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Pumpkin by Yayoi Kusama

En agosto de 2023, Masterworks salió de una oferta anterior de Pumpkin, Masterworks 038, obteniendo una tasa de rendimiento neta anualizada del 13,4% para los inversores en la oferta principal.

OFRECIENDO CIRCULAR 01 YAYOI KUSAMA, PUMPKIN La obra de arte es un ejemplo característico a pequeña escala de la icónica serie Pumpkin de Yayoi Kusama, un motivo que apareció por primera vez en su obra en 1946 cuando exhibió Kabocha (Calabaza) en una exposición itinerante en Japón. Kusama reintrodujo las calabazas en su trabajo en la década de 1980 y continuó incorporándolas en pinturas, dibujos, grabados e instalaciones públicas a gran escala. El interés de Kusama por las calabazas se remonta a su infancia en el Japón de antes de la guerra, donde su familia era propietaria de un vivero que cultivaba calabazas kabocha.

Ella explica su atracción por las calabazas en su autobiografía y escribe: “Me encantó su forma encantadora y atractiva. Lo que más me atrajo fue la generosa sencillez de la calabaza. Eso y su sólido equilibrio espiritual”. Las obras de arte de la serie Pumpkin varían en escala, y algunos ejemplos miden desde menos de diez pulgadas de alto y ancho hasta más de cincuenta pulgadas de alto y ancho. La obra de arte es una pintura horizontal a pequeña escala de una gran calabaza con manchas amarillas y negras colocada en el centro sobre un fondo de red negro y amarillo.

https://www.masterworks.com/dashboard/offerings/cR7mz7FJpPLkcqqjwTQdqW

La calabaza es rechoncha y bulbosa, rasgos característicos de la calabaza kabocha. Las calabazas de Yayoi Kusama se han convertido en algunos de los ejemplos más deseables comercialmente dentro de su práctica. Al 20 de junio de 2023, las pinturas de Pumpkin representan cuatro de los diez precios récord más altos alcanzados por el artista en una subasta, y están encabezadas por “Pumpkin (LPASG)” (2013), que se vendió por 62.540.000 HKD (8.026.633 dólares) el 1 de diciembre de 2021 en Christie’s. , Hong Kong, “Pumpkin” (1995), que se vendió por 56.110.000 HKD (7.147.909 dólares) el 30 de marzo de 2023 en Phillips, Hong Kong, y “Pumpkin (Twpot)” (2010), que se vendió por 54.460.000 dólares de HK (6.937.550 dólares). el 1 de abril de 2019 en Sotheby’s, Hong Kong. Las calabazas horizontales de escala y color similar a la obra de arte también han tenido buenos resultados en las subastas en los últimos años, con récords de subasta liderados por “Pumpkin” (1990), que se vendió por 999.000 dólares en Sotheby’s en Nueva York, el 15 de noviembre de 2018. “Pumpkin ”(1997), que se vendió por 889.812 dólares en Sotheby’s en Hong Kong, el 6 de abril de 2023, y “Pumpkin” (1989), que se vendió por 651.300 dólares en SBI Art Auction Co, Ltd en Tokio, el 28 de mayo de 2022.

El tema, el tamaño y la ejecución de la obra de arte la convierten en una obra comercial y deseable de Yayoi Kusama. Yayoi Kusama ha recibido numerosos honores y premios por sus contribuciones a la historia del arte, incluida la Ordre des Arts et des Lettres de Francia en 2003 y la Orden del Sol Naciente de Japón y el Praemium Imperiale en 2006. Ha sido objeto de varios estudios a gran escala. exposiciones y retrospectivas, incluida una retrospectiva en 2011 a 2012, que viajó al Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía de Madrid, el Centro Georges Pompidou de París, la Tate Modern de Londres y el Whitney Museum of American Art de Nueva York; una encuesta sobre Infinity Mirrors, que viajó al Museo y Jardín de Esculturas Hirshhorn en Washington, D.C., el Museo de Arte de Seattle, The Broad en Los Ángeles, la Galería de Arte de Ontario en Toronto, el Museo de Arte de Cleveland en Ohio y el High Museo de Arte de Atlanta; y una retrospectiva en Gropius Bau de Berlín en 2021, que viajó al Museo de Arte de Tel Aviv en 2022.

La obra del artista también está incluida en prestigiosas colecciones públicas de todo el mundo, como el Museo de Arte Moderno de Nueva York, el Broad Museum de Los Ángeles, el Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden de Washington, D.C., la Tate Modern de Londres y el museo homónimo del artista en Tokio, entre muchos más. Además de su éxito institucional, Kusama ha colaborado con marcas de lujo, incluidas Louis Vuitton y Veuve Clicquot, que han contribuido aún más a su reconocimiento más amplio. El artista está representado por la Galería David Zwirner, la Galería Gagosian y la Galería Victoria Miro.

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UVNT ART FAIR 2023
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UVNT ART FAIR 2023

UVNT ART FAIR 2023

International New Contemporary Art Fair

UVNT Art Fair celebrates its seventh edition from 23 to 26 February of 2023 at the COAM headquarters in Madrid. A space to explore the freshest languages, integrate different aesthetic codes and find new trends in the art world. A fair where to find emerging artists, mid-career artists and among them some big names of the international contemporary scene.

