The residence of Stefan and Monika Schmink sprung from decades of dedication and connoisseurship – overlooking the River Main in Frankfurt, it brought together fine Old Master Paintings with a Belle Époque love for exuberant decoration. The precision and passion of the Schmincks means that pieces from an array of categories were brought into harmony in their own personal Wunderkammer; it is therefore an honour and a pleasure for us at Sotheby’s to present these pieces to new collectors.

Property from the Schminck Collection

As one of Germany’s most prominent noble families, the House of Württemberg has roots in the first century of the second millennium, and was later raised to the title of Duke at the 1495 Diet of Worms. The Duchy survived the Reformation and the upheavals of the 18th century, and became the Kingdom of Württemberg in 1806, remaining so for over a century. Twenty-five pieces are being offered by a member of this family, including an important royal pair of K.P.M. vases and two amusing paintings by Johann Baptist Pflug.

Property of Duchess Marie von Württemberg, née Princess zu Wied

This large and imposing portrait records a likeness of Matthias I (1557-1619) soon after he was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 1612. As fitting the occasion, Matthias is richly attired in his coronation regalia and wears the German Reichskrone, a crown rarely shown in portraits of the Emperor. But, many more important details related to Matthias’s reign and power abound in the canvas.

Portrait of Matthias, Holy Roman Emperor, in Coronation Regalia

We bring together a selection of lots that have provenance linking them to royal families or have royal sitters.

Objects with Royal Stories

For centuries, noble families were the providers of top military commanders, and so collections of fine weaponry formed an integral part of the aristocracy’s identity. It is fitting, therefore, that a group of finely-made miniature arms and armour is included in our Noble &amp; Private Collections sale. The group comes from the collection of a deceased Dutch connoisseur, who was advised by Henk Visser, a world expert on arms and armour whose magnificent collection was sold at Sotheby’s in 1990-91.

Historical Arms and Armour 

Cologne

Senior Valuations Specialist &amp; Collections Sales | Sotheby’s Germany / Consultant

drs. Herbert van Mierlo

Senior Director | Head of Department | Global Head of Furniture & Decorative Arts

Henry House

Senior Specialist, Head of Furniture, London, Representative for Portugal

João Magalhães 

Director | Head of Evening Sale | Specialist | Old Master Paintings 

Elisabeth Lobkowicz

Senior Director | Senior Specialist | Old Master Paintings

Baukje Coenen

Senior Director | Head of Department, Old Master Drawings, Worldwide

Gregory Rubinstein

Vice President | Specialist | European Ceramics & Glass

Richard Hird

Senior Director | Head of Department, Europe| European Sculpture &amp; Works of Art

Christopher Mason

Head of Department, Silver and Vertue

Thierry de Lachaise

Specialist

Miles Harrison

Director | Specialist Jewellery & Watches | Head of Luxury sales, Germany | Auctioneer

Philipp Demeter

Collections & Consignments Manager

Vanessa Schramek 

Pre-Sale Manager

Katrin Mundy

Pre-Sale Coordinator

Valérie Lienhart

Meet our Specialists

For assistance with bidding and registration, please contact: DE +49 (0) 221 207 170 UK +44 (0)207 293 5283 
 
 <a class="Link" href="mailto:bids.germany@sothebys.com">bids.germany@sothebys.com</a>

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For the first time, Sotheby’s is proud to host an auction of Noble and Private Collections from our German saleroom in Cologne. We are delighted to present a careful selection that includes fine and decorative art, bringing together pieces with royal and noble provenance with other rarities from distinguished private collections.

Noble & Private Collections 