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On April 29th 2008
Quittenbaum Kunstauktionen will be celebrating its 10th anniversary
with a special 'Art Nouveau - Art Déco' auction
Since its establishment in 1998, Quittenbaum Kunstauktionen has become one
of the leading international auction houses for Applied Arts of the 20th
Century.
Averaging
six auctions annually, the Munich,Germany based company presents
high-quality furniture, glass, ceramics, silver and jewelry, ranging from
the 1880’s to present time, to an international clientele. Its
exceptional expertise in Art Nouveau and Art Deco, Design, Murano glass
and African tribal art, has gained Quittenbaum a reputation as a forum for
dedicated collectors and specialists.
The history of the company dates back to the year 1956 when Ellen Piper,
mother-to-be of present managing director Askan Quittenbaum, opened an
African Art gallery in Düsseldorf. Later, in 1968 she set up shop in
Hamburg, specializing in jewelry and Art Nouveau as well as antiques.
When Askan Quittenbaum joined forces with her in 1992 they founded the
Galerie Quittenbaum in Hamburg-Blankenese and subsequently focused more
and more on Art Deco, Design of the 20th century and Murano glass. In 1998
the operation was finally moved to Munich, the hub of the German art
business. On May 11th of that year, the very first auction under the
moniker Quittenbaum Kunstauktionen took place.
Each year, during four major
events, usually in the spring and in autumn, Quittenbaum auctions roughly
4,000 objects. Additionally special presentations focusing entirely on
African tribal art as well as Murano glass are held annually.
In
1999 Quittenbaum undertook their first highlight-auction, featuring 400
Bauhaus items, which was to become the cornerstone of increased
specialization in the realm of Modern Design, thus further shaping the
companies’ profile. Since 2004, in collaboration with the Munich-based
bank Reuschel & Co., Privatbankiers, Quittenbaum organizes annual
highlight-auctions, presenting this relatively young field of interest for
collectors, interior designers, occasional buyers and amateur interior
architects. In 2006 the theme of that auction was “Design made in
Germany”. 2007’s “Flower Power” consisted of a selection of
seemingly nature-inspired designs, furniture and lamps. Each year, experts
and curators of Museums such as for instance, Chris Dercon (Haus der Kunst
München), Volker Fischer (Museum für Angewandte Kunst Frankfurt/Main)
and Rüdiger Joppien (Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg), lecture at
and accompany the previews for these special auctions that are held in a
festive atmosphere.
Source: Quittenbaum
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