Hermann Historica’s spring auction with top lots in all sections
7,000 lots will be offered at Hermann Historica’s upcoming spring auction. Among the highlights are antiques from the famous Axel Guttmann Collection, striking pieces of Russian and French military history, and a German Messerschmitt fighter plane from 1944.
Munich, March 18 – a broad variety of fine antiques, arms and armour, hunting gear, militaria, and arts and crafts will be offered at Hermann Historica’s spring sale from 7-16 April 2010. The auction will bring together an extensive selection of Russian objects such as an Order of St. Alexander Nevsky First Class, a pair of silver-mounted flintlock pistols from the workshop of the noted Saint Petersburg master gunsmith Ivan Permiak, and an almost 70 cm tall marble vase from the Pavlovsk Palace.
Only officers of the rank of a Major General or higher were eligible for the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky. Catherine I sponsored this decoration after the death of her husband, Peter the Great, in 1725. Exceptionally well crafted and extremely rare, the diamond-set breast star was made during the reign of the last Russian Emperor, Nicholas II (lot 5067; € 65,000). A finely worked pair of flintlock pistols dating from 1770 is expected to fetch at least € 75,000 (lot 5493). Master gunsmith Ivan Permiak was one of the most noted and gifted gunsmiths of his time. The firearms manufactured in his workshop are characterised by extremely intricate embellishments for which these pistols with several Cyrillic signatures, partially gold-plated, chased silver mounts and finely engraved blossoms and trophies of war are a magnificent example. In 1740 he became a Purveyor to the Imperial Russian Court and to Catherine the Great.
The famous Empress also commissioned the construction of Pavlovsk Palace in Saint Petersburg, which was built between 1782 and 1786. The interior of this elegant residence used to include an important vase of white marble (lot 5558; € 25,000). The palace’s inventory list reveals that this vase is one of two marble vases formerly adorning the sarcophagus room.
Other European countries are, however, also represented in the upcoming sale. Of French origin is the personal frockcoat of Louis Auguste Victor de Chaisne (1773-1846). This very rare and well preserved marshal’s uniform with lace embroidery was worn by Comte de Bourmont after his appointment to Maréchal de France in 1830 (lot 5264; € 24,000). From the Kingdom of Bavaria comes an impressive helmet model 1832 for cuirassier officers (lot 5724; € 10,000). The lifeguards of the German Kaiser wore similarly elaborate headgear, a fact proven by a magnificent officer’s helmet of the Prussian Garde du Corps Regiment dating from around 1900 (lot 6012; € 7,500).
Antiquities
Also offered in this year’s spring auction are rare antiquities from the famous Axel Guttmann Collection, Berlin. Among the highlights of this section is the bronze armour of a Samnite warrior consisting of a Pilos type helmet, a triple disc armour and anatomically shaped greaves from the 4th/3rd century BC (lot 370; € 15,000). Especially noteworthy are the helmet’s curved horns of sheet bronze terminating in stylized snake heads and riveted to the high conical skull.
Not from the Guttmann Collection, but no less significant is a late Roman iron helmet dating from the 4th/5th century AD (lot 67; € 12,500). Made of several parts and riveted at the ridge, it is a striking evidence of the manufacture-like armour production which emerged in the 4th century. This item was part of the exhibition “Attila and the Huns” displayed in the Historical Museum of the Palatinate (Speyer 2007).
Antique arms and armour
This section presents a wide range of objects from all over the world. A rarity on the market is the unused South German close helmet from ca. 1560 with a one-piece skull, serrated ridge, two-piece visor, brass mounts and details (lot 4247; € 15,000). Another notable highlight is the North German or Flemish helmet from 1580 with a high roped ridge and visor edge (lot 4248; € 10,000). Likewise well worth noting is a central European knightly sword dating from around 1250 AD (lot 4441; € 8,000). This exceedingly well preserved piece was discovered in the Oglio, a tributary of the Po River, and has a fluted, double-edged blade bearing a gold inlaid maker’s mark.
A heavy Polish hussar’s cuirass from the 17th century is decorated with an ornamental disc of Saint George, the patron saint of soldiers (lot 4263; € 9,000). The unusual cuirass features a three-lame guard for the abdomen and the shoulders. The sleeves are extremely flexible due to a six lame construction, the whole armour is decorated with borders and rivets of brass.
