Givenchy sells personal collection of furniture for nearly HK$275 million

French fashion designer Hubert de Givenchy made a tidy profit at a recent Christie’s auction after he sold some furniture from his personal collection for €32.7 million (HK$274.6 million).

Of course, in true Givenchy fashion, it wasn’t just any old furniture.

Akin more to works of art, the pieces were made by Diego Giacometti, the late Swiss sculptor and designer, whom Givenchy knew personally.

The pair met and became friends in the 1960s thanks to an introduction made by Gustav Zumsteg, the director of fabric company Abraham. Shortly after they met, Givenchy purchased his first Giacometti piece – a guéridon (small table), which was also sold at the auction. Throughout the years, Givenchy commissioned a number of furniture pieces and artworks from Giacometti.

One piece, an octagonal table from 1980, set a new auction record for the artist, selling for €4,162,500 – more than five times the estimate. It was the top price of the auction.

Remarkably, 100 percent of the lots sold above their pre-sale estimates.

“We are very proud of these extraordinary results,” said François de Ricqlès, president of Christie’s France. “Thanks to Hubert de Givenchy’s elegance and perfect taste, this sale was a beautiful tribute to Diego Giacometti whose new auction record confirms his position as one of the most talented artists of the 20th century.”

Text: Emily Petsko

Photos: Christie’s

Feeling extravagant? Splurge on the world’s most expensive Easter eggs

Easter is a time for chocolate treats and what better way to celebrate than with a luxuriously decadent creation from UK-based chocolate company, Choccywoccydoodah. The eggs, which cost £25,000 (HK$240,900) weigh in at 100kg and feature Fabergé-style designs inspired by the 19th-century gifts bestowed on Russian tsars.

Coming in a trio and handcrafted from Belgium chocolate, each egg depicts mythical creatures such as unicorns, although custom designs can also be ordered. One design features a scene of Brighton’s Royal Pavillion where the company has a store. Each egg takes about three weeks to create and potential buyers are expected to be overseas investors or members of royal families.

Choccywoccydoodah’s owner and creative director Christine Taylor said, “I have always loved the actual Fabergé eggs. There will be people who will set their hearts on them and want to order them. We do have customers who will spend money if they want it enough.”

However, if you don’t mind splurging on inedible eggs, the ‘Mirage’ egg, created by Manfred Wild is an even more decadent purchase. Encrusted with 1,000 diamonds on the outer shell – 100 of which are brilliant-cut – the egg opens up to reveal an ornate globe made out of 18-carat gold. The globe lifts to reveal a rock crystal dove on a gold olive branch, which is designed to symbolise world peace.

The ‘Mirage’ took three years to make with elite craftsman across three continents all contributing to the process. The egg costs a cool £5 million, about the same price as a central London home, with the outer diamonds alone valued at £1.5 million.

Click here for more information.

Text: Siobhan Brewood-Wyatt

Seal of Emperor Qianlong sold for HK$170.2 million

The auction world was left stunned recently when an 18th century Chinese imperial seal sold for a staggering €21 million (HK$170.2 million). It wasn’t just the price tag that caused a stir, though. The amount was over 20 times the original estimate. Unsurprisingly, the auction house, Drouot, was delighted with the outcome.

The rare beige and red nephrite stamp is believed to date back to the Qianlong period, between 1736 and 1795. Once owned by Emperor Qianlong – the longest serving monarch in Chinese history – it features nine dragons across the sides, said to represent Qianlong’s empirical power and masculinity. Nine is also the maximum figure in Chinese cosmology.

Prior to the frantic bidding war, the seal had been in the same family for over 100 years, after it was acquired by a French naval doctor in the late 19th century.

“The seal was used to sign paintings by Emperor Qianlong himself, along with calligraphy,” according to Alice Jossot, an expert at Drouot.

Although the emperor was famed for his collection of seals (as many as 1,800 are once thought to have existed), just under half of the seals have vanished in the centuries since. The new owner is an unnamed Chinese collector; other items in the collection included two paintings by Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai.

Original Tintin drawing sells for HKD$12.16 million

The much loved Adventures of Tintin franchise has attracted collectors for over half a century, and a recent auction at Artcurial, Paris, suggests the comic series is in no danger of losing its appeal. An original drawing from the Explorers on the Moon edition sold for a record-breaking €1.55 million (HKD$12.16 million).

Originally estimated to sell for between €700,000 and €900,000, the 50cm x 35cm drawing in Chinese ink is considered one of Hergé’s – the Belgium cartoonist and Tintin creator – most significant pieces from the postwar period. Depicting the comic’s eponymous boy-hero, his dog Snowy and Captain Haddock walking on the moon, the artwork is considered as iconic as other Tintin greats, such as Tintin in Tibet.

