TEFAF Maastricht 2023 Continues its Legacy as World’s Greatest Art Fair

Founded by the European Fine Art Foundation in 1988, TEFAF Maastricht is considered the most influential trade fair of antiques and fine arts for its collection of museum-quality antiques, historical artwork, furnishings, precious objects, and more.

Running from March 11–19, 2023, this year’s show will bring together 270 prestigious dealers from over 20 countries to display some of the most exclusive pieces currently on the market.

As Old Master art becomes has been increasingly displaced by contemporary pieces in many recent exhibitions, TEFAF Maastricht remains one of the few shows that has over half the space dedicated to traditional forms of art: Old Master paintings, antiques, and classical works.

Camel with Foreign Rider 

Circa 618–906 AD China, 
Painted pottery, Tang Dynasty 
98,5 x 33 x 75 cm (38,7 x 12,9 x 29,5 in.) 
Presented BY VANDERVEN, ORIENTAL ART 

This realistic, expertly crafted pottery camel figure invokes a sense of motion with its turned neck, arched head, and agape mouth, carrying the rider between its two humps. In China, camels were known as “ships of the desert” and were imported from Turkestan and Mongolia. They became representative of foreign travelers coming to Xian, China in the 8–9th centuries via the Silk Road. 

Portrait of a young noblewoman  

16th-century oil painting
on panel 35.2 x 25.3 cm 
Presented BY COLNAGHI 

This expertly preserved 16th-century painting by painter Alonso Sánchez Coello is an example of an important period in the artist’s career. The portrait of a young noblewoman in full court dress is emblematic of Coello’s work as a painter for the Portuguese and Spanish royal families. 

The lady wears an ornate embroidered black dress with a high lace ruff and tight collar and rouge on her cheeks and lips. The style of dress was popular among the women of the Spanish court at the time and recalls other court figures in Coello’s paintings, such as the 1571 portrait of Anna of Austria (1549–1580) in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, or the portrait of Isabel de Valois (1546–1568), daughter of Henry II and Catherine de Medici, in Madrid’s Prado Museum. 

Caroline Campbell, Lady Ailesbury

1798 
Marble 
53.3 cm x 27.9 cm 
PRESENTED BY LOWELL LIBSON & JONNY YARKER

This mesmerizing marble bust by Anne Seymour Damer (1748–1828) makes a bold and impactful statement. The bust depicts the artist’s mother, Lady Caroline Campbell, later known as Countess of Ailesbury. The sculpture reveals Damer’s artistic aptitude and a creative vision strongly informed by neoclassicism. The bust is one of only a dozen of the artist’s known marble works and had been listed by Horace Walpole in his Book of Visitors in 1789. It was engraved during the same year by John Jones and later replicated by Damer for her mother’s tomb.

Leda and the Swan; and The Bath of Venus 

Circa 1780–1782 
Terracotta preparatory reliefs 
33 x 98.4 x 5.7 cm, and 33.7 x 97.1 x 6.4 cm respectively
Presented BY DANIEL KATZ GALLERY

These miraculously surviving terracotta reliefs were created as preparatory models by Clodion (1738–1814), an undisputed master of terracotta sculpture. Showing the mythical scenes of Leda and the Swan and The Bath of Venus, the reliefs were conceived as sketches for the stone reliefs commissioned by collector Baron de Besenval. The finished reliefs, considered Clodion’s most ambitious work, were installed in Besenval’s famous salle de bains, and are now held at the Louvre as a testament to French neoclassical sculpture. 

A plaque with a flower festoon above a table 

Circa 1665 
Touchstone (slate), mother-of-pearl, bone and marble 29.8 cm x 29.8 cm 
Presented by ENDLICH ANTIQUAIRS

A celebrated master of his time, 17th-century Dutch artist Dirck van Rijswijck (1596 – 1680) was known for his intricate work in a variety of dimensional mediums, including jewellery, medals, plaques, and wood inlays, using materials such as mother-of-pearl, bone, and marble. Van Rijswijck, in particular, earned widespread acclaim for the extraordinary naturalism of his inlaid designs. This previously unpublished plaque circa 1665 is a rare example of his incredible artistic talents. Crafted from slate and inlaid with a captivating scene of mother-of-pearl, marble, and coloured bone, it highlights a bowl of fruit set on a table surrounded by a setting of tropical flora and exotic animals. 

