JUEVES, 29 DE ENERO DE 2026 
An exceptional boxwood triptych fetches €1.5 million at Giquello
O n Thursday 29 January 2026, Giquello achieved €1.5 million for an outstanding boxwood triptych depicting the Last Judgement, a masterpiece of early 16th-century Netherlandish micro-sculpture, at its Haute Époque et curiosités sale.
Dating from circa 1520–1525 and attributed to a workshop active in Delft, this remarkable work, standing just 22.5 cm high, is distinguished by the extraordinary density of its composition, the finesse of its carving and the richness of its iconographic programme. Executed in both high and low relief, the triptych unfolds a spectacular vision of the Last Judgement, populated by hundreds of minute figures, from the celestial tribunal dominated by Christ in Majesty to the infernal scenes occupying the lower register.
The lateral wings portray the identified patrons, Jean Caulier and his wife Hélène Le Tailleur, kneeling before their respective patron saints and accompanied by their coats of arms, allowing for a precise historical contextualisation of the work. Preserved together with its original embossed leather case, the triptych — hitherto unpublished — originates from a private Breton collection.
Belonging to the extremely limited corpus of devotional boxwood micro-sculptures produced in the Low Countries during the first third of the 16th century, this work forms part of an artistic tradition that has undergone significant scholarly reassessment in recent years, notably through the international research programme The Boxwood Project and the major exhibitions held in Europe and North America in 2017.
The sale also recorded several outstanding results, including €197,600 for a late 15th-century millefleurs tapestry fragment from the Southern Netherlands, far exceeding its estimate of €40,000–60,000. Rare for both its state of preservation and the presence of a rich bestiary — including a chimera bird — this exceptional fragment belongs to a highly sought-after group of Gothic tapestries, with related examples held in the collections of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, and the Musée de Cluny, Paris.
Two important Limoges painted enamel plaques attributed to Pierre Courteys (circa 1550–1560), depicting Emperor Octavian Augustus and Lucretia, together achieved €104,000, against an estimate of €25,000–35,000. Formerly in the collection of the Château de Montmaurin and preserved within the same French family for several generations, these rare works belong to a prestigious series of Renaissance enamel medallions, comparable examples of which are held at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, the Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg, and the Musée du Louvre, Paris.
Today's results confirm the remarkable vitality of the market for early sculpture and decorative arts, and the growing interest of collectors in these masterpieces of virtuosity, at the crossroads of art, devotion and curiosity.
Belonging to the extremely limited corpus of devotional boxwood micro-sculptures produced in the Low Countries during the first third of the 16th century, this work forms part of an artistic tradition that has undergone significant scholarly reassessment in recent years, notably through the international research programme The Boxwood Project and the major exhibitions held in Europe and North America in 2017.
The sale also recorded several outstanding results, including €197,600 for a late 15th-century millefleurs tapestry fragment from the Southern Netherlands, far exceeding its estimate of €40,000–60,000. Rare for both its state of preservation and the presence of a rich bestiary — including a chimera bird — this exceptional fragment belongs to a highly sought-after group of Gothic tapestries, with related examples held in the collections of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, and the Musée de Cluny, Paris.
Two important Limoges painted enamel plaques attributed to Pierre Courteys (circa 1550–1560), depicting Emperor Octavian Augustus and Lucretia, together achieved €104,000, against an estimate of €25,000–35,000. Formerly in the collection of the Château de Montmaurin and preserved within the same French family for several generations, these rare works belong to a prestigious series of Renaissance enamel medallions, comparable examples of which are held at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, the Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg, and the Musée du Louvre, Paris.
Today's results confirm the remarkable vitality of the market for early sculpture and decorative arts, and the growing interest of collectors in these masterpieces of virtuosity, at the crossroads of art, devotion and curiosity.
