March 18, 2019: Louis XVI (at this point, Dauphin for another year) was known to give out gold snuff boxes and ornately decorated calendars. A particular diamond and mother-of-pearl calendar, dated 1774, was given out at court by Louis Dauphin and Marie-Antoinette Dauphine, as a token of friendship to celebrate the New Year.
This Louis XV era calendar is up for sale in the Fellows’ inaugural Fine Jewellery auction on March 21. It was bought by the current owner in the Collection Marie-Antoinette at Christie's in Paris in 2015. The auction had a total price realised of €707,988. The calendar was also previously exhibited at the Palace of Versailles in 1955. With an estimate of £6,000 – £8,000, the calendar is one of many highlights included in the Fellows’ auction.
Nicola Whittaker, from Fellows Auctioneers, said: “We’re delighted to be able to offer such a historically interesting piece in Fellows’ inaugural Fine Jewellery auction… Louis was known for giving extravagant gifts to his friends and that this calendar contains birthdays, social events and astrological information makes it very sentimental. This is the first time this piece has come to auction within the UK and we are excited to bring it to a British market given the recent surge in popularity of pieces connected to the couple."