Louis XV Commode ‘de vernis a palmes riches ’ 

Circa 1733-1735
H. 99cm; W. 185cm; Dp. 65cm
Presented by CHRISTOPHE DE QUENETAIN 

This elaborately ornamented Louis XV commode ‘de vernis a palmes riches’ by Antoine Robert Gaudreaus is an extremely important piece of 18th-century furnishings, with the only other known example of this style held at the Munich Residence Museum. The exceptional lacquer and bronze design showcases a crossover between Chinese and Parisian styles, with painted Oriental scenes and opulent trim. The piece was previously held by the Prince de Ligne at the Castle of Beloeil in Belgium; it was restored in 2022 to the highest museum standards. 

Automaton Renaissance Türmchenuhr (table clock) 

Circa 1585 
Gilt brass
Silver 40 cm x 20 cm x 20 cm
Presented by MENTINK & ROEST

Mentink & Roest presents this exceptional gold automaton Renaissance Türmchenuhr clock circa 1585. A rare example of a clock with two automata and quarter striking, this is the only known Türmchenuhr to display an automaton depicting Emperor Charles V and the Electors. The gold rooster crowning the top is set into motion when the Türmchenuhr strikes the quarters. Underneath, a circular platform holding figures of dignitaries is designed to begin moving upon the strike of the hour and turns until the next elector stops to greet the sitting emperor. 

Manjusri 

Circa 1300 
Gilded copper allo
Inlaid with semi-precious stones 
30 cm x 12.5 cm x 6 cm
Presented by NIES ORIENTAL ART

This Manjusri sculpture from Nepal dates back to the early Malla period of 1300 AD, known to produce some of Asia’s finest bronzes. Made from gilded copper alloy and inlaid with semi-precious stones, the figurine demonstrates the sophisticated techniques and skills of the famed Newari casting workshops of the Kathmandu Valley. Evoking a sense of graceful movement in its pose, the sculpture is lavishly ornamented with rich gilding and blue pigment, suggesting the piece was commissioned by a high-level Tibetan donor.

Lucca Madonna and Child

1510 – 1515
Terracotta
H: 74.9 cm
Presented by BLUMKA

Captivating grace and emotion define this exquisite terracotta statue of Lucca Madonna and Child: a striking piece attributed to 16th-century sculptor Baccio da Montelupo. Considered a prominent leader of the Florentine Renaissance, da Montelupo worked in the Medici circles alongside some of the other masters of the time such as Della Robbia. The sculpture is an example of the period’s artistic production practices, with many works arising from commissioned projects by Florentine patrons.

Fabergé Chrysoprase Brooch

Gold, diamond, and chrysoprase
Presented by WARTSKI 

This magnificent brooch presents a remarkable testimony to the craftsmanship and legacy of the legendary Holmström family, the chief jewellers of Fabergé. An open diamond-set frame surrounds an apple-green oval chrysoprase, demonstrating the elegant, light settings that characterized the jeweller’s designs. The piece was owned by three European ruling families: the Danish and Greek royal families and the Russian imperial family, with the Chrysoprase brooch originally belonging to Queen Olga of Greece, great-grandmother of King Charles III.

Heritage Necklace and Clip Pendant 

Necklace, 1971 
Clip pendant, 1970 
Yellow gold, carved emeralds, carved sapphires, diamonds 
Presented by VAN CLEEF & ARPELS 

This transformable heritage necklace and clip pendant is a hallmark design of jewelry brand Van Cleef & Arpels. Dating to 1970, the incredible piece showcases a flower-like design of carved emeralds sourced from Colombia and Russia, as well as diamonds and carved Burmese sapphires in a setting of yellow gold. The piece comes from the collection of a prominent American investment banker, whose family has held it to this day.