LONDON.- The contents of Count and Countess Martignone's two Italian properties was 100% sold at Bonhams, New Bond Street (24th September) in what the auction industry calls a 'white glove sale'.

Over 500 items of old master paintings, fine furniture, sculpture, silver, ceramics and works of art were sold in a marathon all day sale at Bonhams headquarters on Bond Street.

The auction doubled its estimated total to realise over £2.4million.

The saleroom overflowed with bidders from all corners of the globe who spilled into the corridors as they waited for their chosen item from the Count and Countess's Genoese villa or their Milanese townhouse.

The star of the sale was an oil on canvas portrait of a lady in a white and gold dress holding a garland of flowers, by Georg Christoph Grooth, which caught the eye of a mystery online bidder who fought off the competition and secured the lot for £134,500 - over ten times the pre-sale estimate.

Impressive garden statuary featured highly in the other sale highlights. An arresting patinated bronze sculpture representing The Divine Comedy was the second highest lot in the sale. The sculpture, which stands almost six feet in height and is signed and dated to the base Eugenio Bellotto,1924, sold to an overseas telephone bidder for an almighty £96,100 against its £5,000-8,000 estimates.

A large carved white marble fountain depicting a pair of rearing hippocampi which flank a figure of Venus seated on a scallop shell realised over ten times its estimate. An overseas telephone bidder secured the lot for £80,500.

Other highlights included fine furniture and painting. A fine French late 19th century commode in the manner of Charles Cressent with a marble top, elaborately decorated with gilt leaves, cherubs, swinging monkeys and tight rope walking dogs sold for £47,500. An exquisite Old Master oil on canvas painting of blossoming flowers with putti (cherubs) and fruit, painted in 1694 by Franz Werner von Tamm (Hamburg 1658-1724 Vienna) sold for £45,000.

Harvey Cammell, Group Director of Private Collections and House Sales at Bonhams, comments: "The success of this sale reinforces the power and draw of single owner collections. A tremendous level of interest is created when a family sells off generations of its art works. We saw huge international interest and, yet again, a complete success sell rate in what we call a ‘white glove sale’. Furthermore, the sale doubled its estimated total. Bonhams has created a winning formula in offering selling single owner collections at auction."

Charlie Thomas, Department Director of House Sales and Private Collections, said: "It was a credit to the Count and Countess Martignone’s wonderful taste that enabled us sell 100% of the lots offered to an international audience, far exceeding both our and our clients’ expectations."

The Count and Countess Martignone
Count and Countess Martignone, a noble family from the Como area of Italy whose lineage can be traced back to the 13th century, were known for their legendary parties. Leading figures of Italian society, from prime ministers and politicians to popes and even the last King of Italy revelled late into the summer's nights at the Martignone residence in the Italian Riviera, overlooking the Ligurian Sea.