Los Angeles – In Il Sogno their Bel Air villa, property mogul Howard Ruby and Hollywood star Yvette Mimieux, built a wonderful collection of European art and antiques including 16th century Italian maiolica, 17th century French bronzes, Old Master paintings, 18th century European furniture, silver, and other rare objects. These wonderful treasures are to be offered for sale at Bonhams Los Angeles in just under 300 lots on September 21.
The sale contains a particularly strong group of maiolica including a Deruta Maiolica ‘Bel Uomo’ gold-lustered charger, from 1535 with a painted portrait of a youth wearing a laurel crown and toga beside a scrolling banner. Estimate: $40,000-60,000. It is matched by a Deruta Maiolica gold-lustered ‘Bella Donna’ charger also manufactured in the Perugian hill town of Deruta, a centre of maiolica production and still internationally famous for its ceramics. The Bella Donna charger, which dates from 1530 and is painted with the half-length portrait of a Renaissance beauty, is estimated at US$25,000-35,000.
Several pieces of Maiolica work from Gubbio, another centre of production in Perugia, also features. Additionally, there is a magnificent Castelli Maiolica drug vase circa 1530-1550 attributed to Orazio Pompei the most famous of a distinguished family of ceramicists estimated at US$25,000-35,000 and adocumentary Castelli Maiolica two-handled vase and cover signed by Liborio Grue from the Grue Family Workshops 1740. Estimate: US$25,000-35,000.
Other highlights in the sale include:
- A Roman Grand Tour Marble Model of a Panther, carved in yellow mottled grey, from the second half of 18th Century, in the manner of Antonio Moglia or Francesco Antonio Franzoni. Estimate: $80,000-120,000.
- A Neoclassicism painting of a woman seated with an open book, attributed to Jean Charles Nicaise Perrin in 1792 – a time when this style of painting was popular across Europe. Estimate: $20,000-30,000.
- French Rococo set of four canvases, arched at the top depicting figures in bucolic settings that is attributed to a follower François Boucher (French, 1703-1770). Estimate: $20,000-30,000.
- A French Patinated Bronze Figural Group (c. 1700) depicting the Greek myth whenPluto abducts Proserpine. The sculpture is attributed to after François Girardon and similar pieces can be found in The Wallace collection in London, the Louvre, and the Getty Museum in Malibu. Estimate: $15,000-20,000.
- A 17th Century Italian Pietra Dura (hardstone) Tabletop shows the natural beauty of stones and is adorned with motifs derived from ancient Roman mosaics. Estimate: $40,000-60,000
- Four Victorian Silver Figural Salt Cellars (1855) by Robert Garrard II (b. London, 1855-1858) depicting two ladies and two gentleman holding baskets with gilt-washed interiors, one woman holding a rose and a man holding grapes. Estimate: $4,000-6,000.
- Still life painting of fruits in classic style of the circle of Flemish painter Jacob van Hulsdonck. Estimate: $30,000-50,000.
