Christie’s auction house has partnered up with renowned French antiques dealer of 18th and 19th century furniture and sculpture, Benjamin Steinitz, in a first for classic art: all 58 lots offered in the live auction Provenance Revealed: Galerie Steinitz on 21st September in London will be registered and secured on the Blockchain through Artory, a world leader in art tech and the blockchain-secured registration of physical artworks and collectibles.
Provenance Revealed: Galerie Steinitz presents a remarkable opportunity for collectors to acquire a wide variety of objects celebrating exceptional provenances – from the collections of 18th-century French royalty and aristocracy, to the treasures of 19th-century industrial and financial titans, to pieces that were part of the private worlds of 20th-century fashion designers, including Yves Saint Laurent, Hubert de Givenchy and Karl Lagerfeld. Estimated to realise in the region of £3.5 million, works from these historic collections will be on public view at Christie’s headquarters in London from 12th to 20st September.
Each of the lots will include secure, encrypted certification of the sale for the successful bidder, providing a permanent digital record of the information about the artwork.
This pioneering initiative aims to advance the trade of decorative arts to a sophisticated new realm. Synergizing Steinitz’s passion for uncovering and recording the provenances of works of art with the technology of blockchain, the project recognises the importance of sharing the history of a work of art as a way to celebrate its story – a legacy that Benjamin inherited and continues from his parents.
This initiative also epitomises Christie’s involvement in Web3, and it is a new step in its collaboration with Artory after Christie’s became the first auction house to utilise blockchain technology to document the provenance and artwork data from the sale of the Barney A. Ebsworth Collection of 20th Century American Art in 2018.
Benjamin Steinitz said: “After the initial visual and emotional impact of discovering a work of art, revealing its history through its successive ownerships is just as important, and a fundamental part of the work of art itself. We are very proud to see examples of our recent discoveries exhibited in some of the most prestigious museums, including the Louvre, Paris, and the Museum of Legion of Honor, San Francisco.
Together with Christie’s, our shared expertise and ‘savoir-faire’ has enabled us to present a superb selection of rare and important works of art, where their discovered provenance makes for fascinating reading and learning. We are very pleased to add this valuable data to the ‘Blockchain’ – a first in the history of Decorative Arts – through Christie’s collaboration with Artory; to create an everlasting link between the work of art, its authenticity and its provenance. I hope people will enjoy discovering these works and their extraordinary history as much as I have.”
Christie’s CEO, Guillaume Cerutti, said: “We are delighted to embark with Benjamin Steinitz, an antique dealer we respect and admire, on this innovative auction journey, celebrating our shared passion for the Decorative Arts as well as securing tantalising early provenances, including some recent discoveries, on the blockchain.”
Highlights
18th Century
Highlights include Narcissus contemplating his image in the water, Paris School, recorded in the celebrated collection of Louis-Antoine Crozat (1699-1770), Baron de Thiers – son of the financier Antoine Crozat who was considered the ‘richest man in France.’ It is an exceptional 18th-century marble sculpture of the subject with beautiful patina (estimate £100,000-150,000). An Imperial Vienna porcelain breakfast-service – which would have been used for coffee and hot chocolate – brought by Marie-Antoinette from Vienna and given to her Lady in Waiting Louise-Henriette-Charlotte-Philippine, Duchess de Duras, née de Noailles (1745-1832), who served as ‘dame du palais’ until the Revolution; it remained in the Noailles family until acquired by Galerie Steinitz (estimate: £40,000-60,000).
19th Century
Recorded in the celebrated collections of two financiers – that of Pierre- Paul-Louis Randon de Boisset (1708-1776) and subsequently in the Rothschild family until Baron Edouard de Rothschild (1868-1949): a superb pair of Louis XVI ormolu-mounted jasper, bloodstone, green porphyry and red marble cups attributed to the Italian silversmith and bronze maker Luigi Valadier, circa 1770 (estimate: £120,000-180,000). Also, a pair of striking blue and white Ming porcelain vases mounted with finely chased Louis XV gilt-bronze mounts, (estimate: £40,000- 60,000, illustrated right), originally in the collection of Jules Porgès (1839-1921) who played a central role in the rise of the diamond and gold mining industries in South Africa.
green Porphyry and red marble cups, Christie’s Images LTD. 2022
20th Century
A set of eighteen giltwood chairs from Karl Lagerfeld’s dining room in Paris (estimate: £25,000-40,000); an exuberant giltwood chandelier from Yves Saint-Laurent and Pierre Bergé’s Paris home, which was acquired by Yves Saint-Laurent from the collection of Bernard Steinitz (1933-2012), Benjamin’s father (estimate: £60,000-80,000); and two charming late 17th century Dutch polychrome-painted ‘dummy boards’ from Hubert de Givenchy’s country house the Manoir du Jonchet (estimate: £8,000-12,000).
For more information on Christie’s partnership with Galerie Steinitz and Provenance Revealed: Galerie Steinitz, visit www.christies.com
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