Europe

Jean Dunand was an Art Deco period craftsman known above all for his skill in the technique of lacquer and a good example of his craftsmanship was the star turn in a sale of decorative arts held by Tajan (26/21/14% buyer’s premium).

Among the more extraordinary forms of French furniture is the ‘machine pneumatique’ – a device used in the Age of Enlightenment to demonstrate the mysterious properties of the vacuum or ‘the energy of the nothingness’.

In typical fashion, a landscape by Irish art market heavyweight Paul Henry (1877-1958) took top honours at the latest round of auctions in Dublin – though its sale to an online bidder was an unexpected twist.

An impressive 19th century longcase regulator attracted several bidders at a sale held by Metz (28/25% buyer’s premium) in Heidelberg.

An unmistakable piece of modern furniture is the highlight of the sale on May 16 at Lempertz in Cologne.

Estimated at €1000, this 19th century Irish mahogany bureau with a link to Sir Winston Churchill sold for €9500 (£8000) at Fonsie Mealy (25% buyer’s premium) in Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny.

Nineteenth century French creation features Fall of Phaeton Greek myth

Star lot of a section of a recent Neumeister’s (30/27/25% buyer’s premium) auction in Munich devoted to the legacy of Alexander Eugen, Duke of Württemberg, who died last year at the age of 91, was literally one of the eyecatchers.

The biblical story of Susanna and the Elders, also known as Susanna Bathing, has inspired artists throughout the centuries, among them Jan Lievens who painted this version in c.1630.

The contents of the Bishop’s House in Newry, standing on the Clanrye river in counties Down and Armagh, were sold by Victor Mee (20% buyer’s premium) earlier this year.

As a token of their appreciation for his work as administrator of the region around the German town of Geldern, a few miles from the Dutch border, 16 mayors from local towns presented the Prussian politician and bureaucrat Georg von Eerde with a monumental silver centrepiece.

A tribal art sale held by Lempertz (26/20% buyer’s premium) in Brussels earlier this year was led by an exceptional nkisi nkondi figure. Guided at €70,000-80,000, it hammered at €320,000 (£264,500).

A fine example of early 18th century Ottoman metalwork sold for many times its estimate at Stockholms Auktionsverk (20% buyer’s premium) on February 20.

Two unusual books took top honours at a Neumeister (30/27/25% buyer’s premium) auction in Munich, both achieving multiples of the estimates.

As with Pierre Jeanneret and his vision for Chandigarh in India, Oscar Niemeyer (1907-2012) is famous for his involvement in the city of Brasilia as chief architect.

Swedish civil engineer and army officer with great understanding bought the best impressions available

Dealer Patrick Mestdagh (Galerie Patrick & Ondine Mestdagh) has partnered with gallery owner Sébastien Janssen (Sorry We’re Closed) to launch a new art and antiques fair in Brussels.