Sotheby's Will Auction 300 Historic Pieces in December
A La Vieille Russie is selling off its extensive collection to focus exclusively on antique and period jewelry.
Updated on Oct. 2, 2026 in Jewelry
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Sotheby's will host a live auction in New York City on December 17, 2026, featuring over 300 historic works from the A La Vieille Russie gallery. An accompanying online sale will run from December 3 to December 17, with the entire collection expected to fetch more than $15 million.
Why it matters
The sale marks a strategic shift for the 175-year-old family-owned gallery as it empties its historic vaults to transition its business model toward antique and period jewelry. This major liquidation provides collectors a rare opportunity to acquire pieces that have been held by the institution for decades.
The collection includes a rare Fabergé sedan chair expected to reach at least $1 million, alongside European gold boxes and a 1896 Ivan Aivazovsky painting. The auction comprises over 300 historic lots accumulated during the gallery's 175-year history.
The players
Sotheby's
Founded in 1744, it is one of the world's largest brokers of fine and decorative art, jewelry, and collectibles.
A La Vieille Russie
This 175-year-old family-owned gallery is renowned for its specialization in Fabergé, gold boxes, and Russian fine art.
Leopold Rothschild
A member of the prominent European banking dynasty, he was a notable collector who purchased the Fabergé sedan chair in 1910.
Ivan Aivazovsky
He was a celebrated 19th-century Russian Romantic painter best known for his dramatic seascapes and coastal scenes.
The details
The auction features an array of Imperial Russian objects and Fabergé creations, including a 1866 silver-gilt samovar once showcased in a 1936 exhibition. Before the New York sale, the items will be exhibited globally in Paris, Geneva, and London.
Timeline
A La Vieille Russie was established in Kyiv in 1851.
The Fabergé sedan chair was originally acquired in 1910.
The online sale will take place from December 3 to December 17, 2026.
The live auction will occur in New York on December 17, 2026.
Roadmap
This massive liquidation reflects a broader trend among legacy art dealers moving away from physical inventory of wide-ranging decorative arts to focus on high-demand, portable niche categories like antique jewelry. By narrowing its scope, the gallery is adapting its business model to meet changing collector preferences in a specialized global market.
New York residents can view these historic pieces firsthand at upcoming local exhibitions before the December 17 live auction event. For collectors, the sale provides a unique opportunity to purchase provenance-rich items that have been off the market for over a century.
The takeaway
The transition of a 175-year-old institution demonstrates how even the most historic galleries must evolve their business models to survive shifting market demands. Collectors looking to enter the market for antique jewelry should track how these high-profile sales influence pricing benchmarks.
Further reading
Explore the latest developments in the secondary market on our Jewelry page.
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