DEAR FRIENDS,
It's with great pleasure that we present to you the catalog of our Auction 139: a special auction, covering a wide range of goods with particular quality, rarity and antiquity, well represented by the gilt silver salver which illustrates the cover - certainly one of the works of highest artistic, historical and cultural value of this auction.

A high collection piece, museum-worthy, studied by one of the most renowned Portuguese experts in the field, Nuno Vassalo e Silva, who in a text that we anticipate, points it out as  "(...) the first examples of Renaissance Jewellery among us" (Lot 246).

Among the many other pieces of exceptional quality and interest, national and international, to be mentioned, should be  highlighted, once more,  in the first place, those that we call generically by Arte Lusíada - Portuguese command art pieces of time of the Discoveries, from Africa to the Far East - the meeting and crossing of Portuguese Art and culture with art and culture, beliefs, traditions, styles and techniques of India (Indo-Portuguese art), Ceylon (Cingalo-Portuguese), China (Sino-Portuguese) or Japan (Namban Art) - to name only some of the countries with which we connect more closely since the 16th century. Some examples:

Table, teak and ebony, Indo-Portuguese, 17th C. (Lot 430);

Table Cabinet, teak, ebony and ivory, Mughal influence, 17th C. (Lot 432);

“Crucified Christ” , ivory sculpture, Indo-Portuguese, 18th C. (Lot 409);

“Saint Martin”, ivory plaque, Cingalo-Portuguese, 17th C. (Lot 414)

A reference is also due to the relevant group of rare books and engravings presented:

Francisco de Goya (1746-1828) – Full set of the first edition of “Los Proverbios”, Madrid, 1864 (Lot 510);

D. Fernando II, King of Portugal (1816-1885) - “Album of engravings” (Lot 499);

D. Carlos, King of Portugal (1863-1908) - “Aves de Portugal”, Lisboa, 1903/1907 (Lot 501);

In the field of Portuguese old masters painting particular reference to the oils by Ir. Joana Baptista (17th C.) (Lot 118) and Fernão Gomes (1548-1612) (Lot 119).

From 19th/20th C., to mention, among others, the works by Carlos Botelho, António Carneiro, Sousa Lopes, José Malhoa, João Pedroso, Silva Porto, King D. Carlos, Carlos Reis, Tomasini, Falcão Trigoso, João Vaz, etc. (vd. index in fine).

To mention also the group of Chinese export porcelain, decorated with Portuguese families coats-of-arms – rare by the dimension and diversity

A reference, finally, to the significant group of silver and jewels, Portuguese and foreign, presented at this auction

Hoping to have the pleasure of receiving you soon, yours sincerely

Pedro Maria de Alvim        Miguel Cabral de Moncada