Marie Antoinette Chair Sells for a Record US$2.8 Million

A royal chair created for the boudoir of Marie Antoinette achieved €2.6 million (US$2.8 million) Thursday evening at Sotheby’s in Paris, setting a record for a single 18th-century chair.

The sale was the first in a series of four physical and online auctions being held this month featuring the collection of the late Hubert Guerrand-Hermès, a fifth-generation descendant of Thierry Hermès, founder of the French luxury house.

“Tonight’s sale was a celebration of prestigious provenance, as the undeniable response to Hubert Guerrand-Hermès’ eye for collecting showcased the continued demand for the most elevated world of refinement,” Mario Tavella, president of Sotheby’s France and chairman of Sotheby’s Europe, said in a news release.

The Louis XVI gilt walnut chair, made circa 1784-85, ignited a “flurry of bidding,” according to Tavella.

It was one of 60 pieces sold on Thursday for a total of nearly €23 million, with fees, triple a pre-sale high estimate of nearly €9 million (which did not include fees).

More than 80% of lots sold for more than their high estimates. Guerrand-Hermès was a passionate, wide-ranging collector.

The 1,000-plus items being auctioned across the four sales span centuries and include royal furniture and rare books in addition to works by contemporary artists such as Antony Gormley and Anish Kapoor.

Ref: Marie Antoinette Chair Sells for a Record US$2.8 Million (barrons)