OFF THE BLOCK

We keep you up-to-date on the hottest lots under the hammer.

Bicorne Hat Believed to Have Been Worn by Napoleon Bonaparte

Auctioned by Bonhams in London for £200,250

This black beaver felt bicorne hat with a black silk lining, attributed to the Parisian hatmaker Poupart & Cie, is believed to have been worn by Napoleon Bonaparte. He began wearing his trademark hat in 1799 (turned sideways in order to allow his soldiers to recognise him instantly on the battlefield), going on to use approximately 120 of them during his 15-year reign as the first emperor of France. This particular bicorne hat is thought to have been crafted for a winter campaign and is likely to have been worn by Napoleon during the battles of Jena and Auerstadt in 1806.

Imperial Beijing Enamel Melon-shaped Teapot

Auctioned by Bonhams in London for £2 million

Comfortably exceeding its initial top pre-auction estimate of £800,000, this exceptionally rare melon-shaped teapot and cover was the shining star of the Parry Collection of Chinese Art Sale. Part of a ravishing English private collection of imperial enamel, lacquer, porcelain and jades selected by Mr and Mrs EA Parry, the collection was assembled from 1919 onwards and then kept within the family for three generations. The teapot bears a Qianlong blue enamel four-character mark, elegant lobed panels enamelled with scenes of mountainous or lakeside landscapes and flowers, and handles and a spout that issue from a dragon’s head.

Portrait of a Gentleman by El Greco

Bidding commences on 7 December through Christie’s in London

One of three exceptional old master paintings restituted to the heirs of the Julius & Camilla Priester Collection, this early masterpiece by Doménikos Theotokópoulos – a Greek painter of the Spanish Renaissance most widely known as El Greco – dates back to 1570. Carrying a top estimate of £1.2 million, it is one of the earliest surviving portraits by the artist and one of the last to remain in private hands. It previously belonged to Viennese art collectors Julius and Camilla Priester, whose entire collection was seized by the Nazis between 1938 and 1944. These works are the result of extensive efforts by the couple and their heirs to recover the collection.

Homme et enfant by Pablo Picasso

Auctioned by Sotheby’s in Las Vegas for US$24.4 million

Of the 11 Pablo Picasso masterworks sold at Sotheby’s and MGM Resorts International’s special white-glove auction in Bellagio, which fetched a combined total of US$109 million, Homme et enfant was the second highestselling piece of the evening. Channelling power and complexity, this 1959 painting – which stands almost two metres tall – is distinguished by scumbled, gestural brushstrokes that point to Picasso’s energy and vitality which were on full display during the final stage of his career.

Michael Jordan’s Game-worn Nike Air Ships

Auctioned by Sotheby’s in Las Vegas for US$1.5 million

Snapped up by sports card collector Nick Fiorella at Sotheby’s Icons of Excellence & Haute Luxury auction, these Nike Air Ships became the first pair of sneakers to top US$1 million at any auction. They’re record-breakers for good reason: this pair is attributed to Michael Jordan’s fifth NBA game in his 1984 rookie season and are the earliest regular season pair from the basketball legend’s unparalleled career in the NBA to appear at auction. While awaiting the creation of Air Jordan 1, Nike supplied Jordan with a limited number of Nike

Air Ships. Unlike versions that have surfaced at market before, this pair just has the word ‘Air’ printed on the heels.

Karl Lagerfeld’s Dom Pérignon Balloon Venus

Bidding commences in December through Sotheby’s in Monaco and Paris

Part of a series of eight auctions featuring the collection of design icon Karl Lagerfeld, who was arguably best known for his role as artistic director of Chanel from 1983 to 2019, each auction displays an anthology of his personal taste. Starting with an inaugural sale session in Monaco from 3 to 5 December and a second sale at Sotheby’s Paris from 13 to 15 December, items ranging from the art Lagerfeld collected to prized pieces from his wardrobe will showcase his particular eye for detail. This Dom Pérignon Balloon Venus by

Jeff Koons, for instance, is one of the most extravagant highlights up for offer, carrying a top estimate of €30,000.

Love is in the Bin by Banksy

Auctioned by Sotheby’s in London for £18.6 million

Originally sold at auction for £1 million in 2018, Banksy’s Girl With Balloon became an instant sensation when a shredding mechanism hidden within its ornate frame began slicing the canvas into neat strips seconds after its sale. This act of apparent auto-destruction was later confirmed by Banksy as the intentional creation of a new work of art, with the artist’s authentication body retitling it Love is in the Bin. Described as an “audacious piece of performance art” by Oliver Barker, auctioneer and chairman of Sotheby’s Europe, it became the centrepiece of a nine-way bidding war before setting a new record auction price for a Banksy work.