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Lot 14 · Old Master & British Paintings (Evening Sale)

A scene from Aesop's Fables: The Porcupine and the Snakes

Jan Van Kessel II · oil on copper

Catalog image of A scene from Aesop's Fables: The Porcupine and the Snakes
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Estimate
£30,000–£50,000 hammer ≈ $49,164–$81,940
Result
Performance
Sale
Christie's — Old Master & British Paintings (Evening Sale), London · 2 June 1998
Dimensions
8 x 11¾ in. (20.3 x 29.9 cm.)
Record ID
TB-2026-4641386
Record
first seen 28 Jul 2026 · updated 28 Jul 2026 · source ↗
Cite this record
TB-2026-4641386 — https://thebasis.art/cite/TB-2026-4641386

Jan Van Kessel II, A scene from Aesop's Fables: The Porcupine and the Snakes. Christie's, 2 Jun 1998, lot 14. result recorded. TheBasis.Art, TB-2026-4641386.

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Jan Van Kessel II, A scene from Aesop's Fables: The Porcupine and the Snakes. Christie's, 2 Jun 1998, lot 14. result recorded. TheBasis.Art, TB-2026-4641386.

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From the same sale Old Master & British Paintings (Evening Sale) · Jun 1998

LotArtistEstimateResult
A lawyer seated at a table reading a letter Adriaen Van Ostade £500,000–£700,000
Dutch men-o'-war and other shipping in a calm Willem I Van De Velde £1,500,000–£2,500,000
The King Drinks Pieter Brueghel III £250,000–£350,000
DANTE ALIGHIERI. La divina comedia , edited by Lodovico Dolce. Venice… DANTE ALIGHIERI. La divina comedia , edited by Lodovico Dolce. Venice: Gabriel Giolito de Ferrari, et fratelli, 1555 [colophon: 1554]. 12°. Woodcut cartouche and Giolto's phoenix device to title. Medallion portrait of Dante on leaf *3 v. Twelve oval woodcuts in text enclosed by a frame with grotesques. Small grotesque, historiated and putti initials, grotesque headpieces and numerous type ornaments. (Title stained and repaired in blank area, margins generally rather soiled and stained.) 18th-century vellum titled in manuscript. FIRST DOLCE EDITION and the first edition to have the title Divina comedia . The cuts are based on Marcolini's blocks of 1544. Adams P101; BL STC Italian p. 210; Gamba 389: "Raro"; Mortimer Italian 147 -- Giovanni di Domenico BURCHIELLO. Rime commentate dal Doni . Venice: per Francesco Marcolini, 1553. 8°. Woodcut portrait of the author to A8 v repeated on O7 v. Marcolini's device to title and final leaf. Woodcut armorial initial to A7 r and smaller woodcut floral initials. (Paper repair to foot of title after erasure of inscription, marginal soiling.) Late 19th-century fawn morocco gilt, marbled endpapers, g.e. Provenance : Piero Ginori Conti (armorial bookplate). First edition of the poems edited by Doni. Adams B3296; BL STC Italian p. 223; Cencimento B4093 -- Bernardino BALDI. Versi e Prose . Venice: Francesco de'Franceschi, 1590. 4°. Woodcut device to title, historiated initials and typographical ornaments. (Title spotted, heavy stains to quire L, some marginal spotting and occasional thumb-soiling.) 18th-century vellum with morocco label (a few worm traces), blue sprinkled edges. BL STC Italian p. 68; Cencimento B150; Gamba 1222: "pregevole raccolta". With one other work in verse by Francesco Berni, and 4 prose works by Annibale Rinuccini, Agnolo Firenzuola and others. (8) £700–£1,000
The Virgin Lactans Ambrosius Benson £40,000–£60,000
Christ as the Man of Sorrows Workshop Of Albrecht Bouts £60,000–£80,000

Comparable results nearest sold works, same medium & price band

ArtistLotvs. estimateResult USD, incl. premiumSale
Jan Van Kessel II An Allegory of Sight: a collector's cabinet, a view of Antwe $140,183 Christie's, Apr 2005
Jan Van Kessel II Roses, tulips, an iris and other flowers in a glass vase on Christie's, Oct 2019
Jan Van Kessel II [no title recorded] Dorotheum, Apr 2016
Jan Van Kessel II A Concert of Birds: An owl, pidgeon, canary, peacock and oth Christie's, Jan 2003
Frans Francken II Death and the Miser Christie's, Jan 2023
Jan Van Kessel II Roses, a tulip, a poppy, cornflowers and orange blossom and Christie's, Jul 2026
Jan Van Kessel II Parrot tulips, irises, roses and other flowers in a glass va Christie's, Jul 2015
Jan Van Kessel II Allegory of air Christie's, Dec 2017

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