We tend to see events at prominent auction houses as something exclusively dedicated to extremely wealthy people. And while, yes, they are the ones who can buy what we, ordinary mortals, can only dream about, we can use these events to learn more about an artist or collector, educate ourselves and, above all, gather inspirations.
In multiple posts we looked at pieces on auction at Sotheby's, a house that has definitely managed to reinvent and repackage itself, organizing events that offer a wide range of items often aimed at younger generations of collectors or selling antique items that have generated new trends.
One exercise that Sotheby’s learnt to master pretty well during the last few years is taking the estate of a prominent figure and collector and breaking it into different parts to attract buyers with diverse tastes and interests.
This happened a while back with Karl Lagerfeld and, in August this year, they launched a long-month series of auctions dedicated to Queen's frontman Freddie Mercury.
The late rockstar wasn't just an icon for his fans, but was also a passionate collector with a very discerning eye and an interest in refined items.
While studying the items preserved at his home at Garden Lodge for over three decades (when Freddie Mercury died he left the property and what it contained to his friend Mary Austin, who recently decided to sell the contents), Sotheby's experts found themselves in front of a wide range of objects (30,000 items) that went from stage costumes and personal documents or musical instruments, to paintings, interior design pieces, and jewels.
It was only natural therefore to break the collection into six different auctions under an umbrella title - "Freddie Mercury: A World of His Own".
Three of these auctions - "In Love with Japan" and "Crazy Little Things 1 and 2"- were launched in August (and are closing on 11th September). The first offers a superb selection of Japanese pieces that reveal Freddie Mercury's passion for the arts, culture and textiles of this country.
Among them there are lacquer boxes, tea sets, vases and beautiful woodblock prints from the Edo and Taisho periods, including works by Suzuki Harunobu, Isoda Koryusai, Kitagawa Utamaro, Utagawa Kunisada, Utagawa Kuniyoshi and Ito Shinsui.
The costume and kimono section is extremely rich: it includes items such as jackets, boleros and bombers with embroideries inspired by Japan, among them a white jacket with a print of blue leaves from the early '70s worn for the first Queen rehearsals; a bomber jacket of ivory satin decorated at the front with an Indonesian design of a pair of flame-breathing dragons embroidered in multi-colored silk thread; a lavish jacket trimmed in scarlet with an elaborate pattern of gold and white flying cranes (a garment associated with "A Night At The Opera" album and tour) and a bespoke bolero-style jacket of mixed fabrics, with a pattern including Japanese figures and cranes on the front and Mount Fuji on the back.
Besides, this section comprises a wide selection of robes, jackets and an extensive collection of furisode (long sleeved women's kimonos), formal and informal kimonos and uchikake (an outer-kimono for a woman), haori jackets and obi sashes.
These designs come in darker shades, but mainly in vibrant colors: one uchikake from the Showa period, features embroidery in gold-wrapped silk threads, with branches of blossoming plum, stalks of bamboo and pine forming the Three Friends of Winter (shochikubai). One kimono is customised inside with the band's crest, something reminiscent of pre-Queen times when Freddie Mercury used to own with Roger Taylor (who became Queen's drummer), a market stall where he customised and resold second-hand clothes.
The "Crazy Little Things" selections feature a wide variety of items instead and include smaller pieces such as vases and accessories that are not very valuable (even though some of them are getting rather high bids).
Fashion designers may want to check the set of six Villeroy & Boch "Design 1900" plates with elegant fashion figurines for something chic for their houses.
Avant-garde creative minds very keen on reusing materials should instead opt for the two lots of mixed damask and linen table cloths and napkins, some of them with printed and embroidered elements that could be reincorporated in a new design (these pieces are not valuable enough to be resold, but they can be transformed into something else, like a collection of blouses or skirts that will automatically assume an added value as the materials they are made of belonged to a rockstar).
The "Crazy Little Things" sections is also ideal for fans looking for smaller items such as awards, photographs, neckties and wristbands.
The sections also include plenty of off-stage clothes and promo T-shirts, so fans interested in getting a memorabilia piece or an item from Freddie Mercury's wardrobe like his Biba tops and blouses from the early '70s may find a dream piece here.
