The Frame Blog

This auction, to be held by Thierry de Maigret at the Hôtel Drouot, includes a small group of antique frames of various periods and nationalities. They are part of a sale of items from the Villa La Pausa at Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, successively the home of Gabrielle Chanel, and then of Emery and Wendy Reves, who bought the house and its contents from Chanel in 1953. Fourteen hundred objects from the collection were given to the Dallas Museum of Art in 1985. Some examples from amongst the frames in this present auction are included here; for the catalogue online see Thierry de Maigret: Collection Emery & Wendy Reves.

Lot 43: Graham Sutherland (1903-80), Crucifixion, 1964, pastel on paper, 21 x 64 cm.; with a stained & polished frame inlaid with panels of floral & foliate rinceaux on the lateral rails, and naturalistic flowers in different woods in the corners and the centres of the short rails; estimate €1,500-3,000

Lot 44: André Derain (1880-1954), Nature morte à la coupe de fruits, gouache, 15 x 22 cm.; with a late 16th-17th century parcel-gilt cassetta, reduced and having lost the original corner and centre configurations; the frieze finely decorated with foliate scrolling ornament in mordant gilding on a black ground; estimate €1,500-1,800

Lot 86: 17th century French Louis XIV ogee frame, carved in oak wood; chain moulding at back edge, foliate & fanned lambrequin corners and shell centres on a cross-hatched ground, with foliate strapwork on a hatched ground on the ogee; sanded frieze; acanthus leaf tip sight edge on a hatched ground; 28 x 22 cm.; estimate €500-800

Lot 88: (image at back) 17th century French Louis XIV ogee frame, carved in oak wood; scrolling foliate corners and strapwork & leaf bud centres, Bérainesque strapwork and rinceaux; sanded frieze; 79.5 x 63 cm.; estimate €700-1,000

Lot 90: (image at front) 18th century French Rococo frame, carved in oak wood; with chain motif at back edge; pierced scrolling foliate & rocaille corners and centres clasped across the rail; a swept S-scrolling top edge; flowered rinceaux in the hollow; plain frieze; acanthus leaf tip-&-bud sight edge; 59.8 x 49.3 cm.; estimate €500-800 (with apologies for the photo)

Lot 92: 16th century ‘Sansovino’ frame, possibly from Venice or the Veneto, possibly provincial, possibly with diverse elements; with the head of a cherubim at top centre supported by paired scrolls; seraph caryatides morphing into fluted scrolls at the sides; a mascaron at bottom centre supported by further scrolls; the whole in stained and parcel-gilt wood, later painted, polished and possibly varnished;  65 x 52.5 cm; now containing a looking-glass; estimate €2,000-3,000

Lot 93: Italian ‘Sansovino’ frame, 18th century or later (even 19th? Florentine?); heavy scrolls and fluting; anachronistic têtes espagnolettes at top and bottom centre; caryatides replaced by terms on elongated scrolls with swags of fruit; gilded overall; 55 x 41 cm.; now containing a looking-glass; estimate €1,200-1,800

Lot 95: (image at back) 17th century Netherlandish frame veneered in tortoiseshell on a red ground between three bands of ebonized ripple moulding; inlaid with bone stringing around the frieze; 33.5 x 27.5 cm.; estimate €800-1,200 (with apologies for the photo)

Lot 101: 17th century Spanish Baroque reverse frame, parcel-gilt and polychrome; with beaded back edge; scrolled and foliate corners on a frieze decorated with scrolling foliate ornament on a red ground; undulating leaf sight edge; the whole obscured with brown overpaint; no accurate size or estimate available as description is missing from catalogue; dimensions must be roughly 42 x 33 cm. (?)

Lot 102: 19th century Italian Rococo revival shaped looking-glass frame, with rocailles in the frieze and a shell at bottom centre; supported on feet; finished with silver or metal leaf; 79 x 101 cm.; estimate €300-500

Lot 103: 17th-18th century Netherlandish frame, ebonized wood picked out in mordant gilding; with bands of ripple moulding at the back and sight edges, and fluted cavetto and canted frieze; containing an antique looking-glass silvered with mercury; 19.5 x 24 cm.; estimate €300-600

Lot 105: 18th century Netherlandish frame, ebonized oak wood with with bands of ripple moulding at the top and sight edges; fluted frieze and pewter stringing; 29.5 x 24 cm.; estimate €600-800

Lot 107: a pair of 18th century Italian lyre-shaped looking-glass frames, composed of single acanthus leaves springing from scrolls at the base, terminating with pendant flowers and cosses-de-pois; a garland of bell-flowers and beads at the sight edge; outer measurements 101 x 68 cm.; previously the property of Mme Chanel; estimate €1,500-2,000

Lot 109: 18th century (?) Italian Baroque bolection looking-glass frame, carved with opposed C-scrolls and undercut; with scalloped sight edge; the whole obscured with brown overpaint; 40.5 x 35 cm.; estimate €600-800

Lot 110: 18th century French Rococo frame; with acanthus leaf tip on a hatched ground at back edge; pierced scrolling foliate & rocaille corners and centres on a diapered ground; a swept S-scrolling top edge; flowered rinceaux in the hollow; plain frieze; acanthus leaf tip-&-bud motif on a hatched ground at sight edge; 75 x 62 cm.; now containing a looking-glass; estimate €300-500

Lot 111: 17th century Italian Baroque bolection frame, with cross-cut acanthus on the back edge; centred torus of imbricated bay leaves; 89.5 x 74 cm.; now containing a looking-glass; estimate €1,500-2,000

Lot 112: 18th century French Rococo frame; with ovolo chain at back edge; pierced scrolling foliate & rocaille corners on a cross-hatched ground, and shell centres on a cross-hatched ground; a swept S-scrolling gadrooned top edge; flowered rinceaux in the hollow; sanded frieze; acanthus leaf tip-&-bud motif on a hatched ground at sight edge; 59 x 49 cm.; now containing a looking-glass; estimate €600-800

Catalogue online: Thierry de Maigret: Collection Emery & Wendy Reves