On 3 July 2025 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, the Haute Époque department auctioned off the first part of the Joseph Pell Lombardi Collection assembled at the Château du Sailhant (15), as well as the Nicolas de Hurtado Collection (1854-1920), which had been in the same family for over a century.

A Virgin and Child in Majesty ‘Sedes Sapientiae’ (lot 240) fetched €158,600, while the entire sale totalled €725,000.

‘This Haute Époque sale was a resounding success, establishing itself as the best of the first half of the year in this unique speciality dear to Aguttes! It is particularly gratifying to note that, beyond their aesthetic quality and rarity, it is the unique history of each object – carefully researched and documented – that has captivated collectors.’
Grégoire de Thoury, Director of the Furniture & Works of Art Department - expert

Dispersion of the Joseph Pell Lombardi Collection, first act

Among the highlights of the Haute Époque sale was this Virgin and Child in Majesty ‘Sedes Sapientiae’ (lot 240), which sold for €158,600, exceeding its estimate. This Virgin Mary is seated majestically on a throne, her arms open, presenting her Divine Son (removable) seated in a toga, who holds the open book of the Holy Scriptures in his left hand. Installed at the Château du Sailhant by Joseph Pell Lombardi, an architect based in New York, this extremely rare sculpture is part of the archetypal corpus of Sedes Sapientiae or Throne of Wisdom, emblematic of Romanesque iconography. The profusion of this type of sculpture, particularly in Auvergne, can be explained by the regional origin of its iconography.

RARE HOLY VIRGIN AND CHILD IN MAJESTY ‘SEDES SAPIENTIAE’
in carved walnut wood. Hollowed back (closed with a wooden plate).
France, Auvergne, late 11th century, early 12th century.
Height: 77.5 cm - Width: 36 cm - Depth: 17.5 cm (traces of old polychromy, damage, visible losses and restorations, numerous wrought iron spikes, added elements)
PROVENANCE
- Reportedly acquired in Auvergne around 1930 by Madame Marais [letter from François Bigot dated 18 January 1998].
- Acquired from the Marais heirs by Madame Gabrielle Laroche through François Bigot.
- Acquired from the previous owner by Joseph Pell Lombardi [invoice dated 8 December 1998]
- Private collection of Joseph Pell Lombardi for the chapel of his château in Sailhant (Cantal)
Sold for €158,600

Nicolas de Hurtado Collection (1854-1920)
Other fine lots included several bronzes from the Nicolas de Hurtado Collection, a figure of Parisian Belle Époque society. Kept in the same family for over a century, this remarkable selection (lot 159 – lot 169) included iconic figures prized by collectors, such as Prometheus and Ephebe with a Torch (lot 164), which sold for €26,650, and the Belvedere Antinous (lot 166), which reached €20,150. These amounts exceeded the estimates. The entire collection totalled €73,450.
Passed down to a daughter of this great art lover, this collection of bronzes remained in the family.

PROMETHEUS OR EPHEBE WITH TORCH
Bronze figure representing a standing, naked ephebe, wearing a knot of hair, with strands falling down the front of his chest. He is leaning his left arm on a tree trunk covered with a drape, holding a flaming torch in his left hand, his right arm raised above his head.
France, late 17th century, early 18th century.
Height: 36.4 cm - Width: 11.5 cm - Depth: 7.5 cm
(Wear, minor damage)
Sold for €26,650

PROVENANCE:
Nicolas de Hurtado Collection (1854-1920)
Probably stolen on 21 December 1934 and returned to the family on the 23rd of that month to the widow of the previous owner, Amparo, Baroness Beyens (1859-1946).
Remained in the family to this day.

Other provenances

This catalogue, comprising 348 lots, brought together pieces from various provenances.

IMPORTANT BAS-RELIEF OF THE ANNUNCIATION
in carved slate depicting, on the left, the Angel Gabriel kneeling and holding a phylactery engraved in capital letters: ‘AVE *MARIA GRACIA PILENA (sic)’ and on the right, the Blessed Virgin Mary kneeling in prayer before the Holy Scriptures in front of a throne and surmounted by the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove. Between the two holy figures is a gadrooned vase filled with a bouquet of lilies. Lombardy, early 16th century
Height: 45 cm - Width: 141.5 cm Depth: 5 cm
In a metal frame with two upper suspension rings. (Small visible damage)
Sold for €52,000

A slate bas-relief (lot 159), depicting the Annunciation, fetched €52,000, while a large hanap from the ‘de Heilige Geest’ rhetoric chamber (lot 206) changed hands for €45,000. Dating from 1661, this goldsmith's work in the shape of a cup similar to a chalice more than doubled its high estimate.

See below for all the results: RESULTS

Upcoming sales

CLASSICAL ARTS
Thursday 13 November 2025 at 2.30 p.m.
Aguttes Neuilly

HAUTE EPOQUE
Wednesday 17 December 2025 at 2.30 p.m.
Aguttes Neuilly

For more information or to include a lot in our upcoming sales, please contact
Grégoire de Thoury - Director and expert in the Furniture & Works of Art department
+33 1 41 92 06 46 - thoury@aguttes.com