KOLLER VIEW 3/24

pre view. 02 11 1 Giuseppe Maria Mazza (1653–1741) . Study for a fountain. Terracotta. H 2 9 cm. Estimate: CHF 20 000/30 000 2 A German ivory pietà. Circa 1700. H 19.5 cm. Estimate: CHF 14 000/24 000 3 A Greek micro-carved beechwood st anding cross. Last quarter 16 th c. Georgios Laskaris (act ive 1538–1583) and workshop. H 23.3 cm. Estimate: CHF 20 000/30 000 Collections modelled with care Preview of the Decorative Arts auction on 19 September 2024 Giuseppe Maria Mazza was one of the most important Italian sculptors of the late 17 th and early 18 th centuries, a transitional period between Baroque and Rococo. The terracotta sculpture group attributed to him in our Sep- tember auction was created as a model for a fountain (ill. 1). It comes from a château in southern Germany that was lovingly furnished in the taste of the 18 th century, with great artistic flair. In addition to the artistic and aesthetic aspects, the aristocratic collector couple paid great attention to the provenance of the items in their collection: Hélie de Talleyrand, the de La Rochefoucauld family and the collector Luigi Koelliker are just some of the well-known previous owners. Other highlights include two terracotta sculptures of Di- ana by René Frémin and Jean-Baptiste Defernex, and a fine pair of decorative vases from the Louis XVI period. Italian bronze figures from the late 16 th to 18 th centuries, including an inkwell and a Heracles figure from the circle of Niccolò Roccatagliata, round off the collection. For further information Decorative Arts Stephan Koller skoller@kollerauctions.com Online Catalogues www.kollerauctions.com The 19 September auction will also fe ature numerous ivory carvings from the collection of Dr Ernst Boehlen of Bern, which assembles works from over nearly a mil- lennium of fine craftsmanship. These include a pietà carved in Germany in the 17 th century (ill. 2). Also note- worthy among the items in the collect ion are two oval plaques from the circle of Francis Van Bossuit, respec- tively depicting Aphrodite and Apollo, and Danaë and Zeus. Of Greek origin is a wooden cross with miniature reliefs in six fields depicting scenes from the New Testament (ill. 3). Similarities to other micro-carved crosses point to Georgios Laskaris and his work- shop from the second half of the 16 th century as the authors of this work. Of the approximately for- ty crosses currently attributed to these sculptors, sixteen are dated between 1538 and 1583, eight of which are also signed. The discover y of this cross, which comes from a pri vate collection in Geneva, represents a valuable additio n to the existing oeuvre in terms of art history. 2 3