €392,780. A Swiss automaton timepiece, which features a complex mechanism animating six characters to the rhythm of a melody, captured the hearts of collectors. This pocket watch by Louis Duchêne and Sons fetched €119,600. Among the showcase objects, a significant powder flask was sold for €61,100, more than ten times its lower estimate, and a gold and silver snuff box set with diamonds went for €48,100.

The third section of the sale was dedicated to silverware. A total of over €108,485 was auctioned, including notable successes for two pairs of candlesticks by silversmith Robert-Joseph Auguste, with one selling for €22,750 and the other for €24,050. Following this were the dispersal of art objects spanning from antiquity to modern times, which captivated enthusiasts, surpassing their total estimates. Two stone sculptures from antiquity, one depicting a Pharaoh in royal headdress and the other a head of Minerva, were each sold for €26,000. From the modern era, a beautiful mosque lamp-shaped vase by Émile Gallé was sold for €62,400, while a large white glass sculpture by René Lalique, "The Lovebirds," fetched €71,500. A pair of bronze congers by Sandoz dazzled the room with a winning bid of €54,600. Finally, this first part concluded with the sale of pieces dedicated to Asian art, with bids quickly rising. An important collection of 20 tantō and wakizashi sold for a total of €58,630. An imperial silk robe embroidered with nine four-clawed dragons, bats, and other auspicious motifs was sold for €33,800.

Second Part: Extraordinary Scientific Instruments

A remarkable set of three gilded brass measuring instruments by Erasmus Habermel sold for five times its lower estimate, at €27,300. Numerous compasses also sold for well above their estimates, including one by Christoph Trechsler, another by Erasmus Habermel, and a German one featuring a figure wielding a compass above a sphere, which fetched €16,900, €15,600, and €24,050 respectively. Leonard Damery was highlighted with a remarkable gilded brass surveying circle that sold for €28,600. Another 17th-century instrument, a remarkable graphometer by "GIACOMO LUSUERGO MODONESE," presented in its gilded case, changed hands for €50,700. The standout lots of the sale, two astrolabes, were highly contested and ultimately went to the same collector. One, an Islamic Maghreb astrolabe, sold for €175,500, while the other, a rare Persian Islamic astrolabe in bronze and brass, fetched €49,400. Exceptional timekeeping devices also impressed bidders; two pairs of sundials captured buyers' attention. Two equatorial sundials, one dated 1558, sold for €118,300, while another inscribed "G.F. Brander" was sold for €67,600. Two diptych sundials fetched €117,000 for the ivory one dated 1569 and €67,600 for the gilded brass one dated 1584. Spherical bodies used for locating oneself in space included two pairs of terrestrial and celestial globes that delighted collectors. A set of two globes for astronomical experiments sold for €102,700, while a pair of two globes supported by gilded bronze brackets from the former Roussel collection was sold for €80,600. The sale concluded beautifully with the auction of a superb and rare English frigate from the mid-18th century, made of mahogany, which sparked a fierce bidding war lasting over 10 minutes, resulting in a price of €91,000.

The Private Collections department is at your disposal to carry out free and confidential on-site valuations of the items in your collection. It works synergistically with specialized departments to highlight and sell your assets, whether they are artworks & objects of art; paintings, sculptures, contemporary artworks. Collectibles; coins, Pokémon cards or sports memorabilia, comics. Antiques; antique furniture, porcelain, cutlery. Rare books, first editions, libraries. Historical, scientific, or time-measuring objects such as horology. Luxury accessories; antique jewelry, vintage watches. Automobiles; Porsche, Ferrari, Jaguar, Rolls Royce, Mercedes, Peugeot, 4L, racing cars, Youngtimers. Musical instruments; violins, cellos, pianos, electric guitars. Wines & spirits; wine cellars, whisky, cognac, chartreuse. And also all or part of a house, a castle, a museum... These sales can take place on-site "in situ."