Image via Wikipedia (Murshid Quli Khan)
By columnist Paul Paradis,
Art Historian, Specialist Consultant in French Furniture and Decorative Arts.
A Strange Atmosphere
Like the snowy weather in Paris, the art market seems to be in an icy climate since the beginning of the year and present economic context aside, I can’t grasp exactly why. The Gazette and other art magazines recently published their versions of results for 2009, and of course there was an overall downturn. However, it was apparently not as pronounced as in the major art epicenters of New York and London. All analysts are unanimous that the flood which raised the overall water level in Paris last year was the now mythical Yves-Saint Laurent / Pierre Bergé auction in February, held by Christie’s and Pierre Bergé & Associés. Recall that the sale raked in an enormous €342,000,000, breaking several world records including the largest amount ever obtained for a collection at auction. Even excluding the results of this sale, Christie’s snatched the position of first place in France from Sotheby’s with overall sales of €112,800,000, despite a decrease of almost 25 per cent compared to 2008. Among the traditional French houses, Artcurial maintained its position as number one (excluding the two giants mentioned above) with overall sales of €80,500,000. The sectors more prone to speculative buying, mainly contemporary art, suffered the most while old master paintings and other traditional areas fared relatively well. For 18th century furniture the year saw a decrease in volume of sales yet demand for major pieces was maintained by collectors. Recall the Joseph commode which attained €1,673,000 as an example. (See Paris Art Market Buzz 8 October 2009) At the same time, the intermediate portion of the market suffered more of a slowdown followed by an upswing in the second semester of 2009. (See Journal des Arts for more details)
Headquarters of Artcurial / Briest - Le Fur - F. Tajan. (Photo: Artcurial)
Meanwhile, the latest crisis at Drouot continues to rear its ugly head and will not be resolved anytime soon. Sources say that a working group of five auctioneers was formed in early December to come up with a reform program for the institution which has recently named a new General Director to Drouot Holding (the umbrella company to house) who formerly presided over the mythical sportswear company Lacoste. Early decisions include separating the functions of maintenance and transport, which are now both undertaken by the union of the Commissionnaires, the UCHV. Should the legal process underway find that there has been wide spread theft and fraud, one paper claims that Drouot might even have to go as far as firing the entire lot of maintenance and transport crews of the UCHV to start afresh. Reform is never easy in France where vested interests are historically rooted, so it will be interesting to see how this story turns out. I personally am continuing to be optimistic as it would be a shame for such a hallowed and important institution to fall from grace in this manner. On the bright side, Drouot reported impressive total final sales for 2009 of €413,000,000, with 189 lots having surpassed six figures, and 8 over the €1 million mark.
An Ivory Tower: East Meets West
I have not had the chance to mention a most interesting item that passed through Drouot last December during the end of year excitement, which actually falls into the six-figure category mentioned above: a three-light candelabrum in sculpted ivory. I recall having been completely blown away by the imposing size of the object (83 cm high), which was (rightly) placed in a glass case at the centre of the saleroom exhibition on a raised platform, in pure Drouot style.
Three-light candelabrum in sculpted Ivory, Murshidabad, early 19th century
The curiosity, offered at auction by Lafon-Castandet, was created in the early 19th century by the ivory carving workshops of Murshidabad, located in the present day state of West Bengal, India. The region was once under Mughal rule until the early 18th century when Murshid Quli Khan (pictured above) became the first independent nawab who moved the capital of Bengal to the town which thenceforth bore his name. Despite an initially successful uprising by his grandson in 1756, British rule was firmly reestablished by 1757. The British East India Company controlled the local artisans who were dependent on it for exports whose prices were set arbitrarily by the Company. This exquisite candelabrum is the fruit of the local mastery of ivory carving in Murshidabad and displays a rich blend of Eastern and Western influence. The Victoria & Albert Museum possesses furniture in solid ivory which bears witness to the artistry of these craftsmen. Like the candelabrum, this furniture seems to be inspired by Western shapes yet possesses some distinctly oriental ornament.
Table and Chairs in Solid Ivory, Murshidabad 1785. (Photo: V&A Museum)
According to the La Gazette Drouot, the design of the candelabrum draws from several Western sources. First, the neoclassical shape and references (caryatides, sphinxes, stepped base and claw feet) can be found in the work of architect William Chambers (1723-1796), who with Robert Adam (1728-1792), is considered the great master of Neoclassicism in Britain. The Murshidabad craftsmen presumably had access to English engraved sources, and in this case, Chamber’s Treatise on the Decorative Parts of Civil Architecture. Another important source of inspiration would undoubtedly have been Mathew Boulton (1728-1809), the Birmingham-born inventor / industrialist better known for his role in the creation of the steam engine with Scottish engineer James Watt. The many-faceted Boulton embarked on an enterprise to create ormolu (gilt-bronze) mounts for decorative vases highly in vogue during the 1760s. His technique rivaled that of his French counterparts whom he clearly tried to compete against. He is most known in the decorative arts for his mounted creations in blue-john (fluorspar), a translucent calcium based mineral with purple and yellow deposits (hence the name blue-john, from the French bleu-jaune) then mined exclusively in Derbyshire. Boulton in fact worked with the great French master bronzier, Pierre Gouthière (1740-1806), and the arms of the candelabrum seem to be inspired by one of their joint creations. (La Gazette Drouot, n.42)
Clock in Blue-John and Ormolu, Early 19th Century. (Photo: Etude de Provence - Cannes)
I was struck by the sheer complexity of the object, divided into several registers. The bottom of the tripartite structure features three vases resting on architectural elements decorated with a foliate-scrolled frieze reminiscent of an ancient Roman triumphal arch. The middle portion is decorated with three sphinx-like creatures posing back to back topped with a gadrooned border, itself supporting the third section comprised of three caryatides possibly representing virtues. The pillars between the caryatides are sculpted with war-like trophies, one with a turban and scepter in the shape of a hand crushing a serpent, an Eastern symbol for good triumphing over evil. The uppermost portion is in the form of a pinnacle resembling an Indian temple, crowned by a blazing sun motif. The detail and precision of the sculpture are breathtaking, from the pearl streams lining the arms to the lotus petals of the drip-pans. The entire candelabrum can be disassembled as the portions are fastened with hidden screws, a technical and practical tour de force.
Detail of the Candelabrum Drip-pans and Nozzles
Mid-section of the Candelabrum with
Sphinxes and Caryatides
The story of the piece becomes even more fascinating when one learns that it probably belonged to Prince Jules de Polignac (1780-1847) who married Barbara Campbell, descendent to the Duke of Argyle, and later Charlotte Parkins, daughter of Lord Radcliff. He was son of the famous Duchesse de Polignac (1749-1793), confidante to Marie Antoinette. (See Paris Art Market Buzz October 22, 2009) That such a fragile and noble object has survived to now seems a miracle in itself. Passions clearly were flared at the time of the auction when a buyer forked out an impressive €595,000. Let’s hope that the refined collector has a good shipping service.
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