There are some items included in this section that may surprise collectors at the end of the auction: a Seiko red plastic and stainless steel digital chronograph wristwatch with day, date, pulsometer and alar, from 1982, estimated to fetch £300-500, has already received an extraordinary bid - £12,000.
The starting price for a Tiffany & Co. silver moustache comb, form the late 20th century was £400-600, but bids have reached £35,000 at the time of writing this post.
Those willing to discover more about Freddie Mercury's interior design tastes, should check out instead the "At Home" (8th September) section to discover his beloved tropical landscape paintings by Jamaican-born queer artist Rudi Patterson, furniture pieces, porcelain sets, Meissein porcelain figurines and exquisite glass vases by Gallé, René Lalique, Loetz and Daum.
Graphic and fashion designers should also check out the selection of Erté's works on paper included in this section, depicting costumes and sets and combining glamour and luxury.
The "On Stage" segment of the auction holds significant promise for fans, but it has an even greater potential for fashion designers. In addition to personal documents, early set lists, ink drawings, and musical instruments, this auction showcases indeed an extensive collection of stage costumes.
Numerous bodysuits come accessorized with ballet shoes, and the collection includes several creations by esteemed designers such as Zandra Rhodes and Wendy de Smet. Among these remarkable pieces there is the White Mercury Wing catsuit by de Smet from the early '70s, estimated at £60,000.
Donned during the "A Night at the Opera" tour in 1975, it was executed following Mercury's directions - it was very tight, but made with Lycra and allowed the performer to move around freely.
But there is plenty more to discover through these costumes that Mercury used to craft his persona: do you want a study on construction techniques and modularity? Check out the sleeveless black padded leather top with quilted panels with black metal conical studs and three overlapping leather panels to the right shoulder from the "Radio Ga Ga" video.
Want something flamboyant? Rediscover the "It's A Hard Life" video outfit (1984; bizarrely it finds some correspondences in another item in this auction, one of the sixteen prints comprising Salvador Dalí's "The Mythology") or the outfit by Diana Moseley for the "Made In Heaven" video (1985): known as "The Prawn" and designed by Michael Baldwin the former consisted in an asymmetrical scarlet elastane catsuit embellished with thirteen eyeballs of white plastic hand-painted in black and brown surrounded by red velvet eyelids. The latter, a black asymmetrical vinyl bodice with one left sleeve ending in a point and fastening at the wrist with vinyl straps, featured a dramatic red Habutai silk cape.
If, as a graphic or fashion designer you feel fascinated by arrows, you will find some amazing designs with this motif in the various auctions - from hand-stencilled vests with red, orange and black, turquoise and shocking pink arrows, to elastane catsuits with an intricate arrow and dot design, or leggings with hand-drawn arrows colored in felt pen outlined in black.
The most striking piece with this motif remains the rainbow-colored satin arrow appliqué jacket with arrows arranged in a dense cascade pattern descending in size from the shoulder to the hem and giving an overall effect of movement similar to the feathers of an exotic bird.
Worn on the "Hot Space" tour in 1982, according to the notes about this item, Freddie Mercury loved the jacket but found it was not well suited to stage because it was too heavy, hot and difficult to take off for a quick costume changes, so he didn't use it a lot (fashion designers always consider these points when creating something for a performer... and for ordinary people as well... comfort is important).
There’s more to discover in the auction that goes live tonight: apart from paintings by Chagalle, Matisse, Picasso, Dalí and Miró, draft of lyrics, Cartier jewels and his piano (estimated £ 2,000,000 - 3,000,000), you will discover here Freddie Mercury's signature crown and cloak ensemble designed by Diana Moseley and worn throughout the "Magic" Tour in 1986 and the Garden Lodge exterior door, a landmark for many. The door became indeed a place of pilgrimage for fans who scribbled their messages there (the Logan Place door is also included in the auction).
As a whole this auction divided in different parts is a bit like Alice's proverbial descent in the rabbit hole: it is an endless journey through art, costumes, fashion, textiles and interior design pieces.
And even if you find yourself disheartened by their unattainable prices (a sentiment many of us share, so don't worry...), consider tuning in to the live auction. Indeed the dynamics within an auction house never fail to enthrall and may potentially inspire you to pursue a career as an auctioneer or as an expert in the fields of art, textiles, costumes, or even rock'n'roll memorabilia.
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