AMSTERDAM.-Only four weeks after Sotheby's sale of Works of Art from the Royal House of Hanover, another auction to captivate the imagination of art collectors world-wide is to be held in Amsterdam. Entitled Crowns and Coronets, the sale on Monday 31 October and Tuesday 1 November 2005 comprises paintings, furniture, tapestries, works of art, ceramics, carpets, glass, silver, clocks, objects of vertu and photographs, all of which were originally made for, or owned by European Royal and Noble families.

The consignors include a Russian Princess, a German Fürst and an Austrian Archduke resulting in a variety of objects with very different historical backgrounds. From a tiny gold and enamel box given by King Ludwig II of Bavaria to his mother (€4,000-6,000), to a rare pair of German Rococo Roentgen commodes from the Estate of the late Wolter Reichsgraf von Hoensbroech (€150,000-220,000), the sale offers a broad selection of wonderful objects.

Other highlights include a very fine ivory model of King Ludwig's famous sleigh, drawn by swans and elaborately carved with tritons and putti, which was made by Philipp Perron (1840-1907) after the design by Franz Seitz, 1870/80 (€100,000-150,000). A highly important musical 'elephant' mantel clock by Charles Baltazar, Paris, circa 1745/9, from a Princely family is estimated €100.000-150.000.

Illustrious is the provenance of many personal items in the sale: a Fabergé fan which belonged to Duchess Charlotte zu Mecklenburg-Schwerin (€10,000-15,000); an opaline glass and gilt-bronze toilet service from Prince Carl of Bavaria, a Back Gammon game table of King Willem III of the Netherlands (€3,000-5,000) and a steam ship model of Archduke Maximilian of Austria, who later became the ill-fated Emperor of Mexico (estimate €5,000-8,000). There are glass and table linen from the princely house of Saxe-Meiningen and rare and fine KPM Berlin porcelain plates with mythological scenes from the collection of a member of the Bavarian Royal Family.

The interesting and attractive selection of historic photographs comes mainly from two collections. An important collection of Russian Imperial photographs was brought together by a devoted collector. The second collection, consigned by a princely family, also includes a group of rare Russian photographs. Many of the photographs are inscribed and signed by the sitters.

Prominent in the sale is the estate of the late Wolter Reichsgraf von und zu Hoensbroech. The paintings, furniture and works of art furnished Schloss Haag, the lower Rhine family castle, since 1631. Highlighting the furniture from Schloss Haag is a rare pair of German Rococo commodes by Abraham Roentgen, Neuwied, from circa 1760 (€150,000-220,000) and a bureau cabinet possibly by Johann Friedrich and Heinrich Wilhelm Spindler, Potsdam/Berlin, circa 1765 (€ 90,000-120,000). The paintings include fine landscapes, portraits and biblical subjects by masters from the 17th and 18th century. The selection of fine silver comprises a set of six German silver candelabra by Johann Christian Neuss and Friedrich Jakob Biller from 1802/3 (€ 20,000-30,000).

Furthermore the sale offers Salzburg church silver from Schloss Kapfing in Bavaria, royal portraits such as an oval portrait of Auguste, Archduchess of Austria, Princess of Tuscany (€4,000-6,000) and a full-length portrait of Karl VI, Archduke of Austria and Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire (€10,000-15,000, pictured).

Important early furniture include a rare Westphalian late Gothic/early Renaissance polychrome and gilt buffet cupboard (Stollenschrank) with reliefs of Judith and Holofernes, the lower part made and dated 1531, the upper part added and dated 1583, formerly in Schloss Herringhausen in Westphalia (€ 30.000-50.000) and a German Romanesque, early Gothic chest (Stollentruhe) from the 13th/14th century, consigned by Friedrich Count von der Asseburg from Schloss Hinnenburg near Paderborn (€15.000-20.000). A rare pair of early 19th century Italian micromosaic panels depicting the Death of Cleopatra and Joseph and Potifar's Wife consigned by Freiherr Gotz von Donner is estimated €15.000-20.000. The sale offers memorabilia of Queen Olga von Wurttemberg and works of art of Hoffman von Fallersleben (the poet who wrote the German National hymn) and many, many others.

The sale offers collectors a rare opportunity to acquire interesting works of art from distinguished families many of whom have owned them for generations.

Famous sales of Royal and Noble Collections at Sotheby's - The present sale continues Sotheby's traditional series of auctions from royal and noble collections, which started in Germany in 1993 with the sale of paintings and works of art from the collection of Princess Gloria of Thurn und Taxis held in castle St. Emmeram in Regensburg, Germany. The collection of the Margraves of Baden took place in 1995 and the Collection of the Royal House of Hanover in October 2005. Sotheby's continued this theme in Amsterdam with two sales "Of Royal and Noble Descent" in 2001 and 2003, and the sales "Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and Other European Houses" and the "Graf von Galen Collection from Haus Assen", both in 2004.

Viewing and sale at Sotheby's Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 30 - Public view: Friday 28, Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 October 2005 daily from 10am to 5pm. Auction: Monday 31 October and Tuesday 1 November at 10.30am, 2pm and 7pm. The catalogue will be available by the end of September and can then also be browsed on www.sothebys.com Catalogue AM0966, € 30.