Rare Book Monthly

Articles - February - 2017 Issue

Italian Auction House Il Ponte Appoints Stefania Pandakovic to Head Expanded Books, Manuscripts and Engravings Department

Stefania Pandakovic.

Stefania Pandakovic.

A venerable Italian auction house is making a major move into the field of books, manuscripts, and engravings. Il Ponte (the Bridge) Auction House has been conducting sales in Milan since 1974. Its focus over the years primarily has been art and other luxury items, such as jewelry and fine furniture. Books and related material have also been a part of the mix, but a smaller part, offerings included in auctions focused on other items. However, Il Ponte has made a major hire to head the department, and on May 22, will be featuring its first auction devoted entirely to books and related material.

 

Il Ponte recently hired Stefania Pandakovic to head up its Department of Books, Manuscripts and Engravings. For Ms. Pandakovic, it is a return home. She was born in Milan, educated in Milan, Venice, and Madrid. She speaks fluent English, Italian, and Spanish. Nine years ago, she moved across the Channel to London to serve as a specialist in the field of books at Christie's, with a particular eye on early Italian books. She had been at Christie's ever since until her recent move back to Milan to head the books department at Il Ponte.

 

We asked Ms. Pandakovic about her background, the expansion plans of Il Ponte, and about the book field today in Italy. She told us, "I just moved back from Italy after spending nine years in London and working as a specialist in the book department at Christie's with Meg Ford and the rest of the team there.

 

"Working at Christie's London for the last eight years, I have of course been able to experience directly the importance of the Italian book market globally. Italy remains internationally one of the strongest countries in terms of consignments and for its tradition in printing and collecting. During the last years the domestic Italian market has suffered somewhat, but the challenges have also pushed for much needed reforms both in terms of regulation and in the market.

 

"At Il Ponte we strongly believe that the domestic Italian market has a huge potential for the next years, hence the decision to expand our presence, taking advantage of the fact that we are the largest auction house in the strongest and most international of the Italian markets: Milan.

 

"Italy is never short of supply of great books and collectors and our challenge will be to attract interest from international dealers and buyers. This is where my experience in the field will be key. Italy has, like many other European markets, rules on exports to preserve the cultural heritage, but I have learned that these are not to be feared and that with the right support and following the correct procedures, the grants of export can be obtained."

 

Looking to the future, Ms. Pandakovic explained, "Our plans are to start having specialized auctions of rare books, manuscripts and engravings in our historic Milanese Palazzo in Via Pontaccio (Brera district). Our first auction will be on May 22 and we will also keep having regular auctions of books as part of larger auctions in our second branch in Via Pitteri (also in Milan).

 

"The offerings will depend from auction to auction but they will generally be specializing in various types of books from early medieval manuscripts and incunabula to modern first edition and livres d'artistes."

 

Il Ponte will, naturally enough, accept written and telephone bidding, enabling collectors from all over the world to bid without leaving their homes. We look forward to including their auctions and the lots offered in our auction calendar and in our upcoming auction search and Matchmaker matches.


Posted On: 2017-02-07 10:38
User Name: jkoblitz

"FOR THIS SALE AND FOR ALL FUTURE SALES THE BUYER'S PREMIUM WILL AMOUNT TO 35%"

If the "35" is meant serious and is not just a typo on their website, one should better give this auction house a wide berth.