Another important segment of the 59th auction is the large number of elaborately crafted weapons and objects from the Orient. Among them are a gold inlaid, inscribed Ottoman karabela from 1680 (lot 3505; € 6,500), a Persian gold inlaid Kulah Khud from the early 19th century (lot 3633; € 8,000), and an ivory-veneered powder flask from India (lot 3845; € 3,000). A dark red silk canopy from 19th century India embellished with delicate embroidery, gold-plated copper wire and glass beads is yet another profound example of the high standard of oriental craftsmanship (lot 3860; € 1,900).
Firearms of five centuries
Spanning a period of more than half a millennium, the section on modern firearms consists of 1650 firearms as diverse as medieval hand cannons or contemporary hunting rifles. Probably from the Royal Wurttemberg Armoury comes a splendid wheel-lock rifle by the Augsburg gunsmith Andreas Gans from 1720, profusely decorated with vines and hunting scenes (lot 1042; € 10,000). Of later date, but equally significant, are two big game double rifles formerly owned by the Maharaja Rana of Dholpur, who reigned from 1873 to 1901 (lots 1395 and 1396; € 9,500 each). The unusual collector’s pieces in the calibres .400 and .450 were made by the London gunsmiths J. Purdey & Sons in 1893 and were delivered in custom crocodile leather cases.
Collectors and enthusiasts of large military vehicles are spoilt for choice between land, water and air transportation devices. A special 46-page booklet presents such showcase pieces as a VW Kubelwagen and a SG-6 Trippel amphibious vehicle. Hans Trippel constructed and built the Amphicar in the 1960s which succeeded in crossing the English Channel. Also well worth noting is a Steyr 1500 A commander’s convertible (lot 9003; € 120,000). The bulky vehicle is over five meters long, bears a body by Gläser Body Works Dresden and is powered by a V8 Porsche engine. But the highlight in this section is certainly a static Messerschmidt Bf 109 G 6 (lot 9009; € 150,000). Built in April 1944, the aircraft is assumed to have crashed over Austria only a few months later after getting involved in a fight with units of the US Air Force. In the mid-1990s parts of the plane were recovered, which form the basic framework of this restored and reconstructed aircraft.
Images and detailed descriptions of all lots are available on the internet under www.hermann-historica.com. The pre-sale viewing takes place from 27th March to 1st April on the premises of Hermann Historica oHG, Munich. To view the vehicles located outside of Munich, please contact us prior to your visit.
May be copied without charge – Permission, additional information and photographic materials may be obtained from:
Maria Burdick
Kommunikation und Marketing
Elvirastraße 16
D-80636 München
Tel.: +49 (0) 89 - 18 14 15
Fax: +49 (0) 89 - 18 14 49
E-Mail: m.burdick@burdick.de
About Hermann Historica
Hermann Historica OHG is the leading world auction house in the special areas of : antique arms and armour, hunting, antiquities, medals and orders, as well as historical objects and military history. Founded nearly 50 years ago by Count Erich Klenau von Klenova, Baron von Janowitz in Nuremberg as an auction house for coins, orders, medals, and other military objects were offered right from the beginning. At the beginning of the seventies, offerings were expanded to include antique weapons. On the basis of the comprehensive scope of the objects offered and the carefully researched and high quality production of the special catalogues, those offerings were an immediate and enthusiastic success with international collectors and museums. In 1982, the present owners changed the name of the auction house to Hermann Historica OHG, and carry out at least two auctions yearly for more than 25,000 clients throughout the entire world. The numerous objects which were formerly possessions of great noble families, in particular those from the Austrian and German Imperial houses, have attracted great international interest, especially when choice collections such as the famous hunting treasures from Castle Fuschl at Salzburg, the historical technical museum in Nümbrecht and the "Antique Weapon Collection" of the world renowned Berlin collector, Axel Guttmann, are broken up and offered at auction. www.hermann-historica.com
All Photos: Copyright Hermann Historica oHG 2010
HH59_LotNr_5067 Order of St Alexander Nevsky
HH59_LotNr_5493 A pair of significant silver-mounted flintlock pistols,
Ivan Permiak St. Petersburg 1770
HH59_LotNr_4247 A fine South German heavy close helmet
HH59_LotNr_4248 A close helmet
HH59_LotNr_3860 An Indian embroidered baldachin
HH59_LotNr_370 Samnite warriors armour
HH 59_LotNr_9009 Messerschmitt Bf 109 G 6
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