“L’Art de la Table!” is back at Mackenzie Castle!

On November 14, 2024, Cambi Auction House will set up a major auction in Genoa dedicated to L’Art de la Table in the evocative setting of Castello Mackenzie. This auction is a tribute to the elegance and art of mise en place, with a catalog of porcelain, silverware, crystal and objets d’art, carefully selected to enhance the pleasure of conviviality.

With a catalog numbering 421 lots, the auction will be held in two sessions: the first at 10 a.m., devoted to lots 1 to 176, and the second at 2:30 p.m., with lots 177 to 421. Each piece has been chosen for its quality and ability to tell a story of timeless style and refinement. From precious 18th-century tableware to the most modern and original creations, “L’Art de la Table” represents a unique opportunity to admire and acquire objects that celebrate the beautiful and the precious.

The selection of outstanding lots is a true journey through the eras and traditions of the most celebrated European manufactures:

Lot 85 – The “Grüner Weinkranz” table service from the Meissen Manufacture is one of the gems of the auction. Comprising 286 pieces, this service takes up the “vine leaf” theme introduced in 1817 by painter Johann Samuel Arnhold. With an estimate between €7,000 and €9,000, the service represents one of the most iconic works of the historic German manufactory.

Lot 1 – A rare table service from the Cozzi Manufactory of Venice, dating from 1780, offers a window into the eighteenth-century Venetian ceramic tradition. Comprising 59 pieces with polychrome floral decoration, this lot stands out for the influence of the Meissen manufactory on Venetian ceramic production. It is estimated at between €8,000 and €12,000.

Lot 172 – This table service from the Sèvres Manufacture, dated to the mid-19th century, exemplifies the refinement of the Empire style. With its classical decorative motifs, it is a tribute to prestigious French tables and is estimated at between €8,000 and €12,000.

Lot 177 – This service from the Denuelle Manufacture in Paris, dated between 1819 and 1852, features flowering branches and gilt threading, an expression of the French neoclassical style. Consisting of 135 pieces, this lot represents the elegance of the period and has an estimate of between 8,000 and 12,000 euros.

The auction also includes some striking pieces for those who appreciate twentieth-century silverware and design:

Lot 58 – A set of twenty-six silver plates signed by renowned Milanese silversmith Broggi. Made in the first half of the 20th century, these finely chiseled silver plates feature rocaille motifs and are estimated at between 10,000 and 12,000 euros.

Lot 242 – A “Palladiana” table service designed by Piero Fornasetti for Manifattura Rosenthal, dating from the 1970s. Designs with an architectural character are recurrent in the production of Fornasetti who, for this service, was inspired by the buildings of the city of Vicenza and Palladian Venetian villas. In this service, the architectural rigor of the decoration blends admirably with the rounded shapes of the tableware. The estimate is between 14,000 and 15,000 euros.

Among the most valuable lots are also table accessories of great aesthetic impact and value:

Lot 174 – A monumental cutlery service from the Maison Odiot of Paris, consisting of no less than 373 pieces in chased and gilded silver, estimated at between 18,000 and 20,000 euros.

This service represents one of the important examples of the refined silverware production of the Parisian Maison Odiot founded back in 1690, which experienced in the 19th century, thanks to prestigious commissions including that of Napoleon Bonaparte, the point of maximum splendor through the work of Jean Baptiste Claude Odiot and his son Charles-Nicolas, who continued his father’s work with great success by becoming supplier to King Louis-Philippe d’Orleans, a period that saw the creation of the Maison’s most important work ever, namely the three thousand pieces of solid gold cutlery for Said Pasha viceroy of Egypt. The Maison Odiot often resorted to the collaboration of the Parisian silversmith Jean Gravigne (active between 1868 and 1910) for the execution of parts of its commissions, as in the case of our service.

Lot 173 – A 19th-century French surtout de table in gilt bronze and ground crystal, inspired by neo-Baroque taste. Comprising candelabra and risers with mythological figures, this spectacular piece is estimated between 30,000 and 40,000 euros.

Check out all the lots!