BEAUTIFUL BLOSSOM CUTTER PATENTED AND MANUFACTURED BY DUBOIS The knob is made of ribbed brown horn, the shaft of bamboo, the ferrule of brass. The pommel unscrews to extract a bamboo stem ending in a small shear, which not only cuts the flower, but also holds it. A brush, concealed in the pommel, is used to clean the blades. The shears engraved "Dubois breveté". Second half of the 19th century. Length. 90.5 cm

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.