Robin and Rupert Hambro’s Art, Jewelry Go Under the Christie’s Hammer
LONDON — Next month Christie’s will open a window onto the gilded world of the late Robin and Rupert Hambro, socialites, aesthetes and collectors whose lives spanned fashion, art and finance, and who lived between London; Hampshire, England; and Saint-Rémy in Provence, France.
The live auction will take place in London on June 8, and will comprise nearly 200 lots including modern British art and sculpture; jewelry from brands including Bulgari and Verdura; Impressionist, post-war and contemporary art; furniture, and Old Master paintings.
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Throughout the ’80s and into the ’90s, the Hambros were fixtures on the London social scene, known for their style as well as their taste level. The blonde, thin and graceful Robin Hambro was born in the U.S. and started her career as a model. She was photographed by leading photographers including Horst P. Horst and Norman Parkinson.
She later became the American director of public relations for Christian Dior Couture. She also served as fashion editor, and later London editor, of American Vogue before joining Christie’s. Hambro spent the latter part of her career as an artist and art adviser.
Her husband Rupert, even taller, dashing and impeccably tailored, hailed from the Danish-British banking family, founders of C.J. Hambro, and spent his career in finance and business.
The jewelry lots include a Bulgari gem-set Tubogas collar and bracelet set, with amethyst, peridot and sapphire cabochons. It has an estimate ranging from 3,000 to 5,000 pounds.
There is also a Marina B diamond and lacquer collar necklace with a trilliant-cut diamond of around 2.95 carats, with an estimate of 6,000 to 8,000 pounds; and a pair of criss-cross cuff bangles of lattice design, signed by Verdura, with an estimate of 8,000 to 12,000 pounds.
Works of art for sale include “Head (Ra)” by Barbara Hepworth, conceived in marble in 1971 and cast in bronze in 1972 by Morris Singer Founders. It carries an estimate of 300,000 to 500,000 pounds. Antony Gormley’s “6 Times Sky,” which shows the artist’s body, has an estimate of 250,000 to 350,000 pounds.
Other works include André Brasilier’s “Grand bouquet de lis” (1988), which is expected to fetch between 30,000 and 50,000 pounds, and Alexander Calder’s “Pontiac” (1970), which has an estimate of 40,000 to 60,000 pounds.
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