UVNT ART FAIR 2023

UVNT ART FAIR 2023

After six editions, the fair has matured and evolved and, in February 2023, it will open its doors to continue to position itself as an essential date in Madrid’s art week. More than thirty national and international galleries will be present to reflect, as they do every year, current artistic trends and to continue to maintain the freshness and innovation that have been part of its DNA since its beginnings.

UVNT ART FAIR 2023

COAM. Colegio Oficial de Arquitectos Madrid

Calle Hortaleza 63

February 23th – 26th

Preview*.
Thursday 23th: 12pm-4pm

Inauguration*
Thursday 23th: 4pm-10pm

*Invitation by prior confirmation.

 

General public opening hours

Friday, 24th February: 11am-9pm
Saturday, 25th February: 11h-21h
Sunday, 26th February: 11h-19h

GALLERIES 2023

ARTISTS 2023

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Remarkable Rubens and Bronzino Paintings Lead Masters Week to $100M Sales
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Remarkable Rubens and Bronzino Paintings Lead Masters Week to $100M Sales

Remarkable Rubens and Bronzino Paintings Lead Masters Week to $100M Sales

BY WILL FENSTERMAKER | JAN 30, 2023
Paintings by the Old Masters sold for $26.9 million and $10.7 million respectively.

The Old Masters are at it again: Sotheby’s annual Masters Week auctions again surpassed $100 million in total sales. The highlight of the week was the expertly assembled Fisch Davidson Collection, one of the most important collections of Baroque art to ever appear at auction. All ten lots sold in this $49.6 million white-glove event, led by Salome Presented with the Head of Saint John the Baptist (1609) by Sir Peter Paul Rubens. Part of the Spanish Royal Collection from 1666 to 1700, the shocking and masterful painting – made by a then-unknown artist just returned from Italy – sold for $26.9 million, establishing the third-highest price for the artist.

“Today’s white-glove result for the Fisch Davidson collection was a tribute both to the drama and splendor of these Baroque masterpieces, and to the combination of passion and meticulous dedication with which the collection was put together over the decades,” says George Wachter, Sotheby’s Chairman and Co-Worldwide Head of Old Master Paintings. “I always believed these works would inspire the next generation of Old Master collectors all over the world, and indeed they did.”

Bidding Battle for Bronzino’s “Portrait of a Young Man with a Quill and a Sheet of Paper”

Remarkable Rubens and Bronzino Paintings Lead Masters Week to $100M Sales

Remarkable Rubens and Bronzino Paintings Lead Masters Week to $100M Sales

Bidding Battle for Bronzino’s “Portrait of a Young Man with a Quill and a Sheet of Paper”

Thursday’s Master Paintings auction was led by a riveting portrait by Bronzino (Agnolo di Cosimo) that possibly depicts the artist himself. Its sale for $10.7 million – doubling its high estimate and setting a world record for the artist – marks a resolution for the painting’s remarkable and tragic journey. Painted circa 1527, the portrait is one of Bronzino’s earliest and was once owned by Sir William Temple, a prominent diplomat, politician and essayist. Over the years it was incorrectly attributed to a number of different artists and passed through multiple owners, eventually entering the collection of Ilse Hesselberger, heir to a German sewing-machine company fortune, and Franz Hesselberger, a businessman from Munich.

In 1938 Nazis forced Ilse Hesselberger to sell her property, including the Bronzino portrait, to finance the construction of a transit camp and three years later she was murdered in the Kaunas Concentration Camp. The Nazi architect Gerdy Troost possessed the work – falsely attributed to Jacopino del Conte – for some time before it was recovered by the Allied Monuments Men after the war and displayed in a German office block. At last, only last year was the Bronzino portrait restituted to Ilse Hesselberger’s heirs, then sold by the estate to benefit a number of charities in New York.

THE $10.7M SALE OF THIS BRONZINO PORTRAIT RESTORES ILSE HESSELBERGER TO THE IMPORTANT PAINTING’S HISTORIC PROVENANCE.

“It was a privilege to witness the record-breaking sale of this extraordinary work at Sotheby’s today, knowing that the proceeds will benefit Selfhelp Community Services and The Lighthouse Guild,” says Raymond V.J. Schrag, President of Selfhelp Community Services. “This work now enters a new chapter of its life, and we are so pleased that through today’s sale Ilse Hesselberger’s name has rightfully been written back into its fascinating and long history.”

Especially strong results were seen by Dutch Masterpieces from the Theiline Scheumann Collection, totaling $8.1 million, while throughout the week, auction records were set for Bronzino, Master of the Spinola Annunciation ($2.4 million), Lieve Pietersz Vershuier ($1.1 million), Master H.B. with the Griffin Head ($441,000), Christian Ezdorf ($264,400, breaking the record set by the same work in 2020) and Isaak van Ruisdael ($176,400). More than a third of the works offered had been off the market for over 30 years, and participation was global across 18 different countries. Institutions made a number of acquisitions – including Bernardo Cavallino’s Saint Bartholomew ($3.9 million) by the National Gallery of London; Anna Dorothea Therbusch’s portrait of a scientist seated at a desk by candlelight by The Cleveland Museum of Art ($441,000); and a moving painting of a young man asleep before an open book by an artist active in the circle of Rembrandt van Rijn acquired by the Stockholm Nationalmuseum ($945,000) – that will see these magnificent works return to public view.

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Sotheby’s: GORGOSAURUS SKELETON

GORGOSAURUS SKELETON

Gorgosaurus spec.