Rare Book Monthly

  • Freeman’s | HindmanWestern Manuscripts and MiniaturesJuly 8, 2025 Freeman’s | HindmanWestern Manuscripts and MiniaturesJuly 8, 2025
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    Western Manuscripts and Miniatures
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    Freeman’s | Hindman, July 8. FRANCESCO PETRARCH (b. Arezzo, 20 July 1304; d. Arqua Petrarca, 19 July 1374). $20,000-30,000.
    Freeman’s | Hindman, July 8. CIRCLE OF THE MASTER OF THE VITAE IMPERATORUM (active Milan, 1431-1459). $15,000-20,000.
    Freeman’s | Hindman, July 8. CIRCLE OF ATTAVANTE DEGLI ATTAVANTI (GABRIELLO DI VANTE) (active Florence, c. 1452-c. 1520/25). $15,000-20,000.
    Freeman’s | Hindman, July 8. FOLLOWER OF HERMAN SCHEERE (active London, c. 1405-1425). $15,000-20,000.
    Freeman’s | Hindman, July 8. An exceptionally rare, illuminated music leaf from a Mozarabic Antiphonal with sister leaves mostly in museum collections. $11,500-14,000.
    Freeman’s | Hindman, July 8. Exceptional leaf from a prestigious Antiphonary by a leading illuminator of the late Duecento. $11,500-14,000.
    Freeman’s | Hindman, July 8. CIRCLE OF THE MASTER OF MS REID 33 and SELWERD ABBEY SCRIPTORIUM (AGNES MARTINI?) (active The Netherlands, Groningen, c. 1468-1510). $10,000-15,000.
    Freeman’s | Hindman, July 8. Previously unknown illumination from one of the most renowned Gothic Choir Book sets of the Middle Ages. $6,000-8,000.
  • Forum AuctionsFine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper  17th July 2025 Forum AuctionsFine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper  17th July 2025
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    Forum, July 17: Lucianus Samosatensis. Dialogoi, editio princeps, second issue, Florence, Laurentius Francisci de Alopa, 1496. £10,000 to £15,000.
    Forum, July 17: Boccaccio (Giovanni). Il Decamerone, Florence, Philippo di Giunta, 1516. £10,000 to £15,000.
    Forum, July 17: Henry VII (King) & Philip the Fair (Duke of Burgundy). [Intercursus Magnus], [Commercial and Political Treaty between Henry VII and Philip Duke of Burgundy], manuscript copy in Latin, original vellum, 1499. £8,000 to £12,000.
    Forum, July 17: Bible, English. The Holy Bible, Conteyning the Old Testament, and the New, Robert Barker, 1613. £4,000 to £6,000.
    Forum, July 17: Bond (Michael). A Bear Called Paddington, first edition, signed presentation inscription from the author, 1958. £4,000 to £6,000.
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    Forum, July 17: Yeats (William Butler). The Secret Rose, first edition, with extensive autograph corrections, additions and amendments by the author for a new edition, 1897. £6,000 to £8,000.
    Forum, July 17: Byron (George Gordon Noel, Lord). Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, bound in dark green morocco elaborately tooled in gilt and with 3 watercolours to fore-edge, by Fazakerley of Liverpool, 1841. £4,000 to £6,000.
    Forum, July 17: Miró (Juan), Wassily Kandinsky, John Buckland-Wright, Stanley William Hayter and others.- Spender (Stephen). Fraternity, one of 101 copies, with signed engravings by 9 artists. £6,000 to £8,000.
    Forum, July 17: Sowerby (George Brettingham). Album comprising 22 leaves of original watercolour drawings of fossil remains of Cheltenham and Vicinity, [c.1840]. £6,000 to £8,000.
    Forum, July 17: Mathematics.- Blue paper copy.- Euclid. De gli Elementi, Urbino, Appresso Domenico Frisolino, 1575. £12,000 to £18,000.
  • Sotheby’sBooks, Manuscripts and Music from Medieval to ModernNow through July 10, 2025 Sotheby’sBooks, Manuscripts and Music from Medieval to ModernNow through July 10, 2025
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    Sotheby’s, Ending July 10: Book of Hours by the Masters of Otto van Moerdrecht, Use of Sarum, in Latin, Southern Netherlands (Bruges), c.1450. £20,000 to £30,000.
    Sotheby’s, Ending July 10: Albert Einstein. Autograph letter signed, to Attilio Palatino, on his research into General Relativity, 12 May 1929. £12,000 to £18,000.
    Sotheby’s, Ending July 10: John Gould. The Birds of Europe, [1832-] 1837, 5 volumes, contemporary half morocco, subscriber’s copy. £40,000 to £60,000.
    Sotheby’s
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    Sotheby’s, Ending July 10: Ian Fleming. A collection of James Bond first editions, 8 volumes in all. £8,000 to £12,000.
    Sotheby’s, Ending July 10: J.K. Rowling. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, 1997, first edition, hardback issue. £50,000 to £70,000.
    Sotheby’s, Ending July 10: J.R.R. Tolkien. Autograph letter signed, to Amy Ronald, on Pauline Baynes's map of Middle Earth, 1970. £7,000 to £10,000.
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  • DOYLERare Books, Autographs & MapsJuly 23, 2025 DOYLERare Books, Autographs & MapsJuly 23, 2025
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    DOYLE, July 23: WALL, BERNHARDT. Greenwich Village. Types, Tenements & Temples. Estimate $300-500
    DOYLE, July 23: STOKES, I. N. PHELPS. The Iconography of Manhattan Island, 1498-1909. New York: Robert H. Dodd, 1915-28. Estimate: $3,000-5,000
    DOYLE, July 23: [AUTOGRAPH - US PRESIDENT]FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT. A signed photograph of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Estimate $500-800
    DOYLE, July 23: [ARION PRESS]. ABBOTT, EDWIN A. Flatland. A Romance of Many Dimensions. San Francisco, 1980. Estimate $2,000-3,000.
    DOYLE, July 23: TOLSTOY, LYOF N. and NATHAN HASKELL DOLE, translator. Anna Karénina ... in eight parts. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell & Co., [1886]. Estimate: $400-600
    DOYLE, July 23: ROWLING, J.K. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. London: Bloomsbury, 2000. Estimate $1,200-1,800

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