Antiques, Jewelry and Bags From One of California's Most Impressive Houses Arrive at Christie's Online

When Christie's was asked to sell the estate of Ann and Gordon Getty, the auction house to auction was invited to the late couple's home and "really said to take it all in," according to Elizabeth Seigel, vice president of Christie's and specialist in private and iconic collections. This includes what WWD can reveal is a collection of museum-quality tapestries, handbags and home furnishings that will be available at auction in approximately 10 sales.

The Getty family, as Seigel described it, "is what a lot of people know about the west coast for the Getty Collecte in Los Angeles. They truly held court in San Francisco's philanthropic circles. Their home was a beacon of this world and now we're opening the doors to celebrate some of their favorite causes. We're selling all content of their home, from the paintings on the wall to the furniture and textiles in the basement, all for philanthropic causes." The family also wields immense political influence in California and maintains close relationships with officials, including the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Governor Gavin Newsom.

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A Christian Dior bag, Tiffany & Co. earrings and an Ilias Lalaounis necklace offered as part of the Getty sales at Christie's.

Mrs. Getty's basement textile archive, including panels and samples from France, England and India – many dating back to the 1700s – will be the focus of six online sales that will end on October 24. These sales will also include items from Mrs. Getty's jewelry collection, much of which includes significant pieces from India as well as jewelers like Ilias Lalaounis and Tiffany & Co. Additionally, there are handbags from her collection, including pieces from Hermès and Christian Dior.

"Quality is the common thread running through the entire collection," Seigel said. "The collection of handbags is also very special - there are some of the best names and styles, whether it's Hermès, Chanel, Louis Vuitton or VBH. These are bags that you don't often see at auction."< /p>

Due to the large number of lots on sale, Christie's has not placed reservations on any of the sales online sale lots. Estimates for online sales start as low as $100, to encourage new bidders to enter the ring. Evening sales estimates are, of course, much higher - with a set of Meissen plates said to fetch a minimum of $150,000.

"The Gettys chose their favorite West Coast philanthropic causes to split the money between - they show two different trajectories," Seigel said. "Mr. Getty was a composter, so a portion of the proceeds will go to the San Francisco Conservancy, San Francisco Opera and Symphony. Mrs. Getty was trained as an archaeologist, which I think speaks to her collection and how whose history she delves into. She has chosen to donate to the Leakey Collection, the Berkeley Center for Geochronology and the University of San Francisco."

Christie's estimates that the entire Getty collection will bring in approximately $180 million for these charities combined .