included (est. $80/120,000). The sale will also include several works previously in the collection of Nancy Lancaster, Virginian tastemaker and owner of Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler.
Lancaster was a key proponent of the Englishcountry look as well as a popular hostess for Winston Churchill, Cecil Beaton, John Singer Sargent, and other notable names from the mid-twentieth century. An Important Chinese Export Reverse-Painted Mirror Painting within a George III Carved and Giltwood Frame, from her Oxfordshire home, Ditchley Park, dated last quarter 18th century (est. $80/120,000), and a Regency Rosewood-Grained and Parcel-Gilt Gilt-Metal-Mounted Bonheur du Jour in the manner of John McLean (est. $30/50,000) will be offered.
Magnificent Jewels to be sold 20 April 2010
Seventeen stunning jewels from Mrs. Kluge’s collection will be included in Sotheby’s sale of Magnificent Jewels on 20 April in New York with a total value of $2.4/3.4 million. Highlights from this magnificent collection include a Platinum, Diamond and Sapphire “Panthère” Wristwatch, Cartier, 1984, with the watch dial hidden beneath the reclining panther (est. $100/150,000) and A Pair of Platinum and Diamond Pendant-Earclips Set Throughout with Pear-Shaped Diamonds (est. $600/800,000). Also featured is a Platinum and Diamond Ring set with a 20.15 carat pear-shaped Diamond (est. $150/200,000).
Albemarle House and Grounds Conceived in 1981 and completed in 1985, Albemarle House epitomizes high-style country living in the tradition of the English country manor. With the help of one of the world’s most sought-after interior designers, David Easton, Mrs. Kluge scoured the world to complete her vision, seeking out the best English furniture and decorations. The result is what has been called one of the ten most beautiful houses in America. Complete with a home theater, personal gym and sauna, Albemarle House mixes elegant grandeur with modern convenience. Mrs. Kluge’s estate also includes an orchard, a conservatory, a chapel, stables, and guest cottages.
Complementing the high-style of Albemarle House are its exquisitely manicured English gardens, designed by one of Britain’s most highly acclaimed landscape architects, George Carter, together with Lady Xa Tollemache. Speaking of Albemarle House, Mr. Carter commented, “Albemarle House is one of those grand visions, in the spirit of the 18th century, where a great landscape and house have been created and an estate formed from scratch…Patricia Kluge is constantly open to new ideas, cultural influences and planting palettes, which, I think, take this garden beyond the regional context of Virginia and put it, in the realm of garden design, on a world stage.” For additional information about The Collection of Patricia Kluge and Albemarle House, please visit www.sothebys.com/kluge. Albemarle House is currently on offer. For enquiries please contact Michael Rankin +1 202 271 3344, TTR-Sotheby’s International Realty.
