Mundi Mouring: Where in the world is the missing da Vinci

We all misplace things from time to time, be it our keys, bank cards or other halves. Few of us, however, can claim to have unwittingly parted company with the World’s Most Expensive Painting Ever. But then few of us, unlike the somewhat cavalier custodians of the Abu Dhabi Louvre, are ever likely to be entrusted with as illustrious an illustrative work as Salvator Mundi, a 500-year-old painting of Jesus said to have been the work of Leonardo “Mona Lisa” da Vinci, which fetched a truly divine US$450 million at an auction in 2017.

Now the property of the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, the work was scheduled to go on display in the United Arab Emirates gallery back in September. After extensive ducking of the issue and several months of prevarication, it finally transpired that the Louvre’s sundry art-look-afterers, thought that, maybe, it had been sent to Zurich to be examined. Or maybe Geneva. Alternatively, it may well be deep in the repository’s cellars, possibly under a pile of unopened mail and some old instant noodle cartons. Whatever the final outcome, one thing is clear – the Lord certainly has been moved in a mysterious way.

Bugatti La Voiture Noire becomes world’s most expensive new car

Just when you thought the world of autocratic automobiles couldn’t possibly get any more exciting, the very latest supercar – the Bugatti La Voiture Noire – smashed all previous records by commanding a price of US$18 million.

Luxuriously crafted and exotically created by France’s Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S, a Volkswagen group subsidiary, it is now officially the most expensive new car ever sold. At least part of its value is down to the fact that it is a genuine one-off, with no take two planned for this most memorable of motors.

Undoubtedly the most remarkable motor vehicle to have been crafted in the 21st century to date, the genuinely magnificent La Voiture Noire comes equipped with a massive 8-litre quad-turbocharged 16-cylinder engine capable of delivering up to 1,500 bHp.

Describing the “aesthetic feast” that is La Voiture Noire, Bugatti president Stephan Winkelmann said: “We are paying tribute to a long tradition, to France and the creative work of Jean Bugatti. At the same time, we are transferring extraordinary technology aesthetics and extreme luxury to a new age.”

Raise a toast to daddy dearest with Louis XIII cognac

Our fathers are the silent heroes in our lives. This Father’s Day, surprise your dad with a premium cognac from French luxury cognac brand Louis XIII – an ideal gift with a special engraved note of ‘Happy Father’s Day’* as a tribute to this very special man in your life.

At Louis XIII, legacy carries a lot of weight. Just like our fathers mentor and guide us, each generation of cellar master at Louis XIII creates and nourishes the special cognac that carries the maison’s legacy into the future. Just as our relation with our father bridges the gap between the past and the future, so also the transmitted knowledge of each of Louis XIII’s cellar masters creates a bond between the past and the future – culminating in the cognac that lives on for generations…

The enchanting beauty of the cognac is visible in its rich amber hues, but it is only in its aroma and taste that a whole range of flavours open up – from light floral notes of dried roses and honeysuckle mingled with the rich candied notes of preserved plums to rich notes of cigar box and leather giving way finally to the vivid freshness of passion fruit, spiked with ginger, thyme or myrrh. With each drop, opulence vies with vivacity making every tasting a special occasion.

But notwithstanding the rich aromas and flavours of the drink, gifting a Louis XIII cognac to your father is also very much a symbolic gesture. As a family-run luxury brand born in 1874, that still upholds strong family ties, Louis XIII represents a promise to honour family values through time – symbolises the emotional connection between you and your father.

*Engraving service requires one week of time to implement, for more information please contact: Calvin.Chen@LOUISXIII-COGNAC.com

Hornographics: Antique Golden Horn pot resurfaces at auction

A rare example of Iznik earthenware – ceramic items produced in 1475–1700 AD in what is now Turkey – a Golden Horn pottery dish no less, went under the hammer at the Sotheby’s Arts of the Islamic World auction early last month, the first item to be sold through such means in more than 30 years.

This particular bit of tableware purportedly dates back to around 1530, with its distinct look said to be down to the unique illustrative skills of the specially-trained court officials of the day. Even more remarkably, its distinctive cobalt blue spirals designs – featuring stems, flower-heads, floral vines and palmettes – remain nearly as vivid as they must have been when they were first rendered some 500 years ago.

An item sure to outshine any other in even the most salubrious ceramics cabinet, it last came up for auction back in 1989 and has languished in a private collection ever since. As for its Golden Horn (Tuğrakeş) classification, it is the categorisation for a group of ancient pottery fragments discovered over 120 years ago along a series of waterways off the southern shores of Istanbul.

Holly’s International (HK) to host its first Hong Kong auction this weekend

Holly’s International (HK) is set to host their first-ever auction in the city later this month from 25–27 May at the Grand Ballroom of the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, with an expansive array of lots on offer. Premium items include Chinese classical paintings and calligraphy, modern and contemporary art, Chinese ceramics, porcelain and jade, as well as jewellery and watches, which will be sold over the course of nine different sessions.

While this will be Holly’s International (HK)’s first showing in Hong Kong, the international auction company’s team comprises professionals from across the globe and has been operating in southern China for over 25 years. The international organisation prides itself in its ability to create a centre for Asian and Western scholars and art, while ensuring collectors have the opportunity to take home true masterpieces.

