French auction house Artcurial has announced that it will be auctioning the Islamic art collection of Pierre Bergé – Yves Saint Laurent on October 31, 2015 in the salons of the Palace Es Saadi in Marrakech. Titled “A Moroccan Passion,” the sale is Artcurial’s first in Morocco and will be held in aid of the Jardin Majorelle Foundation.
Pierre Bergé said, “The Jardin Majorelle Foundation, which I chair, will be selling all these carefully chosen pieces. The proceeds from this sale will enable us to continue improving the garden and to welcome, in the best possible fashion, the numerous visitors which last year amounted to almost 800,000,”
“They will also help finance the Yves Saint Laurent museum that will open in 2017, in the new cultural centre near the garden and to pursue the various cultural, educational and social activities that the Jardin Majorelle Foundation has been supporting in Morocco since its creation in 2011,” Pierre Bergé added.
“A Moroccan Passion” features almost 180 items of Moroccan art from the Jardin Majorelle Museum spanning weapons, embroidery, cloth, ceramics, jewellery, carpets, and architectural components. The sale also includes all the furniture from the museum by architect Bill Willis as well as 50 pieces of furniture and paintings from the personal collection of Pierre Bergé and Yves Saint Laurent.
Highlights include an exceptional 17th century double door from a mosque (est. €20,000 – 30,000); a this conical mokhfia dish, Fez, late 17th century, used for serving couscous (est. €5,000 – 6,000); a gold bird tiara (Fez 20th century), set with diamonds and emeralds (est. €8,000 – 10,000); and a glass mosque lamp, Austrian School, Lobmeyer, late 19th century (est. €8,000 – 10,000).
For more information visit the Artcurial website here.
