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Lot Essay
This wing chair once formed part of the collection of the American-born beauty Mona von Bismarck. Born to humble beginnings, Mona was heralded as a glamorous figure from the time of her first marriage at age twenty. In 1924, she met Harrison Williams said to be the richest man in America (worth $680 million in 1929); they were married in 1926. Integral to the social scene, Mr. and Mrs. Harrison Williams became a barometer of fashion. Mona was regularly featured in style magazines Vogue, Harper's Bazaar and Town and Country. In 1933 she was proclaimed 'the best dressed woman in the world' by the major couture houses. Cecil Beaton described her as 'a rock-crystal goddess'. Their Fifth Avenue home, decorated by Syrie Maugham, was characterized by its rich and yet elegant interiors admired as 'one of the most beautiful houses ever built in New York'. They also built a magnificent home within a 94 acre estate on the Gold Coast of Long Island called Oak Point.
Mona was introduced to Count Edward Bismarck, grandson of Germany's chancellor in 1937, and they were married in 1954, the year following Harrison's death. She died in her Paris home in 1983. The contents of her Paris home were sold in 1986, including this chair, while her home in Capri, Ville II Fortino, was sold Sotheby's, Florence, 6-7 April 1987.
Mona was introduced to Count Edward Bismarck, grandson of Germany's chancellor in 1937, and they were married in 1954, the year following Harrison's death. She died in her Paris home in 1983. The contents of her Paris home were sold in 1986, including this chair, while her home in Capri, Ville II Fortino, was sold Sotheby's, Florence, 6-7 April 1987.