Lot 306: Gold, diamond and enamel snuff box, 19th century. Estimates: CHF20,000–24,000 / US$25,000–30,000. The Geneva Jewels Auction: VI.
As we celebrate Phillips’ 230th anniversary, it is an opportunity to pause and reflect on how extraordinary and unexpected the journey from 1796 to now has been. The story of Phillips unfolds alongside revolutions, inventions, artistic movements, royal courts, and sweeping global change. It began with a 30-year-old entrepreneur who set out on his own with no staff, no permanent premises, and guided by the same innovative spirit that continues to shape Phillips today.
Phillips was founded in 1796 in Westminster, London, by Harry Phillips, a former senior clerk at a well-established London auction house, who set out to found his own business. In his first year, Phillips conducted 12 auctions in 12 distinct locations, walking across London to whichever venue he could secure, with catalogues bound in marbled paper at Seven Dials. He soon gained a reputation as an innovator who combined business acumen with a flair for showmanship, introducing opulent evening receptions ahead of auctions.
Harry Phillips gained international recognition for handling prestigious sales, including those of Marie Antoinette’s art collection in 1798, Queen Caroline’s belongings in 1822, as well as household items belonging to Napoleon following his death on St. Helena. Phillips remains the only auction house ever to have held a sale inside Buckingham Palace, in 1836.
Collections & Provenance
Lots 301 to 307 have been assembled over several decades by a private collector with a deep fascination for Ludwig II of Bavaria, reflecting an enduring admiration for the king.
To mark more than two centuries of extraordinary sales, relationships, discoveries, and heritage, this May, as part of The Geneva Jewels Auction: VI, we are delighted to announce the launch of a new section dedicated to jewels of important provenance.
Archduchess Marie Anne of Austria, Princess Elie de Bourbon Parme wearing lot 308. © Collection Christophe Vachaudez.
‘Collections and Provenance’ builds upon our longstanding tradition of offering remarkable collections, today encompassing sales of exceptional jewellery from Noble European families as well as from the collections of Gladys Moore Vanderbilt, Countess Széchenyi, Princess Salimah Aga Khan, the Kings of Bavaria and King Louis-Philippe of France.
Portrait of Louis Philippe I by Franz Xaver Winterhalter, 1841, Musée national des châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon. Discover lot 309.
This new section embraces the spirit of tradition and curiosity that defines Phillips and looks ahead to presenting further jewels of distinguished provenance in the seasons to come.
Lots 310, 311, 312, and 313 once formed part of the opulent interior of the Vanderbilts’ Breakers Estate.
Discover more from Collections & Provenance in The Geneva Jewels Auction: VI >