The auction series, dubbed The House Sale, will be held at Rockefeller Center on the first Wednesday of every month (except May and December). Uniquely, the initiative will kick off with a two-day event to be held on February 5 and 6. To get prospective purchasers into the swing of things, Christie’s asked the interior designer Jeffrey Bilhuber, renowned for his flair in interpreting classic materials in a modern tradition, to survey the material gathered for their first show and select his favourite pieces with comments on their design potential.
Among the pieces that caught Mr Bilhuber’s eye were a Louis XVI white painted bergère, which “mixes so well no matter what the backdrop, whether traditional or modern”, a French boulle marquetry box that can add “a discreet level of luxury to a contemporary setting”, and this Venetian baroque blackamoor figure.
“Once the basic decoration foundation has been established, then we can inject a certain degree of whimsy… to bring the space to life,” says Mr Bilhuber of this piece, adding, “But what to put in the basket held by this Blackamoor? Perhaps he should stand guard in the hallway to confront the guest or occasional intruder, or just hold the winter gloves and scarves”.
Whatever decision its new owner makes, Christie’s are expecting the figure to cost between $6000-8000 when it comes up for sale next month.
The one-day, one-stop shop
The decorative approach to antique buying has been given a firm nod of acknowledgment by Christie’s. In New York next month they launch the first of a new category of “one-stop shopping” sales, where they will be offering property from a wide range of collecting fields with an equally broad price range aimed at “lifestyle clients looking for the perfect object to decorate their homes”.