Artcurial’s comics expert, Eric Leroy, described the sale as “an exceptional price for an exceptional piece”; the sale set a record price for a single cartoon. It still wasn’t quite enough to beat Hergé’s previous record, though – a double page ink drawing that sat inside the front cover of all Tintin adventures between 1937 and 1958 that sold for €2.65 million to a private American buyer three years ago.

The recent sale highlights the growing popularity of cartoon art at auction houses. Industry experts say that prices have increased tenfold in the past decade alone.

Hong Kongers splash the cash on Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is the official day of love, and people across the Asia Pacific region are putting their money where their heart is.

According to Mastercard’s recently released Consumer Purchasing Priorities Survey, nearly half of people across the region (48 percent) stick to the tried and tested means of wooing a loved one: a romantic meal.

Forty-four percent of people splash the cash on a gift.

The Chinese are the region’s most ardent lovers, with three in four purchasing gifts for their romantic interest.

Spending on Valentine’s Day, unsurprisingly, is lavish, at an average cost of US$133 (HK$1,032) per person globally.

Again, people in China certainly know how to make an impression, topping the spending list with US$310, followed by Hong Kong at US$282 and at Taiwan US$271.

Men spend about 25 percent more on gifts than women.

Men favour flowers as a gift for their beloved (40 percent), whereas women prefer buying clothes and leather goods (28 percent).

Among both genders, the top three gifts to purchase are flowers (31 percent), clothes and leather goods (20 percent), and jewellery (17 percent).

6 Valentine’s Day gifts for a loved one

In a fast-paced city like Hong Kong not everyone has the time to wander round the shops looking for the perfect Valentine’s gift. And with the most romantic day of the year just around the corner, time is running out for those who have left buying a gift to the last minute.

Luckily for you, we have compiled a list of Valentine’s gifts for that special someone.

Everyone loves cake! Ms B’s Cakery offers a selection of delicious and romantic cakes such as the Amoure, a chequered chocolate and strawberry butter cake laced with strawberry puree and light butter cream, and topped with a giant red rose and 20 small sugar flowers. If that is a bit too sweet for you, try the Lovebird Lilac, with lavender taro chiffon layers and a hint of coconut cream with glazed young coconut.

www.msbscakery.hk

Nothing says ‘I love you’ like a piece of jewellery, and Larry Jewelry has plenty of exquisite gems to choose from. The company’s Precious Heart collection features diamond heart-shaped rings, and some come with a sapphire, emerald and ruby. The heart-shaped gemstones are set with round, pear-shaped or marquise diamonds. The Luminous Stars collection has two-way pendants featuring shimmering diamonds with 18-carat rose gold or white gold. The pendants can be worn as a mini flower bud or a sparkling star.

www.larryjewelry.com

Burberry has released a combined blush and highlighter palette. First Love is inspired by playful prints and fabrics from their womenswear collections. The box has a heart-print design and the palette is infused with illuminating pearls to add subtle highlights to cheeks.

hk.burberry.com

Bally, the luxury fashion brand, was reportedly founded because of a husband’s simple gesture of love towards his wife. And with this in mind, the brand has unveiled its Valentine’s Day gift collection, including a simple and elegant grained calf leather Boom bag, a black grained leather Larsh cardholder and Avro and Avelle sneakers made from lightweight neoprene wrapped in leather perforated with the “B” symbol.

www.bally.com

Watchmaker Omega is aiming to be a matchmaker this Valentine’s Day with its Globemaster Co-Axial Master Chronometer Annual Calendar 41 mm. The watch is ideal for the man in your life. It has a stainless steel case and hard metal (tungsten carbide) bezel, and each of its facets includes a month of the year.

www.omegawatches.com

Luggage maker Rimowa has the perfect gift for a loved one who travels a lot — the Rimowa Salsa Air in Guards Red. The multiwheel suitcase comes in intense red, and its light weight makes it perfect for those who are always rushing to catch a flight.

www.rimowa.com

Written by Andrew Scott

Dinosaur skeleton fetches large sum at auction

Make no bones about it: a dinosaur skeleton is one of the rarest and most precious pieces of natural history that one could possibly possess. Well, anyone with a million euros to spare. A dinosaur skeleton named Kan sold for €1.1 million (HK$8.9 million) at a recent sale held by the Aguttes auction house in Lyon, France.

The species was an Allosaurus, a carnivorous predator that lived about 150 million years ago. As one of the most common dinosaurs in North America in the late Jurassic period, it is perhaps no surprise that this particular skeleton was discovered in the western United States in 2013. The skeleton is three-quarters complete and, once assembled, shows the dinosaur in a running position with its mouth open. At 7.5 metres long and 2.5 metres tall, this species was undoubtedly a menace to lowlier lizards when it roamed the Earth. Similar to the Tyrannosaurus rex, the Allosaurus ran on its hind legs and had tiny, three-fingered forelimbs.

