Contemporary, Limited Edition and Col...

New York, Grand Havana Room, Dec 01, 1999

LOT 298

Gerald Genta,Spectacular Automaton with Concealed Erotic Scene; Only One Piece Produced, by Special Request, 1990's.Depicting a genie sitting on a cushion-shaped base constructed of beveled, mother-of-pearl plaques, each framed with 4 round, brilliant-cut diamonds and centered with an 18K yellow gold diamond-set flower; on a base of abalone tiles sits a genie with black coral hands and face and dressed in a jacket of carved mother-of-pearl flowers that is embellished with pear-shaped, faceted rubies, round, faceted emeralds and bead-set diamond borders, his hat decorated with blue enamel having a border of moher-of-pearl and round, cabochon-cut rubies, the top tassel set with rows of round, brilliant-cut diamonds. The genie's gold "bottle" is covered with floret designs, studded with round, faceted sapphires and accented with round, brilliant-cut diamonds, topped with a skeletonized, mechanical movement, 18 jewels, perpetual calendar, astronomic, moon phases, with gold "baton" hands, the bezel, above the Roman numerals, decorated with rows of buff-topped rubies. When activated, music plays, the ld of the bottle opens revealing the erotic scene which is illuminated by a diamond-set lamp, adjacent to the gold couple, laying on a mother-of-pearl floor. The total weight of the diamonds is stated to be 33.82 cts., the sapphires 19.04 cts., the rubies 11.34 cts., the emeralds 0.76 cts., and the gold 3,455 grams and measuring 14 inches (35 cm.) across and 11 inches (28 cm.) high.