Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu's hoard of Romanian state gifts to sell at auction

A treasure trove of protocol gifts received by late Romanian communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife, as well as other objets from the communist period, will be sold by Artmark auction house at the ‘Golden Age’ (Epoca de Aur) auction at the Athenee Palace Hilton on January 26. Under the hammer will be a unique series of paintings, decorative art pieces, photographs, documents, books, medals and decorations, and other objects dating from the communist period in Romania, all sold by private individuals, according to the organizers. Some of the most valuable objects to be sold at this auction include the ‘Pilot Elite’ pen - with a starting price of EUR 2,000 – received by Nicolae Ceausescu as a gift during his official visit to Japan in 1975, two pieces of natural fur: the first made ​​of six pieces of tiger fur (in picture) - starting price EUR 1,800, and the second one, a leopard fur - starting price EUR 1,200, and a jewelry box decorated with pearl - starting price EUR 400, received as a gift by Elena Ceausescu. On the same day, the Avant-garde and Expressionism auction will present a selection of 140 works of art, including paintings, graphic works and sculpture by artists such as Victor Brauner, Jacques Herold, Marcel Iancu, Max Herman Maxy, Nicolae Tonitza, Iosif Iser, and Ion Ţuculescu. Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com (photo source: Artmark.ro)