Late Cretaceous (approx. 77 million years ago)

Judith River Formation, Choteau County, Montana

Exhibition-ready mounted skeleton, measuring 9 feet, 2½ inches tall (110.5 inches, 113.5 with armature), just under 22 feet long (263.5 inches). Skull measuring 38½ by 26½ by 17 inches (97.8 x 67.3 x 43.2 cm). 79 fossil elements, mounted on custom armature with additional cast elements.

The Gorgosaurus roamed the Earth about 77 million years ago, roughly 10 million years before it’s more famous relative, the T-Rex. Well-preserved until it was discovered in 2018 at Montana’s Judith River Formation, this particular specimen is a great example of this apex predator.

Standing around 10 feet tall and 22 feet long, it’s one of one a few ever found in the US, and the only known example not in a museum or large collection. It’s going up for auction as part of Sotheby’s Natural History sale in New York on July 28, and is expected to sell for up to $8 million.

THE FIRST SPECIMEN OF ITS KIND TO COME TO AUCTION —ONE OF ONLY ABOUT 20 KNOWN EXAMPLES, AND THE ONLY KNOWN TO BE AVAILABLE FOR PRIVATE OWNERSHIP

UNLIKE OTHER DINOSAURS SKELETONS THAT HAVE RECENTLY COME TO MARKET, THIS SPECIMEN HAS NOT YET BEEN GIVEN A NICKNAME — THE NEW OWNER WILL GET TO PICK THE NAME OF THEIR CHOICE

Gorgosaurus was a predatory dinosaur whose name means “dreadful lizard”. It was a bipedal, apex carnivore that lived approximately 76 million years ago in what is now western North America.

It is believed that Gorgosaurus’ body reached lengths of nearly 30 feet and weighed in at around three tons, and paleontologists have been able to make educated depictions of its body-shape based on the very small number of fossil skeletal remains that have been discovered thus far. What we can see is that at the end of a massive S-shaped neck, a huge head was held that housed dozens of long, slim, double-edged serrated teeth.

The dentition in the front of the snout were D-shaped, and those in the rear of the jaws appearing oval in cross section, which were ideally designed for piercing and cutting. Its leg proportions were more typical of swift-moving biped dinosaurs, and its long tail acted as a counterbalance while running. Paleontologists speculate that Gorgosaurus might have used these adaptations to hunt herbivorous contemporaries including the hadrosaurs Lambeosaurus and Corythosaurus, the ceratopsians Styracosaurus and Centrosaurus, and the armored ankylosaurs Edmontonia and Euplocephalus.

The fossil record indicates that Gorgosaurus coexisted with the less-widely distributed but similarly-sized theropod, Daspletosaurus, with whom they competed for resources. Both were members of the family Tyrannosauridae, which includes both North American and Asian super predators such as Tyrannosaurus, Tarbosaurus, Albertosaurus, Daspletosaurus, and others. Gorgosaurus itself predates Tyrannosaurus rex by about 10 million years. They are considered a cousin species to Tyrannosaurus rex, and a crucial piece in the understanding of the evolutionary diversity of the entire Tyrannosaurid family.

Condition & Detail Images

The bones are preserved in exquisite detail, exhibiting little distortion and retaining much of their original shape and surface characteristics. Overall, the fossilization of this Gorgosaurus is superb. The patina is a light to medium brown, a color consistent with most vertebrate fossils from the Judith River Formation. There is no sign of “pyrite disease” or other mineral issues that would represent a problem with future preservation of the fossils.

The skull is represented by a beautifully preserved left maxilla and an assortment of cranial bones. The left side of the skull is well represented including the preserved maxilla and the three major bones that create the rounded orbit. The shape of orbit is a distinguishing feature between Gorgosaurus and Tyrannosaurus. The maxilla includes two fully rooted exposed teeth, three partial teeth, and five unerupted teeth in their alveoli. The maxilla, overall, shows very little distortion and is large as compared to other Gorgosaurus maxillae.

The Gorgosaurus specimen contains a well-documented axial skeleton with material representing the cervical, dorsal, and caudal vertebrae. The axial skeleton also includes an exceptionally well-preserved pelvis, with all eleven elements represented including complete articulated pubis bones.

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Sotheby’s – Picasso’s Rapturous 1932 Homage to Marie-Thérèse Walter

Sotheby’s – Picasso’s Rapturous 1932 Homage to Marie-Thérèse Walter

New York

Painted in April 1932, 90 years ago to the month, Femme nue couchée is one of Pablo Picasso’s most monumental and uninhibitedly sensual portrayals of Marie-Thérèse Walter. Appearing at auction for the first time, the large-scale painting is poised to achieve in excess of $60 million at Sotheby’s Modern Evening Auction on 17 May, making it one of the most valuable portraits of Marie-Thérèse Walter ever offered at auction.

Marie-Thérèse was the inspiration for many of Picasso’s greatest works, with 1932 – the year in which he was finally able to give full painterly voice to his passion – widely regarded as his ‘annus mirabilis’. So extraordinarily was Picasso’s output that year, an entire museum exhibition has been dedicated to it (“Paris 1932”, at Tate Modern in 2018). And while the works from this moment stand out for their creativity and their joyous mood, what perhaps marks them out most of all is the intensity of desire that underpins them. (In fact, the French leg of exhibition at the Musee Picasso was called “Paris 1932: année erotique”.)

