Vente
HAUTE ÉPOQUE
LE GRAND SALON DES FRÈRES LUMIÈRE
THE WORLD'S FIRST CINEMA SEATS AT AUCTION

On 15 June 2023, Aguttes will be auctioning a Neo-Renaissance ensemble steeped in history at its "Haute Époque" sale: the grand salon of the Lumière brothers, featuring the world's first cinema seats.

The Lumière brothers' grand salon. The world's first cinema armchairs at auction
A great witness to the birth of cinema, this Neo-Renaissance ensemble will be offered at auction in three lots with the right to combine them. The furniture comes from the Grand Salon of the Palais Lumière in La Ciotat, where the first public screening of the cinematograph took place in 1895. The event, which took place on 21 September 1895, was attended by some 150 spectators, some of whom sat in these seats. The very first projection of "animated photographic views" by the Lumière brothers marked the birth of cinema, and the elements in this salon can be considered the world's first cinema seats.

As part of this "demonstration of the cinematograph", the Lumière brothers showed several films shot in La Ciotat during the summer of 1895. The realism of the movement in "L'arrivée d'un train à La Ciotat" (The Arrival of a Train in La Ciotat) so frightened some spectators that they left the Grand Salon of the Palais Lumière during the screening.

A SET OF THREE monumental carved walnut APPARATUS CHAIRS, the pedimented back carved with a large lion's head radiating between foliate scrolls. The armrests end in very expressive lion heads. They stand on lion paw feet linked by an H-shaped brace. Upholstery with heraldic lions among foliage on a brick background.
France, late 19th century. Height: 140 cm - Width: 75 cm - Depth: 80 cm
Estimate: €4,500 - €6,000
PROVENANCE: Grand Salon of the Palais Lumière in La Ciotat

Built in 1890 by Antoine Lumière, the Palais Lumière is, along with the Eden - one of the first cinemas - one of the most significant places in the early days of the 7th art. The industrialist, photographer and amateur painter, who loved the light and colours of La Ciotat, set his sights on this 90-hectare estate. The villa had 34 rooms, including the grand salon with its heraldic lion, most of whose furnishings will be auctioned off on 15 June 2023 in three lots, with the option to combine them. An inventory and archive photographs provide a fairly accurate reconstruction of the furniture in this monumental room, lit by a bronze electric chandelier: "eight armchairs, a four-sided footstool and a chequered table with a lion's head motif".


MONUMENTAL TABOURET-POUF in carved walnut, the four uprights in the form of very expressive lion heads at the top of an acanthus-leaf curve ending in lion paws. The sides are carved with lion's paw feet and hanging fabrics. X-shaped brace with circular heart.
France, late 19th century. Height: 140 cm - Width: 75 cm - Depth: 80 cm
Estimate: € 1800 - 2000
PROVENANCE: Grand Salon of the Palais Lumière in La Ciotat

MONUMENTAL rectangular TABLE with six curved leopard-head legs. Large double H-shaped brace centred on an urn. The top is moulded.
France, late 19th century Height: 80 cm - Width: 230 cm - Depth: 160 cm
Estimate: €2000 - €3000
PROVENANCE: Grand Salon of the Palais Lumière in La Ciotat

Haute Époque, selection

A terracotta bust of Christ from the Florentine Renaissance
This bust, typical of a production of devotional images made in Florence at the end of the fifteenth century, depicts Christ from the front, with his head slightly bent forward. Most of these sculptures are directly inspired by the head of the bronze group of "Christ and Saint Thomas", executed between 1466 and 1483 for the niche in the Orsanmichele in Florence (now in the Museo Orsanmichele) by Andrea De Verrocchio (1435-1488). All these statues were probably produced by several workshops, including Verrocchio's, and by Giovanni della Robbia in unglazed terracotta.


