Editor’s Note
This analysis of late August 2025 auction calendars reveals a stark contrast: a quiet domestic period in Italy coincides with sustained international activity, driven primarily by online sales. The traditional market pause is set to end with a full restart in early September.
An analysis of the auction calendars for the period from August 20 to 27, 2025, confirms this trend: silence on the domestic front contrasts with lively international activity, sustained almost entirely by the dynamism of online sales. Regarding Italian auction houses, entities such as Pandolfini, Farsetti, Il Ponte, Finarte, Wannenes, Cambi, and Bertolami have no events scheduled. Their catalogs will be repopulated starting from the first weeks of September, marking the true restart of the season.
Abroad, however, the market does not stop and offers various opportunities for enthusiasts. Leading the agenda is Christie’s, which from Wednesday, August 20, launches its online auction Handbags Online: The Hong Kong Edit.
Next, the scene moves to Austria, where on Tuesday, August 26, the historic auction house Dorotheum dedicates two online sales to 20th-century design and applied arts. The auctions, titled Jugendstil and 20th Century Arts and Crafts and Jugendstil furniture and 20th Century Arts and Crafts respectively, will offer a curated selection of furniture and objects that defined the aesthetics of the early 20th century.
Closing the week, on Wednesday, August 27, is an online appointment at Drouot. This will feature the 176th Auction – Jewelry Part II, Wristwatches and Pocket Watches, Silver, Coins, Glass and Crystal, an event that will attract collectors of jewelry, precious watches, silverware, and numismatics.
In the photo: A gold foam medallion brooch with a silver background, decorated with an oval miniature portrait of a woman protected by glass. The back has an openable compartment, also closed by a glass lid. Dimensions: 4 x 3.5 cm; weight: 11.2 g. Sold by Drouot. Photo: © Drouot