Femme nue couchée a Monumental Achievement in Picasso’s Oeuvre and the History of Portraiture, Is Poised to Achieve in Excess of $60 Million

© 2022 ESTATE OF PABLO PICASSO / ARTISTS RIGHTS SOCIETY (ARS), NEW YORK | JULIAN CASSADY PHOTOGRAPHY

But of the many portraits Picasso painted of Marie-Therese in that year, this particular image stands out: it is a uniquely compelling composition that is radically different, both from anything else in his oeuvre, and from the broader art historical tradition of the female reclining nude. In this work, Picasso evokes Marie-Therese with the strong and sensuous fin-like limbs of a sea-creature. Though he would go on to render subsequent lovers in animalistic form, the allusion to the sea here is significant: Marie-Thérèse was also an avid and accomplished swimmer whose powerful, athletic grace in the water was a source of constant fascination for Picasso (something that was perhaps all the more beguiling for him, given that – for all the time he spent on the beach as a child and subsequently – he in fact he never learned to swim). In addition to which, the headiest days of their blossoming relationship were spent by the sea: in the summer of 1928, Picasso took his then-wife Olga and son Paulo to the seaside at Dinard. Unbeknown to them, he also installed his then-still-secret-lover Marie-Thérèse in a holiday camp nearby, ‘eloping’, whenever possible for secret romantic encounters by the sea.

“Picasso’s portraits of his golden muse Marie-Thérèse are undeniable hallmarks of 20th century art. When unveiled at his career retrospective in 1932, this cycle of monumental works scintillated with their rapturously romantic and sensuous depiction of Picasso’s heretofore sequestered mistress. A radical departure from tradition, this striking painting is at the same time a deeply lyrical ode to the artist’s unbound desire for Marie-Thérèse; with her fin-like, endlessly pliable limbs, the portrait continues to enchant as it perfectly captures Picasso’s muse as the ultimate expression of his genius.”

BROOKE LAMPLEY, SOTHEBY’S CHAIRMAN AND WORLDWIDE HEAD OF GLOBAL FINE ART SALES

Furthermore, a lover of the sea (‘I am a child of the sea; I long to bathe in it, to gulp down the salty water’) and an avid film goer, Picasso may well have been influenced in this composition by Jean Painlevé’s 1928 surrealist masterpiece, La Pieuvre, “a captivating love letter to one of nature’s most intelligent and enigmatic creations.”

Building on the lineage of the reclining nude in art history, Picasso’s Femme nue couchée offers a daring new take on the tradition, upending naturalism for the biomorphic forms of Surrealism and a curvilinear approach derived from his simultaneous sculptural practice, which would prove highly influential to generations of artists to come.

In early 1932 Picasso was planning a major retrospective scheduled for June, and in preparation for the exhibition began his first dedicated series of paintings depicting his muse and mistress Marie-Thérèse Walter in the seclusion of his new country home of Boisgeloup. In Femme nue couchée, which was completed during this period, Picasso charted new territory with his portrait of Marie-Thérèse, not only in his own body of work, but in the history of the nude figure with his depiction of her reclining in a highly abstracted space, highlighting her biomorphic figure with touches of fertility, sexuality, and grace. As a landmark work within Picasso’s oeuvre and his famed series completed in 1932, as well as a pivotal exampale in the history of portraiture, Femme nue couchée’s arrival at auction for the first time this Spring marks a significant moment in Picasso’s unrivaled legacy in the art market.

“As one of the star highlights of Tate Modern’s world-class exhibition devoted to 1932 as a pivotal year for Picasso, Femme nue couchée is a ground-breaking, extraordinarily sensual work that remained within the artist’s estate for decades before its acquisition directly from the family of the artist . Marking the first time this painting will appear at auction, our Modern Evening Sale will be a defining moment in solidifying 1932 as one of Picasso’s most critically important and sought-after periods.”

HELENA NEWMAN, SOTHEBY’S WORLDWIDE HEAD OF IMPRESSIONIST & MODERN ART
© 2022 ESTATE OF PABLO PICASSO / ARTISTS RIGHTS SOCIETY (ARS), NEW YORK | JULIAN CASSADY PHOTOGRAPHY

The story of Picasso’s first encounter with Marie-Thérèse, and their subsequent love affair, is among the most compelling in 20th century art history. Picasso first met Marie-Thérèse in Paris in 1927 when she was seventeen years old. The couple’s relationship was kept a well-guarded secret for many years, both on account of the fact that Picasso was then still married to Olga Khokhlova, a Russian-Ukrainian dancer he had met on tour with Diaghilev, and because of Marie-Thérèse’s age. It was during these preceding months that he first cast his artistic spotlight on the voluptuous blonde. Until then, Picasso had only referenced his extramarital affair with Marie-Thérèse in code, sometimes embedding her symbolically in a composition or rendering her unmistakable profile as a feature of the background. But by the end of 1931, Picasso could no longer repress the creative impulse that his lover inspired, and over Christmas 1931 and into early 1932, Marie- Thérèse emerged, for the first time, in fully recognizable, languorous, form in his work.