Among the impressive collection, perhaps one of the most unique lots is a series of 12 print spray canvases that have been painted on by the late American comic book writer, editor, publisher and producer, Stan Lee. Marvel fans will surely be delighted with the series as it includes covers from vintage Captain America, Spiderman and The Hulk issues, and more, all of which have been personally autographed by Lee.

Meanwhile, Holly’s department of jewellery and watches has selected a series of luxurious gems and precious stones for the exhibition, including a number of jade objects crafted from a rare Myanmar jade which was discovered in 2014 and weighed a whopping 233kg. Those with jewellery aficionados will also want to keep their sights set on the sapphires and rubies that will go under the hammer next week.

Holly’s International (HK) First Auction in Hong Kong
Preview Dates: 25-26 May (Saturday and Sunday)
Opening Hours: 10:00am–20:00pm
Auction Date: 27 May (Monday)
Auction Time: 11:00am
Venue: Grand Ballroom, Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, 1 Harbour Road, Wan Chai

Pink Diamond Feud: Giant pink diamond amps up multi-carat competition

In a move that must surely sour the day of the cash-flashers over at Harry Winston, their relatively recent claim to pink diamond supremacy already looks a little dated. Indeed, even though the eminent New York-headquartered jewellery house only secured the genuinely magnifico Winston Pink Legacy diamond a few short months ago, it is now set to be eclipsed by Graff Jewellers, with their London-based rival having unveiled the arguably-even-more-magnifico Graff Lesotho Pink.

The 18.96-carat Winston Pink Legacy pink diamond ring

Although a little lower on the carat count – 13.33 carats compared to Harry Winston’s 18.96 carats – with a price tag of US$8,750,360, the Graff gem wins out on the all-important per-carat price scale.

The newly-discovered 13.33-carat Graff Lesotho Pink

It would, however, seem that Graff’s long-term pink diamond victory is far from assured, with rumours already swirling that yet grander pinkly perfect specimens are set to be unearthed in Lesotho, the southern African nation that has become the goto source for such salmonesque stones. If that’s borne out, it could be that this latest spate of pink one-upmanship could, indeed, run and run.

Grand Oppurtunity: High ROI on Non-current currency

While most of us are only too adept at turning a US$1,000 into loose change after a weekend of wry abandonment, bill-paying and postponed indulgence, a fair rarer trick is transforming that same grand into US$1.9 million – an ROI of almost 2,000 percent. Sadly, there are few licit investment opportunities that guarantee such a splendid return – unless, of course, you are in possession of a rare 19th century US$1,000 bill, then it’s clearly a doddle…

Indeed, one venerable 130-year-old bit of currency performed just such a display of prestidigitation when it came up for sale courtesy of Stacks Bowers, the New York headquartered auction group. To be fair, its worth stemmed from two hard-to-dispute facts – only 1,500 of these particular bills were ever issued back in 1891, and of them, this is the only extant example in private hands. Even bearing its remarkable provenance in mind, however, the fact that it commanded a price of nearly US$2 million today is still more astounding in that, just 25 years ago, it was valued at no more than US$25,000.

High Flier: Unusually prized Belgian pigeon fetches US$1.4 million

If you only see pigeons as two-winged toxin factories, gliding germ generators with a mastery of in-flight infection, then the fact that a Chinese buyer has just spent more than US$1.4 million to secure the services of one may cause you some degree of bafflement. That, however, is the case.

More specifically, Armando, a Belgian racing pigeon of some renown, is the latest recruit to the all-star flock of some sadly anonymous mainland millionaire. In total, he spent US$1,408,518.78 on luring the clearly admirably aerodynamic Armando eastwards, which, as any fool will tell you, is more than triple the US$425,000 transfer fee secured by Nadine, the previously Highest-priced Pigeon of All Time.

Armando, though, is something very special. Bred in West Belgium and hailed as the tiny European country’s leading long-distance racer, he was reared by Joel Verschoot, apparently a legendary pigeon impresario. Given that Armando has been expertly schooled in winging it back home from wherever he’s released in record time, it could be that his oriental occupancy is, however, something of a brief one…

US$4.5 million bid for Fourteen Poems on Planting Bamboo by Li Dongyang

With 2019 looking set to be the Year of Reemerging Classical Chinese art, another venerable artefact from the Middle Kingdom’s golden era smashed expectations when it come up for auction at Sotheby’s in Hong Kong earlier this year. The collectible in question, Fourteen Poems on Planting Bamboo by Li Dongyang (1447–1516), dated back to the time of the Ming Dynasty and eventually changed hands for US$4.5 million – five times the original estimate.

For those wondering just how this handwritten scroll’s hefty price tag can be justified, a brief history lesson may prove enlightening. Li Donyang was something a distinguished fellow – a scholar, a poet, a painter a calligrapher and a holder of the highest level-imperial degree. Naturally highly regarded, his 14 poems run the length of the 10-metre scroll, with every character exquisitely calligraphed in the author’s distinctive cursive script. Even more impressively, it is virtually in mint condition, with only four characters said to have been lost in the five centuries since he sat down to work on it. A remarkable feat and one that, understandably, commanded a remarkable price.