On Tuesday, May 22nd and Wednesday, May 23rd, 2012, Sotheby’s is honoured to present for sale close to 300 artworks from The Gunter Sachs Collection. Selected with Gunter Sachs’ legendary eye for exceptional beauty over the course of 50 years, this avant-garde collection of art, objects and furniture will stand as a lasting testament to the extraordinary life and visionary art collection of the late Gunter Sachs.

Spanning numerous collecting categories, from Surrealism and Nouveau Realism, to Pop Art, Art Deco, 20th Century design and Graffiti, this two day auction is set to be one of the most remarkable and diverse single-owner collections to ever appear at Sotheby’s. Highlights include masterpieces by Andy Warhol, Tom Wesselmann, Roy Lichtenstein, Arman and Yves Klein, as well as important pre and post-war furniture by Ruhlmann and Giacometti.

On May 10th, Sotheby’s will hold a new sale of British & Irish Art with dedicated sections for Victorian, Early 20th Century, Marine, Sporting, Scottish and Irish Art. This sale is designed to answer the demand of new buyers who collect across a variety of genres and will bring together the finest drawings, watercolours, oil paintings and sculpture.

There will be exhibitions in Dublin, Belfast and Edinburgh before the auction at our prestigious New Bond Street saleroom. This fresh approach will celebrate the distinct character of British and Irish painting and engage collectors worldwide.

Sotheby’s annual various owners sale of African, Oceanic, and Pre-Columbian Art in New York is led by a magnificent Kota reliquary figure formerly in the collections of Morris J. Pinto and the artist Armand Arman (estimate $1-1.5 million).  In addition, this sale features works from several distinguished collections including The Martin and Roberta Lerner Collection of African Miniature Sculpture, the Zafrira and Itzhak Shoher Collection, and the Susan and Jerry Vogel Collection of African Art.  The selection of Pre-Columbian art will feature Peruvian gold, Mezcala stone figures, masks, and Maya and West Mexican ceramic figures from collections including the Art Institute of Chicago, William and Betty Hays and the Estate of Jan Mitchell.

The personal jewellery collection of arguably the most important female jewellery designer of the 20th century, Suzanne Belperron (1900-1983), will be sold in Geneva on the 14th of May 2012. Comprising over 50 lots, this unprecedented sale features the most significant group of jewels by Belperron ever to appear on the market. This collection includes some of her most celebrated designs and also very intimate items which illustrate her unique style and creative virtuosity.