For Picasso, Marie-Thérèse offered a sensual amalgam of the lover, the model, and the goddess, and would be cast in many roles throughout his body of work. In Boisgeloup, Picasso increasingly devoted his time and creative energy to sculpture, including a number of plaster busts and reclining nude portraits of Marie-Thérèse. The influence of this medium is visible in Femme nue couchée in the monumental sculptural force with which Picasso portrays the female body. At the same time, the psychological state of the sleeping woman resonates in the soft modelling of the figure, creating an atmosphere of reverie and carefree abandon. Seeking to convey his erotic desire, Picasso generates morphological permutations and distortions of the female anatomy. Abandoning any attempt at naturalism, he creates a figure composed of biomorphic forms, a technique that developed from his earlier, Surrealist works.

Picasso’s treatment of the female figure is undoubtedly rooted in the great tradition of the reclining nude in art history, following his predecessors Goya, Ingres, and Manet, among others. Yet, the artist’s shocking new take on the nude and frank sexuality would provide an influence to some of the greatest artists in the generations to follow.

“There were many notable years in the long, dramatic career of Pablo Picasso, but 1932 stands out as particularly momentous. In this ‘year of wonders,’ Picasso produced the most sensuous depictions of his great muse and lover Marie-Thérèse Walter, who would inspire some of the artist’s most iconic images. In Femme nue couchée, she is presented with a potent mix of sensuality and youthful naivety, and heralds a major creative turning point for Picasso as he was no longer willing to hide his passion and affair.”

JULIAN DAWES, SOTHEBY’S HEAD OF MODERN ART, AMERICAS

Exhibition Schedule
Hong Kong 8 – 12 April
London 20 – 24 April
New York 6 – 17 May

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Theatrum Mundi
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Theatrum Mundi

Theatrum Mundi

Theatrum Mundi brings the spirit of the Wunderkammer to the 21st century, by exploring what today can be considered marvelous and exceptional.

Theatrum Mundi presents an eclectic selection in which extraordinary paleontological specimens, such as dinosaurs, fossils, and meteorites, coexist in perfect harmony with contemporary myths, including original costumes from Hollywood movies and authentic spacesuits, witnesses to the space conquest era. A unique combination of archaeology, design, classical and primitive art.

Theatrum Mundi wishes to create a new celebration of human knowledge and achievements, combining rigorous experience and integrity with a taste for the unconventional.

Theatrum Mundi

Theatrum Mundi

Mission
Authenticity

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Japan: Courts and Culture: The Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace
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ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST – Japan: Courts and Culture – The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace

Japan: Courts and Culture: The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace

This exhibition explores British royal encounters with Japan over a period of 350 years.

From samurai armour sent to James I in 1613, to a Coronation gift for HM The Queen in 1953, Japanese treasures have reached the British Court through trade, travel and treaties.

Each object on display reflects materials and techniques particular to Japan. Uniquely, many were commissioned or presented by the Japanese Imperial Family. Together, they reveal the ceremonial, diplomatic and artistic exchange linking the two courts of East and West.

… an exquisite, intricate, truly diverting parade of treasures ★★★★

THE TELEGRAPH

The Royal Collection holds some of the most significant examples of Japanese art and design in the western world. For the first time, highlights from this outstanding collection are brought together to tell the story of 300 years of diplomatic, artistic and cultural exchange between the British and Japanese royal and imperial families. The exhibition includes rare pieces of porcelain and lacquer, samurai armour, embroidered screens and diplomatic gifts from the reigns of James I to Her Majesty The Queen. Together, they offer a unique insight into the worlds of ritual, honour and artistry linking the courts and cultures of Britain and Japan.

Japan: Courts and Culture: The Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace
Japan: Courts and Culture: The Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace
Japan: Courts and Culture: The Queen's Gallery, Buckingham PalaceJapan: Courts and Culture: The Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace

Explore the Exhibition

Description

This splendid and understated armour was sent to James I of England by Tokugawa Hidetada, third son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, who ruled as the second shōgun of the Tokugawa dynasty from 1605 to 1623. Some sources have suggested that the armour may once have been owned by Takeda Katsuyori (1546 – 82), a daimyō who had fought, and lost, against Tokugawa Ieyasu at the Battle of Tenmokuzan in 1582.

The armour is of the body-wrapped (dōmaru) type, which hinges around the body and fastens on the right. The ‘pumpkin-shaped’ helmet (akodanari kabuto) is signed by Iwai Yozaemon, one of the main armourers to the ruling Tokugawa family. Armours by Iwai Yozaemon in other European royal collections indicate that this was a popular diplomatic gift from the Tokugawa family, easily available from a regular and reliable source.

The helmet has a very wide, almost flat neck guard (shikoro), small turn-backs (fukikaeshi) and visor (mabizashi) decorated in gold lacquer with stylised clouds. The akodanari helmet has prominent vertical rivet lines and is lacquered black. A raised area at the back of the helmet bowl may have been designed to accommodate the chonmage, the samurai hairstyle which consisted of a shaved pate with the hair oiled and tied at the back of the head in a queue. This distinctive form of helmet was extremely popular during the Muromachi period (1392–1573) and the traditional style would have appealed to the Tokugawa family who were conservative in their tastes. The face-mask (sōmen) has a fearsome appearance, although the whiskers have possibly been trimmed over the years.

Much of the armour is laced in red and blue silk in a chequerboard pattern. The lamellae (kozane) are individual pieces of iron lacquered and laced together – a technique known as hon-kozane (‘true’ kozane), which creates a more flexible armour.

