The 50-plus lots, many of them collected by Baron Gustave de Rothschild (1829-1911), will be up for sale on July 4 with selected highlights going on tour prior to this in New York (April 25-30) and Hong Kong (May 24-27).
Many of the pieces offered also come with prestigious earlier provenances.
The potential star of the sale is a pair of very grand early 18th century Flemish cabinets on stands in tortoiseshell, brass and pewter marquetry and giltwood. They belong to a group of four that were originally commissioned in Antwerp c.1713 for Philip V, King of Spain, from the furniture maker and dealer Henrick Van Soest.
The pair is estimated at £1.5m-2.5m.
The sale also includes a writing table by the famous ébéniste Jean-Henri Riesener which was commissioned by Queen Marie Antoinette c.1780, almost certainly for the Petit Trianon.
The writing table commissioned from Jean-Henri Riesener by Marie Antoinette, to be offered by Christie’s on July 4, estimated at £600,000-1m.
The table, which is marked with the queen’s garde meuble brand that was applied to her furniture after 1784, is estimated at £600,000-1m.
Works of art in the sale include a set of 10 parcel-gilt polychrome enamel plaques of c.1550 by Leonard Limousin, each depicting an apostle (estimate £200,000-300,000), and a Venetian parcel-gilt, gilt-bronze and rock crystal casket of c.1600 that once belonged to the famous collector William Beckford and featured in the celebrated 1823 Fonthill Abbey sale (estimate £100,000-150,000).
