Merkle Collection's Final Meissen Porcelain Auction Nets €312,192 at Bonhams Paris
Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr in Paris concluded the dispersal of the Hadrian Merkle collection on October 29, 2025, achieving a total sale of €312,192. This final auction marked the end of one of the most significant private holdings of Meissen porcelain sculpture. The collection was assembled over fifty years by German businessman Hadrian Merkle (1942-2018), known for his extraordinary passion. It featured rare late-Baroque small-scale sculptures and notable works by Paul Scheurich, considered the 20th century's foremost porcelain modeller. The top lot was a circa 1740 Meissen figure of a drinking peasant, modelled by J.J. Kaendler, which sold for €51,200. Other known examples of this rare figure reside in the Alfred E. Pearson, Ionides, and Armand Esders collections. The sale launched the Classics week in Paris. A Meissen figure of a trinket seller was also among the offerings.
Key facts
- The final part of the Hadrian Merkle collection sold for €312,192.
- The auction was held at Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr in Paris on October 29, 2025.
- The top lot was a circa 1740 Meissen figure of a drinking peasant by J.J. Kaendler, selling for €51,200.
- The collection was assembled over fifty years by German businessman Hadrian Merkle (1942-2018).
- The collection included notable works by Paul Scheurich, regarded as the most important porcelain modeller of the 20th century.
- The sale opened the Classics week in Paris.
- Other examples of the rare drinking peasant figure are in the Alfred E. Pearson, Ionides, and Armand Esders collections.
- The collection was one of the finest of Meissen porcelain sculpture still in private hands.
Entities
Artists
- J.J. Kaendler
- Paul Scheurich
Institutions
- Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr
- Alfred E. Pearson Collection
- Ionides Collection
- Armand Esders Collection
Locations
- Paris
- France