I will be lucky enough, next week, to attend this years auction and after browsing the catalogue I know that there is a little something that I would like to add to my ever growing collection of Normandy related Quimper souvenirs.
Wish me luck. I'll be blogging about our trip to Brest on our return.
December 2009 - It would appear that the market for Porquier Beau botanical pieces, particularly plates, is having something of a comeback. At yesterday's auction, there was a splendid series of early PB botanical plates – not only did they have the blue intersecting P and B, but they also had PB impressed in the clay – and there was much interest and a lot of bidding. There were two major bidders on the phone for the whole series (and one in particular now has some very nice additions to his/her collection!), and at times there were as many as four phones going. The glaze on these plates was exceptionally good, as was the quality of the painting. They all came from the same collection, but when and how that collection was constituted was never mentioned. (Sometimes you can figure out where some pieces come from, and other times it remains a mystery. It is very bad form to ask!)
The estimates ranged from 1000 to 2500 euros, and almost every piece went over the estimate. Here are some of the winning bids ... gavel price (not including the buyer's fee).
My personal favorite – I like the snail (but only on this plate; I do not want to see him in my garden) – 1150 euros.
My thanks to Thierry-Lannon & Associates for letting me take and use photos of this sale!
We'll be making a quantum leap of about 50 or so years into other cultures for the next auction ... stay tuned!
