The great gold lacquer mazarin chest sold over 7 millions euros!
It's one of the finest pieces of Japanese export lacquerware to have survived from the 17th century.
It belonged to Cardinal Jules Mazarin, who bought it in Amsterdam in 1658.
After the Cardinal's death, this chest went to one of his nieces, probably Hortense Mancini, then entered the collection of the poet Thomas Beckford, and later that of the Duke of Hamilton (the V & A acquired its own example at the Hamilton sale in 1882), before being bought in 1916 by Sir Clifford Cory.
It resurfaced in the collections of Dr. Zaniewski in London, and left England in the 1970s for the Loire Valley in France, not far from the Château de Cheverny… to which all roads lead in the end.
Starting at a reasonnable 200 000 euros, the cedar wood chest with lacquer decoration on a black background reached the record breaking price of 7 millions euros (including fees) in Cheverny on sunday 9th of june.
http://www.rouillac.com/Cheverny/Cheverny_2013/379-EN-Mazarin_Chest
