The iridescent glamour of Siegfried & Roy’s estate sale
It’s not possible anymore to be famous and moneyed the way Siegfried & Roy were famous and moneyed. This is neither a good thing nor a bad thing, but it’s important to remember the cultural conditions that allowed two poor German immigrants — one a whiz with magic, the other having an uncanny connection with animals — to meet on a cruise ship, join talents and become the glitziest, campiest, longest-running act in Las Vegas history. The conditions were narrower, for one.
Whether you liked the act or not (alas, I never saw it), from their peak in the 1980s on, Siegfried Fischbacher — the blonder, more delicately featured one — and Roy Horn — tawny, brunet, with a bristle broom mustache that came and went — were icons. Their names were a byword for the very idea of Entertainment writ large. Their images were synonymous with big cats — the white tigers that were the cornerstone of their act. They worked and played and lived with the exotic animals for decades, making them disappear, levitate and so on while wearing complementary custommade costumes dripping with sequins and beads, fanning out with shoulders and lapels out to God-knowswhere.
The soap bubble of iridescent glamour popped suddenly in 2003 after Horn was attacked onstage by one of the tigers. The official story is that he suffered a minor stroke while performing, confusing the animal, which then tried to “help” Horn by dragging him offstage by the throat, like a cub.
After 30 years of sold-out, incident-free shows — part of the pair’s exclusive alliance with the Mirage — sure, why not. Horn died in May 2020 of complications related to COVID-19. Fischbacher died just months later of pancreatic cancer. They were 75 and 81, respectively.
The duo’s estate, including personal items from their homes and wardrobes, is being auctioned this week at Bonhams in Hollywood. I previewed the sale with Helen Hall, the auction house’s director of popular culture. A sampling of their things:
GRAB A SEAT
The word “maximalist” would require new, extraneous and yet-to-be coined terms to describe the aesthetic Siegfried and & Roy projected. In reality, their personal tastes differed wildly. The two maintained separate homes on a 100acre Nevada compound they called Little Bavaria. Roy lived in a cabin-style house filled with gothic furniture and European art. Siegfried’s was a sleek Midcentury Modern with lots of glass, acrylic and ’80s things.
A set of 12 Anglo-Indian shell inlaid wood dining chairs (Lot 223) is from a third on the property. For meetings. “There was also a house on the property that was just for Roy’s mother,” Hall says. The shell work is so pretty and delicate that it’s like sitting in a white camellia flower.
MUSICAL INTERLUDE
I cannot stress this enough: Every girl needs an old-timey barrel organ (Lot 287). “There’s actually been a lot of interest in the organ,” Hall says. “We had to track down the manufacturer to find out what kind of battery it takes. Twelve volt. Easy to find.”
BIT OF HISTORY?
For all their tacky, accessible glamour, the guys knew that real luxury was about exclusivity. What’s harder to cop than a “possible” fragment of the Berlin Wall (Lot 66) in an exclusive graywith-a-shot-of-red colorway? “There’s language we have to use around the items for legal reasons,” Hall says. However, she adds with a smile, “We’re sure it’s authentic.”
TICK, TOCK
There is a lot of jewelry in the sale. Much is customized with outsize jewels and images of big cats. A Cartier stainless steel and gold “Tank Anglaise XL” wristwatch (Lot 348) is a testament to the duo’s playful attitudes toward taste.
The Cartier “Tank” watch is what an underpaid copywriter might call a piece of understated luxury. The XL version is blown up to anything but understated proportions.
In person, it looks like an oversize cartoon of a watch, which might cause the winning bidder to walk crooked, but I can’t imagine being able to pull this off without a sense of humor.
RETRO LOOKS
A pair of western-themed jackets worn by Siegfried & Roy in performances (Lot 480) are giving off Isabel Marant vibes. Wear with jeans and flats. I think you could get away with it.
ON THE CAROUSEL
There’s a massive amount of luggage in the auction. Some is still tagged with humble laminated address labels held on by bits of yarn. Some is still in its original plastic wrap. All of it is from the flashy German luxury brand Modern Creation München, known by its acronym MCM.
The signature logo-pattern is perfect for Siegfried & Roy. Louis Vuitton or Goyard would have been too staid for the proudly newmoney duo.
The auction house divvied up the lots to create several sets. A group of nine leather pieces designed by Michael Cromer (Lot 291) ostensibly belonged to Siegfried and is the only one with a racket bag.
RELIGIOUS ICON
Siegfried & Roy were devout Catholics, as evidenced by a Russian parcel gilt-metal mounted polychrome wood icon Mother of God (Lot 184). “They had a little chapel in their home.” Hall says. “They were deeply religious. Siegfried’s sister was actually a nun.”
Hall displays a photo from 1978 of Siegfried & Roy dressed in gold chains and dazzling white denim separates, affectionately flanking a young nun, Sister Dolore. The auction includes several 19th century icons collected by Roy during his many buying trips across Europe, but I would recommend a signed photograph by Gandhi or Mother Teresa, which is also available.
HEAR IT ROAR
The collection has paintings of tigers from across nearly every genre and art period, but a 9- by 9-foot fabric one from an unidentified artist (Lot 125) is my favorite. The estimate tops out at $300. I might bid on it myself.
The prices in general seemed surprisingly low. “We estimate everything according to its provenance and inherent value, not necessarily its owners,” Hall said.
“Of course, when there’s an emotional connection, there’s an opportunity for things to sell much higher. But who knows? You might get a bargain.”