Continuing the conservative style, the shoulder guards (sode) are very large for an armour of this period. The solid iron upper areas of the cuirass (dō) are decorated with gold lacquer dragons whose red lacquer tongues chase stylised clouds, possibly symbolising the Buddhist pearl of enlightenment, on a black lacquer ground. The rims (fukurin) and other metal fittings are of engraved and pierced shakudō and gilt-copper alloy. Interestingly, the small fittings to secure the cuirass have a discreet motif of a paulownia (kiri) leaf, an imperial symbol later adopted by the Tokugawa family. The sleeves (kote) are decorated in a similar fashion and have fine, though faded, silk with auspicious motifs and areas of iron mail. The greaves (suneate) are decorated with further stylised clouds in gold lacquer on black.

Text adapted from Japan: Courts and Culture (2020).

Provenance

Sent to James I by Shōgun Tokugawa Hidetada, 1613

This is one of the ‘two varnished armours’ given to Captain John Saris of the East India Company at Edo on 19 September 1613. Saris returned to Plymouth with the gifts in September 1614, but no account of their delivery to James I survives. The pair were almost certainly the first Japanese armours to arrive in Britain. By the mid-seventeenth century, they appear to have been separated, for only one was recorded at the Tower of London in 1660. The present armour was stored in a lacquer box in the Armoury at St James’s Palace, where it was inventoried in 1649–51 by the Commonwealth government for the posthumous sale of Charles I’s possessions. At that time, it was described as an ‘Indian Armor’ and purchased by Major Bas on 23 October 1651 for £10.

Following the Interregnum, the armour was returned to the Royal Collection, but confusion about both pieces’ provenance abounded. The armour at the Tower was for example described in 1662 as a present to Charles II ‘from the Emperor Mougul’, in India. As late as 1916, the present armour was confused with another in the Royal Armouries which had in fact been given to Philip II of Spain in 1585. At that time, it was in reality mounted on the wall of the Grand Vestibule at Windsor Castle, with other Japanese items from the Royal Collection.

Source & Photos: ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST

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“One of Not Many Mentorship Program” devoted to passing on skills: A new expression of the mentorship program in collaboration with Abbey Road Studios and Woodkid

“One of Not Many Mentorship Program” devoted to passing on skills: A new expression of the mentorship program in collaboration with Abbey Road Studios and Woodkid

  • Transmitting and perpetuating skills is core to Vacheron Constantin’s concerns.
  • The Maison is pursuing its mentorship program that begun in the Middle East.
  • Partners since 2018, the watch Manufacture and Abbey Road Studios offer a unique opportunity for young music talents to record a track in the legendary London studios.
  • A first young budding artist has been chosen by Woodkid, the program’s mentor.

Geneva, 16 March 2022 –Vacheron Constantin is continuing its mentorship program initiated in the Middle East with the entrepreneurship support provided to six young Emirati women. Based on the sharing of skills and expertise, a tradition deeply cherished by the Maison, this new “One of Not Many Mentorship Program” is part of the creative collaboration between Vacheron Constantin and Abbey Road Studios, which will enable and support the development of, and record all the One of Not Many tracks from the program’s grassroots artists.  Up-and-coming musical talents will benefit from the knowledge of an internationally renowned mentor, Woodkid.

Sharing knowledge and passing on skills lies at the heart of Vacheron Constantin’s heritage – which all began with the founding of the Maison on 17 September 1755, when the young Genevan master-watchmaker Jean-Marc Vacheron hired his first apprentice. This notarised deed bears the oldest known mention of the first watchmaker of a prestigious dynasty and represents Vacheron Constantin’s birth certificate. Since then, apprenticeship, training and the sharing of knowledge has always been a mission and a responsibility within the Manufacture.

To broaden the scope and impact of this mission, the Maison set up its “One of Not Many Mentorship Program”, an initiative designed to encourage and mentor young talent to achieve their aspirations. The program, which is part of the drive to stimulate creative momentum, began in the Middle East, with six young Emirati women being given the opportunity to enjoy guidance by six female entrepreneurs in launching their own business ventures. After an initial mentoring experience lasting six months, the six candidates were able to continue their learning process with a six-month internship with Vacheron Constantin or the Richemont Group in order to develop their skills and knowledge of the business world.

Vacheron Constantin and Abbey Road Studios

The “One of Not Many Mentorship Program” is continuing as part of the ongoing creative collaboration since 2018 between Vacheron Constantin and Abbey Road Studios, the legendary London recording studios owned by Universal Music. Over these four years, this partnership has already given rise to several significant events and projects. The official launch of the Fiftysix collection, which took place in this exceptional setting that has welcomed artists such as Adele, The Beatles, Shirley Bassey, Pink Floyd, and Kanye West. On this occasion, guests were treated to a performance by Benjamin Clementine, one of the faces of Vacheron Constantin’s “One of Not Many” campaign and who recorded his track “Eternity” at Abbey Road Studios as a co-production with the Maison. It was also there that the Manufacture organised the recording of the acoustic imprint of its Les Cabinotiers chiming watches, presented in 2020 as part of its “La Musique du Temps®” theme.

This mentorship program begins a new chapter in the creative collaboration between Vacheron Constantin and Abbey Road Studios. Through the Vacheron Constantin mentorship program, attention is focused on young talents who have not yet signed with a label. A curated list of names chosen by Spinnup – a service created by Universal and dedicated to discovering new artists – was suggested to the program’s first mentor, Woodkid.

