Art and collectibles, decorative pieces and design, watches and jewelry: these are just some of the categories featured in this round of auctions. All lots, which close on September 29 and 30, will be sold without a reserve price, offering bidders the chance to secure real bargains.
Here are six highlights:
In the early 18th century, the iron-based pigment Prussian Blue was developed in Berlin, first used to dye soldiers’ uniforms. Artists soon adopted it as a cheaper alternative to lapis lazuli, and it later reached Japan, where Katsushika Hokusai used it in his woodcuts. Hermès introduced the color into its palette in 2003. For this auction it appears on fine Togo leather, crafted into a Birkin bag with palladium hardware.
The Birkin bag takes its name from its creator, Jane Birkin. Ferrari’s Testarossa model, launched in 1984, owes its name to the red valve covers of its V12 engine, a feature that first appeared on the Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa of the 1950s and 1960s. The Testarossa offered here is from 1991, with a 390 hp V12, and is described as being in very good condition.
Ferrari’s black prancing horse is a global icon. Horses also hold significance in the work of Iraqi artist Raghad, who studied in Baghdad and Paris and has long been based in the French capital. Her work is regularly exhibited there and abroad. Bidding is open on her hand-signed sculpture Cheval aux pieds d’or.
Also in Fine Art is B for Black by French artist Ronan Martin. This large-scale work belongs to a series he has been creating since 2020 as a tribute to Pierre Soulages. Martin’s practice reflects his fascination with resins, pigments and glazes, which he layers to create works that combine color, light and line in striking ways.
In 1971, President Georges Pompidou and his wife Claude commissioned modern furnishings for the Élysée Palace. Among the designs selected from Pierre Paulin, a leading innovator of 20th-century design, was the Pumpkin sofa, a polyurethane form that seems to invite the sitter in. Ligne Roset began producing it for the wider market in the 2000s. A three-seater in dark red Alcantara upholstery is included in the sale.
One of the auctions is dedicated solely to Rolex watches. Alongside the GMT-Master, Submariner and other models, two examples of the Cosmograph Daytona are on offer: a bi-color men’s model and a unisex version from 2009, combining stainless steel with a black dial. Rolex introduced the Daytona in 1963, a year after becoming Official Timekeeper of the Daytona International Speedway in Florida, from which the watch takes its name.
The No Reserve Day auctions end on September 29 and 30. Find all lots and information here.
