European Furniture

Overview

The European Furniture department is primarily engaged in selling 18th century French furniture and decorative arts, as well as objects made elsewhere in Europe, notably Germany, Italy, Sweden, and Russia, covering the period from 1675-1830. Decorative objects include mirrors, clocks, lighting devices (candelabra, torchères, chandeliers, etc.), porphyry vases and so forth. Continental Furniture sales often include European tapestries and early sculpture. Sales comprising property from various sources are held at least twice a year in the spring and in the fall and are frequently held in conjunction with a "single-owner" sale. In general, sale prices range from $5,000 to $2,000,000 per lot.

Over the past decade, the European Furniture department has held a variety of high-profile and ground-breaking sales including the Collection of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor sale in September of 1997, the collection of the late Gianni Versace in April of 2001, and the Greenberg Collection in May of 2004. The highlight of the Spring 2004 auction season was the sale of a fine and rare Louis XIV Boulle marquetry commode, directly attributed to Andre Charles Boulle for $1.5 million.

In 2003, Sotheby's European Furniture department welcomed Alistair Clarke as Worldwide head of English and European furniture. He joins senior director Gillian Arthur in the New York department. In addition, Sotheby's European Furniture specialists can be found in London, Amsterdam, Milan, Paris and Frankfurt.

Please contact our specialists if you are interested in selling property with this department. Please click for more information about Selling at Sotheby's.