A CHRIST BUST sculpted in terracotta, Christ is depicted facing forward, his head tilted slightly forward. His long hair falls in two curly strands in front of his ears and in wisps over his shoulders. He is wearing a tunic with the collar in relief. Traces of polychromy.
Italy, Florence, second half of the 15th century. Height: 37 cm - Width: 41.4 cm - Depth: 32.8 cm (Minor visible damage and missing parts, firing cracks, later shoulders)
Estimate: €6,000 - €8,000

A rare complete Renaissance knife set of museum quality
The Musée du Louvre, the MET and the Victoria & Albert Museum have models of knives comparable to this extremely rare complete knife set (no. MRR 188 - no. 93.13.24 - no. M.604-1910) in terms of the engraved decoration on a gold background and the use of mother-of-pearl. The Bargello Museum in Florence is exhibiting a knife with an identical blade, similarly engraved with an adage and with the same entablure decoration, from the collection of Louis Carrand (Lyon, 1827-1888, Florence).

The 16th century saw the rise of table knives in France. In 1565, the cutlery profession was organised with the publication by Charles IX of Letters Patent, which required each master to mark his work with his own hallmark. The proliferation of "ymagiers", craftsmen specialising in handle decoration, also encouraged the emergence of more elegant and sophisticated shapes, enhanced by the use of precious materials such as ivory and mother-of-pearl.

Now an objet d'art, the knife also became a mark of prestige. The itinerant Court and a life punctuated by travel and war established the custom of bringing one's own table knife, a privileged accessory for showing off one's social status to other guests. This set, to be auctioned on 15 June 2023, fits perfectly with this way of life: the sheath makes it easy to carry, while the inscription of the sayings was probably the subject of many lively discussions over meals.


RARE SET OF SIX STEEL BLADE KNIVES richly engraved with a four-lobed cartouche of foliage surmounted by a winged angel's head on a gold background.
The back of each blade is engraved with different adages: - Hope nourishes what fortune kills - Flame does not dissolve what virtue binds - Rather die than change - Where virtue git fortune is abused - In fidelity will finish my life - Contentemet passes wealth.
Each blade is stamped twice with the letter E. Acanthus-leaf ferrules, mother-of-pearl handles and wrought-iron and gilt capitals. Original tubular case on stand, with wooden core sheathed in painted leather decorated with four oval cartouches alternating portraits of men and women.
France, late 16th century, early 17th century. Length of each knife: 26.5 cm - Width of blade: 2.7 cm. Case: Height: 36.5 cm - Diameter: 10.5 cm (Damage and missing parts)
Estimate: €15,000 - €20,000

18 Gold coins from the 16th century


HENRI VI OF ENGLAND Salute in gold depicting on the obverse the angelic salutation with the archangel Gabriel (right) standing to the left, wings half spread, facing the Virgin Mary (left) standing to the right, whom he visits and salutes by holding out to her a scroll inscribed "AVE"; the figures are seen at mid-body and placed behind the escutcheons accosted France and France-Angleterre; above, five rays of divine light under a crown (Paris). On the reverse, a Latin cross flanked by a lily and a leopard, under the foot of which is an uncial H, all within a fleur-de-lys decalobe. 6 September 1423 (2nd issue). Weight: 3.48g.
Estimate: €600-800​​​​​​​

Rare collection of 8 Salvator Mundi in Goa ivory, 17th and 18th century


SALVATOR MUNDI Carved ivory statuette depicting the Infant Jesus standing naked, holding a globe surmounted by a cross in his left hand, his right arm preparing to bless. Polychrome hair, eyes and mouth. Portuguese India, Goa, 18th century
Height: 29.4 cm - Width: 12.5 cm (Old restorations, notably to the feet) On a black-tinted turned wooden column base. Gross weight: 1,000 gr.
Estimate: €8,000 - €10,000

Auction
Thursday 15 June 2023 at 2.30 pm

Aguttes Neuilly l 164 bis, av. Charles-de-Gaulle