Sotheby’s today deepens its commitment to the Middle East, and the United Arab Emirates in particular, with the launch of Abu Dhabi Collectors’ Edit: Materiality, a new summer auction running from 24 June to 10 July (estimate 6.6 million – 9.7 million USD).
Featuring just over thirty highly coveted objects, thoughtfully edited, this exclusive online auction celebrates the essence of luxury through the rare and precious materials from which they are crafted, and the exceptional savoir-faire that transforms them into some of the world’s most coveted creations. Materials echo across luxury categories: the carbon fibre used in high-performance bicycles shares its elemental origins with diamonds, gold is found as effortlessly in Hermès’ handbag hardware as in fine watches which can also use titanium, a material no stranger to exceptional motorcars.
Abu Dhabi Collectors’ Edit: Materiality showcases Sotheby’s core luxury categories including jewellery, watches, luxury handbags, high-performance bikes, and automobiles. The auction builds on the resounding success of Abu Dhabi Collectors’ Week, a record-setting blockbuster event and auction series staged by Sotheby’s in the UAE capital last December – further establishing Abu Dhabi’s growing stature as a global destination for collectors of world class luxury assets.
“It was important for us to build on the remarkable momentum of our recent initiatives in Abu Dhabi at the earliest opportunity, and Abu Dhabi Collectors’ Edit: Materiality represents the ideal next step – perfectly timed to conclude a season of successful luxury sales across our key strategic locations worldwide.
It also reflects our continued focus on the Middle East and our confidence in the region’s rise as a key stakeholder at the forefront of the international luxury conversation, and as a centre of gravity in our global expansion across luxury markets and collectors’ communities.” – Josh Pullan, Global Head of Sotheby’s Luxury Division
“Seasoned collectors have always been driven by an appreciation and understanding of materials — their rarity, their provenance, and the mastery required to shape them. With a fast-growing number of luxury collectors in the Gulf, especially those at the beginning of their collecting journey, Abu Dhabi Collectors’ Edit: Materiality is a reminder of what matters by bringing together exceptional objects that speak not only to beauty and value, but also to substance. We have no doubt that this opportunity will resonate deeply with collectors in the Gulf and beyond and stands as yet another exciting chapter in Sotheby’s long-standing commitment to the Middle East.” – Katia Nounou Boueiz, Head of Sotheby’s UAE & Chairman, Middle East
Leading the Abu Dhabi Collectors’ Edit: Materiality capsule collection of outstanding luxury objects is a selection of five unique jewellery creations designed by the highly sought-after maison Hemmerle, offered for sale for the first time. Hemmerle stands as one of the most singular names in contemporary high jewellery, revered for its uncompromising craftsmanship, intellectual design language and for challenging preconceived notions of what jewellery can be. It also makes use of unusual materials – such as iron, aluminum, wood, copper and bronze – to anchor its signature aesthetic that presents jewellery as a form of art.
The jewellery offering is further enhanced by a series of exceptional white and coloured diamonds jewels, a remarkable 200-carat Paraiba tourmaline from Mozambique, and necklaces by Bulgari and Van Cleef and Arpels beautifully showcasing emeralds, rock crystal and peridot beads.
Thirteen ultra-rare watches using a mix of gold, platinum, titanium, tantalum, and hardstone coral also feature in the sale. They include a Rafael Nadal Richard Mille RM35-03 skeletonized wristwatch, alongside a selection of Patek Philippe, Rolex, F.P Journe, Urwerk and Audemars Piguet timepieces.
A stunning and very rare Hermès limited edition Midas Sellier Kelly 25 in black box leather with eighteen-carat yellow gold hardware, an ultra-exclusive Bugatti Factor ONE high-performance bike made of carbon fibre, titanium and steel, and two exceptional cars by Bugatti and Mercedes-Benz complement the sale. Abu Dhabi Collectors’ Edit: Materiality is accessible to collectors across the Gulf and internationally via sothebys.com/materiality.
The launch of Abu Dhabi Collectors’ Edit: Materiality is the next chapter for Sotheby’s and Abu Dhabi, continuing a series of initiatives in the capital which started last April when it hosted Sotheby’s most dazzling exhibition of some of world’s rarest diamonds at the Bassam Freiha Art Foundation – at the heart of Abu Dhabi’s cultural district on the landmark Saadiyat Island.
Two further milestone events were successfully staged in the emirate: Carry Me in September – a festival celebrating luxury handbags through talks, events, and workshops – and, in December, the inaugural Abu Dhabi Collectors’ Week. This was a major multi-faceted event anchored by a series of high-profile luxury auctions, accompanied by curated panel discussions and a world class non-selling art exhibition.
Timed to coincide with the Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix, one of the region’s most vibrant and high-profile weeks, Collectors’ Week emerged as a defining highlight. The Abu Dhabi Collectors’ Week auctions went on to gross over 133 million USD, a record for the region.