When Huguette Clark, the 104-year-old daughter of W.A. Clark, the Gilded Age copper baron, died in 2011, she and her father left a legacy that spanned from the American Civil War all the way to the Obama administration. This fascinating life was documented in the New York Times best-selling book, Empty Mansions, by Bill Dedman and Paul Clark Newell Jr. Among the treasures she left behind in her Manhattan 5th Avenue penthouse (and other homes) were paintings by Monet and Renoir, a violin by Stradivarius, jewels from Cartier and her famed collection of rare antique dolls.

The doll collection will be auctioned by Maryland-based Theriault's, the international doll auction firm, at a special event to be held in Santa Barbara on January 11th and 12th, 2020 to benefit The Bellosguardo Foundation which oversees the historical coastal property in Santa Barbara, Calif., bequeathed by Huguette Clark as a future center for the arts. A small collection of historically relevant dolls will be curated by Theriault's and retained by Bellosguardo for inclusion in the home display.

The collection comprises extraordinary dolls and automata from the French golden age of 1860-1890, as well as selections of sought-after early Japanese cultural dolls and architectural miniatures.

The dolls will be presented in a commemorative catalog which includes many historical references concerning the life of Huguette Clark including such unique correspondences as that with Christian Dior, the iconic fashion house which created custom costumes for some of her 19th-century fine French bebes.   A sample of over 400 Dolls and Automata from the collection of mysterious heiress, Huguette Clark, to be auctioned by Theriault's.

Huguette Clark bequeathed her magnificent Santa Barbara estate to the Bellosguardo Foundation in order to transform it into a focal point for art and culture. For more than half a century, the estate has stood frozen in time. The Foundation is committed to honoring the Clarks' legacy, while transforming Bellosguardo into a center for art, music, history, and culture on the California coast.  

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Friday, January 10, 2020
5:00-7:00 PM PST - Early Preview
7:00 PM PST - Cheval d’Or 50th Anniversary Banquet Saturday, January 11, 2020
The Important Dolls of Huguette Clark
9:00 AM PST - Walk-through with Florence Theriault
9:30 AM PST - Auction Preview
11:00 AM PST - Auction Begins Sunday, January 12, 2020
9:00 AM PST - Auction Preview
10:00 AM PST - Auction Begins   LOCATION The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara 8301 Hollister Ave. Santa Barbara, CA 93117