XURICH.- A full week of auctions at Koller in Zurich will feature a seventeenth-century floral still life from one of the pioneers of the genre, Osias Beert; an outstanding collection of early Meissen porcelain; sumptuous northern Italian furniture from an important Genovese collection; fashion photos by designer/photographer Karl Lagerfeld; a series of beautifully illustrated books on natural history, as well as vintage and modern jewellery signed by Chaumet, Bulgari, Van Cleef & Arpels and Tiffany.

Old Master Paintings & Drawings
Still lifes are now synonymous with 17th-century Dutch and Flemish painting, but when Osias Beert painted this floral bouquet in circa 1610 (lot 3031, est. CHF 400 000 – 500 000), it was still considered a new genre. Beert was in fact one of the “pioneers” of still life painting, and in the work to be offered in Koller’s 22 March Old Masters sale, he achieves the complex task of expressing opulence within a precisely arranged composition. Another highlight of the auction is a wonderful Madonna and Child by the Master of the Magdelene Legend (lot 3019, est. CHF 250 000 – 350 000). Painted circa 1515-20 during a period in Brussels when smaller paintings for private devotions were popular, this work depicts a wonderfully touching maternity scene.

19th Century Paintings
The 19th Century Paintings auction features a landscape by Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot which was formerly in the collection of the 19th-century Scottish railway engineer James Staats Forbes (lot 3214, est. CHF 60 000 – 90 000). Painted by Corot in the year before his death, it is a work by an artist in full maturity and at the height of his talents, as well as a leave-taking of his beloved forest. A magnificent view of the Port of Marseille by Félix François Ziem (lot 3205, est. CHF 40 000 – 60 000) provides a colourful counterpoint to a series of chiaroscuro interiors of monks enjoying a nip of beer or wine by the Bavarian artist Eduard Grützner (lots 3208-3212), all from a southern German private collection.

Old Master Drawings
The Drawings auction contains a stunning pencil sketch of a bare-limbed tree by Caspar David Friedrich (lot 3457, est. CHF 25 000 – 35 000). Only 29 years old when he made this drawing, Friedrich already was in full possession of his talent and personal style. This powerful work, once in the collection of the Kunsthalle in Mannheim, is a fine example of the Romantic artist’s ability to make “portraits” of nature.

Another noteworthy Romantic era drawing is the wonderful depiction of Greek Prince and freedom fighter Alexandre Maurocordato by Suzanne Eynard-Chatelain (lot 3468, est. CHF 10 000 – 15 000).

Fine Furniture, Clocks, Sculpture & Carpets
With over 300 lots of often spectacular antique furniture and clocks in the 23 March auction, Koller continues to maintain its tradition of presenting only the highest quality works in this field. The focus is on Continental pieces from the 18th and 19th centuries, along with some outstanding works from the 17th century, such as a Florentine Baroque pietra dura cabinet (lot 1027, est. CHF 150 000 – 250 000). A series of fine Italian Rococo and Neoclassical furniture from several important Italian private collections features a pair of important Louis XVI fauteuils directly inspired by drawings by the Parisian designer J.-C- Delafosse (lot 1199, est. CHF 80 000 – 140 000). A particularly fine Louis XV marquetry bureau by J.-P. Latz (lot 1107, est. 150 000 – 200 000) is one of the most attractive examples to come to auction in recent years. Among the 19th century furnishings, a pair of large ormolu-mounted vases formerly in the Beverly Hills home of Suzanne Saperstein, “Fleur de Lys”, comes to the block with an estimate of CHF 30 000 – 50 000 (lot 1279).

Porcelain & Silver
The early Meissen porcelain from the collection of Max Fahrländer to be offered by Koller on 17 March is already creating waves within this refined collecting category. Fahrländer already had an important collection of Swiss faience when he began collecting early Meissen wares in the late 1940s. In just a few years, he managed to compose a remarkable ensemble, profiting from his travels while director of the pharmaceutical giant Sandoz to meet with like-minded porcelain collectors and to purchase examples from around the world. Among the 60 lots from Fahrländer offered in this sale is a plate from the personal collection of Augustus III (lot 1737, CHF 25 000 – 35 000) which is a rare witness to the von Hoym-Lemaire scandal of the 1730s

Books & Autographs
The 19 March sale of over 400 lots includes a series of beautifully illustrated volumes on natural history from private collections, including Mark Catesby’s mid-18th century work on the flora and fauna of Florida and the Caribbean islands (lot 347, est. CHF 50 000 – 70 000). An early 18th century work by Louis Renard is one of the earliest books published with illustrations of exotic fish, made on the spot by seafarers with the Dutch East India Company. (lot 353, est. CHF 40 000 – 60 000). To mark the 100th anniversary of Dada, the programme for a “Dada soirée” on 10 January 1923 to mark the start of Kurt Schwitters and Theo van Doesenburg’s Dada tour of Holland will be offered for CHF 5 000 – 7 000 (lot 190). Among the Autographs in this sale, a large collection of correspondence between Oskar Kokoschka and the long-time director of the Zurich Kunsthaus, Wilhelm Wartmann, gives insights into the artist’s work and personal life (lot 420, est. CHF 3 000 – 5000).

Photographs
Three portraits of Marilyn Monroe from Bert Stern’s famous “last sitting” are featured in the 19 March auction, including a unique print, “Marilyn Monroe with Orange Roses”, hand-coloured by the photographer (lot 561, est. CHF 5 000 – 8 000). A group of fashion photographs by Karl Lagerfeld are among the first photographic work that Lagerfeld did for Chanel (lot 599, est. CHF 7 000 – 10 000).

Jewellery
Over 200 lots of vintage and modern jewellery will be offered at Koller on 21 March, including signed pieces by Chaumet, Bulgari, Van Cleef & Arpels, Tiffany, Gübelin, Hemmerle, Fumanti, Binder, Cartier and more. The top lot is a ruby and diamond ring with an unheated 10.47 ct. ruby from Mozambique (lot 2059, est. CHF 280 000 – 380 000), and the cover lot is a pearl and diamond flower brooch by Chaumet, estimated at CHF 14 000 – 20 000 (lot 2032).