For the Cambi Auction House in Genoa, the last days of May were animated by the sale of antique objects and paintings that took place over three days, from the 28th to the 30th.
The sale result is defined good by the auction house’s communication bodies. Overall results are not available yet but we can certainly point out some of the most interesting prices achieved during the auction.
There were sessions rich in surprises. Many of the most paid lots of the various sessions realized astonishing prices compared to their estimates.
The top lot of the three days was an oil on canvas realized by Gaspare Diziani, “Il fuoco sceso dal cielo protegge Elia e distrugge i soldati di Ocozia”. The work was presented in catalogue with an estimate of 80,000 – 100,000 euros and sold for 163,400 euros. This is the third best result ever achieved at auction for the artist, after “Finding of Moses” sold by Christie’s London in 1997 for 205,600 euros and “The rape of Deianiera; Venus and Vulcan” sold by Sotheby’s New York for 170,815 euros in 2006.
In the section of antique paintings, an important result was also realized for “Adorazione dei pastori” by Bartolomeo Guidobono, selling for 73,000 euros (estimate 50,000 – 60,000 euros). Even in this case it is the third best price at auction for the artist, whose record dates back to 1999 with “Cupido e Psiche” sold by Christie’s New York for 216,400 euros, followed by “Cristo nella casa di Simone il Fariseo”, which the same auction house sold in London in 2006 for 86,100 euros.
The second highest price achieved at Cambi’s auction was the sale of a couple of chandeliers in golden bronze and rock crystals that were sold for 99,300 euros, five-fold their highest estimate (15,000 – 20,000 euros).
And this was not certainly not the greatest surprise. Among the other top lots of the evening the catalogue presented objects for few hundred euros that achieved prices that were even forty-fold in some cases.
An ivory tray worked with a small paintbrush shaped like a Chinese sage, realized in China in the nineteenth century, was estimated between 400 and 500 euros. It achieved 20,600 euros.
Another piece of Chinese production from the nineteenth century is a crown and box with a jade lid. The lot was valued in the catalogue with an estimate between 400 and 500 euros. It sold for 18,200 euros.
The success of the lots from China goes on. A green jade fretted incense burner estimated between 350 and 400 euros was bought for 16,400 euros. Similarly to a jade bowl that arrived with a valuation between 180 and 200 euros and sold for 7,000.
Therefore, many surprises. In a definitely not bubbly climate, especially for antiques in Italy, it is unlikely to believe that upturns of this type can be due to the heat of collectors. There has certainly been a significant growth worldwide for the Chinese art market, which is prevailing on the greatest world markets. However, it is difficult to imagine that the upturns that took place at Cambi’s auction are due only to this.
It is more likely that discerning connoisseurs were able to seize in the objects at auction a quality that was not adequately valorized in the catalogue. Perhaps an alarm bell for Italian auction houses that nowadays need to be able to offer a high-quality service to buyers and sellers and guarantee an adequate valorization of those objects that may have a favourable quotation at the moment.
This is an essential step to prevent collectors from starting to prefer the big internationally organized structures, which can offer experts for every sector.

translated by Giorgina Arcuri