The anonymous French buyer said the skeleton will go on public display in France, but the exact location has been kept something of a secret. The sale followed an earlier auction held by Sotheby’s in Paris that saw a dinosaur skeleton sell for €1.3 million.

8 resplendent gift ideas for the Year of the Rooster

Falling on the first day of a new moon, the Year of the Rooster starts on 28 January, with festivities for the Chinese New Year running until 11 February.

And one of the best ways to spread happiness during the Chinese New Year is to shower your loved ones with rooster-themed gifts.

Luckily for you, we have compiled a list of gifts for the upcoming Year of the Rooster.
Giorgio Armani has created a special edition version of its Le Sac 11 handbags, available in white with contrasting black handles, sides and closure and black with white details. The bags come in medium and small sizes. Armani has also released accessories for the Year of the Rooster, including a red handbag, a gift box containing a reversible black and cherry belt and a red calfskin Le Sac 11 handbag.

For those who enjoy a smoky New Year, Davidoff has released luxury cigars made from flawless premium Ecuadorian Habano wrapper on top of the rarest and finest strains of aged Dominican binder and filler tobaccos. They are the same size as the cigars released in 2006 as part of the 100th birthday celebration of the company’s late founder, Zino Davidoff. A matching set of accessories has also been released, including a double guillotine cutter and a red leather cigar case. Davidoff has only released 8,000 boxes worldwide.

Johnnie Walker Blue Label has continued its tradition of releasing special edition bottles based on the Chinese zodiac — it started with the horse in 2014 and continued with the ram and monkey in 2015 and 2016 — with an illustrated and packaged bottle featuring a rooster. The 750ml bottle is just the ticket to help get your friends and family in the New Year spirit.

Not everyone ushers in the New Year with alcohol. For those who prefer to celebrate the Year of the Rooster in a non-alcoholic way, Tea WG has launched the Morning Rooster Tea, a blend of black tea and green tea. The Morning Rooster Tea has silver tips and notes of jasmine, morning rose and orchard fruit. The tea comes in an emerald-hued box.

YSL’s Chinese New Year Collector Palette symbolises wealth and joy on its outer case with vivid red lacquer and a gold YSL logo. Once you open the box, the palette has two variations of wearable peach to give your complexion a warm, fresh glow, and are synonymous with fresh starts and optimistic outcomes. The palette can be used with one big brush to blend and sweep the blush across the face, or each of the two tones can be used separately.

Inspired by lucky symbols usually associated with the Chinese New Year, Links of London has created three new charms. The Sycee charm is a symbol of wealth and prosperity. The Coin keepsake is used in feng shui and will ward off misfortune and the Happiness charm, adorned with an orchid, will hopefully bring you good luck. The 18-carat gold vermeil charms are detailed with red enamel. Links of London has also released a Dancing Lion Charm crafted in sterling silver, 18-carat gold vermeil and red enamel.

Baccarat has launched three limited edition Chevalier Rooster figurines in an art deco style. The Chevalier Rooster embodies a sense of art deco charm, while the Zodiaque collection offers red and clear versions. The figurines were designed by Georges Chevalier.

Moncler’s special edition jackets for men and women are ideal for Chinese New Year, with their fire red colour and gold highlights. The jackets also come with a tasteful tribute to the Year of the Rooster in the form of a Rooster brocade print on the women’s jacket and an embroidered Rooster motif on the back panel of the men’s design. Both jackets are reversible.

Written by Andrew Scott

Love token: Cartier bracelet fit for a duchess

Rumoured to have once been owned by Madonna, this menacingly exquisite bracelet is valued at an impressive US$12.4 million. In addition to its celebrity credentials, it also has a royal connection. A truly stunning item of jewellery, it was once owned by the American socialite Wallis Simpson, a lady best known for her relationship with Edward VIII. Indeed, the one-time king was so besotted with her he abdicated the British throne in 1936 in order to marry her.

Over the course of her life, Simpson was given a huge number of gifts by the clearly-smitten Edward, although this particular Cartier-created bracelet remains one of the most unconventional. The panther is composed of single-cut diamonds and a semiprecious black onyx gemstone. Strikingly, its eyes stand out due to the use of two specially cut marquise-shaped emeralds. The panther’s articulated body has also been designed to strike a stalking pose while neatly encircling the wrist.

The Duke and Duchess of Windsor – as Edward and Simpson later became officially known – commissioned the bracelet to be made in Paris in 1952. Such was the prestige of the commission that Jeanne Toussaint, one of Cartier’s most senior designers, took on the task himself.