Woodkid and Ewan J Phillips

Woodkid, a world-renowned French musician and director, chose a young singer-songwriter from the London area, Ewan J Phillips, to be the first to join the Vacheron Constantin “One of Not Many Mentorship Program” dedicated to the world of music. “To be able to pass on knowledge and artistic sensibility by working with young talents is a privilege for me as a musician”, said Woodkid. “Above and beyond the mentor-apprentice relationship, the sharing and discussions Ewan and I have enjoyed are an enrichment for both of us.”

Ewan J Phillips thus benefited from Woodkid’s advice and expertise in recording a track from his repertoire. “It was an unexpected opportunity to have Woodkid as a mentor and Abbey Road as recording studios”, said Ewan J Phillips “I hadn’t so far managed to get the right tone for this song, so we worked on a new voice and piano only version to recreate that intimate atmosphere typical of the first ‘takes’ of a composition.”

Ewan J Phillips “Say You Never Loved Me” track will be pressed to vinyl, complete with a B side featuring an interview with the mentor and his apprentice. This song will also be available as a DSP file ready for streaming on music platforms. The program is accompanied by photos and videos of how the project came to life and illustrating the passing on of knowledge cherished by Vacheron Constantin. Through this mentorship program, Vacheron Constantin is highlighting the sharing and transmission of knowledge that is indispensable in the art world in general and particularly in the measurement of time.

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Lamborghini NFT Space Time Memory on auction with the start of the lunar year. A bridge between the physical and the digital world, this project celebrates human space exploration
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Lamborghini NFT Space Time Memory on auction with the start of the lunar year.

Lamborghini NFT Space Time Memory on auction with the start of the lunar year. A bridge between the physical and the digital world, this project celebrates human space exploration

Lamborghini NFT Space Time Memory on auction with the start of the lunar year. A bridge between the physical and the digital world, this project celebrates human space exploration

Lamborghini NFT Space Time Memory on auction with the start of the lunar year. A bridge between the physical and the digital world, this project celebrates human space exploration

Sant’Agata Bolognese, 27 January 2022 – Auction details for the first-ever NFT (non-fungible token) of Automobili Lamborghini are now confirmed. Lamborghini has partnered with NFT PRO and RM Sotheby’s and will receive bids on the five pairs of physical and digital artworks by the renowned artist Fabian Oefner between February 1st, the first day of the new lunar year, and February 4th. The auction for the first of the five NFTs will take place on nft.lamborghini.com start at 4:00 pm CET, while each of the other auctions will start and end 15 minutes later then their preceding one. Every auction will last for 75 hours and 50 minutes, the exact time it took Apollo 11 to leave Earth and enter the moon’s orbit – not the only reference to human space exploration.

The physical artwork, the Space Key, contains carbon fiber pieces that Lamborghini sent to the International Space Station back in 2020, as a part of a joint research project. Engraved with a unique QR code, these carbon fiber parts link the digital element, are a series of five photographs of a Lamborghini Ultimae, lifting off toward the stars. The images depict five separate moments within seconds from each other as the car rises above the earth. Its parts, the engine, the transmission, the suspension and hundreds of nuts and bolts are shooting away from the chassis like the exhaust flame of a rocket.

What may look like a computer-generated image is in fact entirely created from elements of the real world: the artist captured more than 1500 individual parts of a real car. The photograph of the earth`s curvature was made by sending a weather balloon equipped with a camera to the edge of the stratosphere. The artist then carefully assembled all of these images into an artificial moment in time. Each of the five NFTs has more than 600 Million pixels. As one starts to zoom in, hidden details of these hyperrealistic photographs are revealed. The resolution is so enormous, that you can read tiny markings on the firing order of the V12 engine or marvel at the different milling patterns on the transmission cog wheels. The longer you look at the composition, the more secrets you discover…

The artist, Fabian Oefner, on the idea behind his creation: “For me, ‘Space Time Memory’ is an analogy to the memories we make in life. Memories are rooted in the physical world; we make them in reality. We then store them in our brains, what could be considered the digital world. I often wonder, what is more precious to me, the actual moment or the memory of that moment? Analog to that, I wonder with the ever-increasing amount of digital realities around us, what is more precious, reality itself or the copies and derivatives of it, that exist in the digital universe.”

At the start of the project, Oefner meticulously studied the engineering plans of the Lamborghini Aventador Ultimae and created an accurate sketch of what the final photograph will look like. Based on that sketch, Lamborghini prepared all the necessary parts and components of a production ready Ultimae. The pieces were then photographed by Oefner and his team in a makeshift photo studio right next to the production line at the Lamborghini Factory in Sant’Agata Bolognese. Upon his return to his studio in the US, where the artist works and lives near New York City, he combined the countless images into the composition envisioned in the sketch. It took Oefner and his team more than 2 months to create a moment, which is shorter than the blink of an eye.

“We’re thrilled to have been chosen as preferred NFT partner by such an iconic brand as Lamborghini and incredible artist, Fabian Oefner”, says Christian Ferri, CEO of NFTPro™. “We pride ourselves for being the #1 enterprise NFT solution in the market, serving the largest category leaders in the world, and working with Lamborghini and Fabian Oefner validates even further our position. Our company is committed to supporting Lamborghini throughout the NFT journey and are humbled to be working with such a visionary team in the years to come”.

What are NFTs? 

NFTs (non-fungible tokens) are unique identifiers recorded on a distributed ledger known as Blockchain and tied to a digital asset such as pictures, videos, music, or other records (e.g. vehicle VIN numbers). Each token is unique, allowing their owners to guarantee asset authenticity, scarcity, programmability and trackability over the internet.

