Wedding handkerchief with the coat of arms of Alliance, family of the prince of Arenberg, late nineteenth century. Linen hand thread decorated with fine white embroidery in sandblasted point of a double shield flanked by a griffin and a lion crowned stamped with the closed crown of the Holy Germanic Empire and the motto "Christus Protector Meus" in a phalanx. Four large thistles embroidered in spandrels large flounce Valenciennes lace from Ghent to the spindles (some accidents and old repairs to the linen).

Composed of several subsidiaries, the Drouot Group is a major player in the art market. Hôtel Drouot, located in the heart of Paris, has been the world's largest public auction center since 1852. 15 salerooms are available to more than 70 auction houses. The emulation generated by an annual offer of 230,000 artworks from 21 major specialities - from Antiquity to street art - attracts some 3,000 visitors every day. The Group's digital platform, Drouot.com, offers digital sales - Live auctions (live broadcasting and participation in auctions), Online-only auctions (dematerialised auctions) and Buy Now sales (sales of lots at fixed prices). Nearly 2 million items are offered annually by 600 auction houses. Auction news is reported every week in La Gazette Drouot, the leading weekly magazine for the art market and culture published by Auctionspress.