About Fabian Oefner

Fabian Oefner’s work explores the boundaries between time, space and reality. He creates fictional moments and spaces, that look and feel absolutely real, yet aren’t. Through this, Oefner dissects the different components of reality and gives us a clearer understanding of how we perceive and define it. Inspired by science, Oefner’s approach to art is highly methodical and at the same time playful for unexpected moments to happen. He creates carefully orchestrated works, that are planned down to the last detail as well as pieces, that use a loose framework for art to happen.

About RM Sotheby’s

RM Sotheby’s is the world’s largest collector car auction house by total sales. With 40 years of proven results in the collector car industry, RM’s vertically integrated range of services, from auctions (live and online) and private sales to estate planning and financial services, coupled with an expert team of Car Specialists and an international footprint, provide an unsurpassed level of service to the global collector car market. RM Sotheby’s is currently responsible for six of the top ten most valuable motor cars ever sold at auction. 2022 has seen RM Sotheby’s move into offering NFTs, collaborating with both clients and partners, working alongside NFT PRO, to bring to market leading NFT projects that have a strong automotive theme.

About NFT PRO

NFTPro™ is the #1 enterprise white label NFT solution for global brands, making NFT campaigns seamless, easily executed, and on-brand. Thanks to an enterprise-grade platform, proprietary methodology and enterprise-level support, they help global enterprises strategize, create, sell, and distribute NFT-based digital authentic assets to engage communities, drive new revenue streams, and boost cross-sales of physical products while ensuring full company control, sustainability, and global regulatory compliance.

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Legendary Depeche Mode front-man and Hublot Friend of the Brand, Dave Gahan

HUBLOT NAMED AS THE OFFICIAL PARTNER OF DAVE GAHAN’S SOLO TOUR

Legendary Depeche Mode front-man and Hublot Friend of the Brand, Dave Gahan, to begin special tour next month following release of new album Imposter To stay up-to-date, follow: @Hublot #Hublot

LONDON, November 2021 – Hublot loves Dave Gahan! The legendary Depeche Mode front-man, Rock and Roll hall of fame inductee, and Hublot Friend of the Brand has just released Imposter with his long-time collaborators Soulsavers. The new album is a story of songs, a stunning collection of soulful, poignant covers drawn from a rich tapestry of artists who’ve influenced his life and career in music, including Bob Dylan, Eartha Kitt and PJ Harvey. The album is Dave’s third collaboration with Soulsavers, following The Light & The Dead See in 2012 and Angels & Ghosts in 2015.


Hublot is proud to announce it will be the Official Partner of Dave’s solo tour, which begins on December 5th. Tickets for the first show at London’s Coliseum sold out instantly, prompting a second date on December 7th at London’s Shepherd’s Bush. Paris will welcome Dave Gahan’s solo tour at the Salle Pleyel on December 10th and the Berlin show will be held at the Admiralpalast on December 13th.Further tour dates and other special events will be announced in due course.

Hublot and Depeche Mode’s creative collaboration began in 2010. Through the partnership, there have been 5 various collections launched, while Hublot has been honoured to first support the band’s activities in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust in 2009, and then the non-profit organisation Charity:water.


HUBLOT
Founded in Switzerland in 1980, HUBLOT is defined by its innovation, which began with the highly original combination of gold and rubber. This “Art of Fusion” stems from the imagination of its visionary Chairman, Jean-Claude Biver, and has been driven forward by CEO Ricardo Guadalupe since 2012. The release of the iconic, multi-award-winning Big Bang in 2005 paved the way for new flagship collections (Classic Fusion, Spirit of Big Bang), with complications ranging from the simple to the highly sophisticated, establishing the extraordinary DNA of the Swiss watchmaking house and ensuring its impressive growth. Keen to preserve its traditional and cutting-edge expertise, and guided by its philosophy to “Be First, Different and Unique”, the Swiss watchmaker is consistently ahead of the curve, through its innovations in materials (scratchresistant Magic Gold, ceramics in vibrant colours, sapphire), and the creation of Manufacture movements (Unico,
Meca-10, Tourbillon). HUBLOT is fully committed to creating a Haute Horlogerie brand with a visionary future: a future which is fused with the key events of our times (FIFA World CupTM, UEFA Champions League, UEFA EUROTM) and the finest ambassadors our era has to offer (Chiara Ferragni, Pelé, Kylian Mbappé, Usain Bolt, Novak Djokovic). Discover the HUBLOT universe at our network of boutiques located in key cities across the globe: Geneva, Paris, London, New York, Hong Kong, Dubai, Tokyo, Singapore, Zurich and at HUBLOT.com
We love Dave Gahan! It’s been an incredible journey working with Dave and Depeche Mode and supporting their tours and their charity projects over the years. It brought us such great
joy to hear his new material and see him touring with Soulsavers again. What a voice! What a talent!”
Ricardo Guadalupe

HUBLOT CEO
”Hublot have been such great partners of ours for such a long time now – and I’m so pleased to be working with Ricardo and his team again. Putting Imposter together with Soulsavers has been a deep and soulful experience and I’m proud that we’ve made such a special record. I’m excited to be able to perform and present this special album live, starting here in London in December. And with special thanks to Hublot for the continued support and partnership.” Dave Gahan
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