Casi Todo, the island’s auction house, has been a source of inspiration for thousands of island residents and customers over the last three and a half decades. A multitude of island homes are adorned with rare antiques that claimed Casi Todo as their temporary home at one time or another. On the other hand many are thankful to the same institution for their second hand kitchen appliances or other day to day household effects.

Easter Saturday, April 7th, heralds one of the most interesting ‘on site’ auctions that Casi Todo have organized for quite some time. The auction revolves around the sale of the contents of a house that has been effectively closed since the owner’s death some twenty odd years ago.

The owner was David Stein, a Hollywood movie executive who established the Paris office of MCA (Music Corporation of America), the European HQ shortly after the end of World War 2. MCA was originally founded by his brother, Dr. Jules Stein, and was the leading agency representing international artists in all forms of entertainment, including motion pictures, television, music and radio.

David, having fallen in love with the unspoilt Ibiza of 1961, designed and built his own summer residence on a promontory overlooking the sea in Es Canar, at a time when all that existed of the village was a small chiringuito on the beach. This afforded him the utmost privacy, alongside stunning views of the surrounding countryside and coastline.

A confirmed bachelor who really enjoyed the good life, he regularly held extravagant parties for his many famous guests, who came to Ibiza to enjoy his famous hospitality and good taste while soaking up the innocent beauty and anonymity of Ibiza in those early days. To this end he employed a French cordon bleu chef for over 40 years to cater for these guests who included such Hollywood stars as Alfred Hitchcock, Errol Flynn, Maurice Chevalier, Marlene Dietrich, Cary Grant, Bette Davis, James Stewart and Leslie Caron, to name but a few…

David and his brother had an avid interest in architecture, design and antiques. As a consequence the offices of MCA throughout the United States, Great Britain and Paris gained world renown for their antique décor – a substantial portion of which was collected by David.

The contents of the house, which are the subject of the auction, were acquired during the 50’s and 60’s in Spain and Portugal, when Spain, in particular, was a treasure trove of wonderful pieces. Authentic antiques from the 16th and 17th Century were abundant in the auction houses and antique shops and David found some exquisite examples, which can be viewed either before (by appointment) or at the auction itself.

These include a 17th/18th C. Bargueño, an 18th C. gilded bible stand and a 17th C. wooden statue of the Madonna and child. Amongst the many paintings there is a wonderful oil painting of Santa Eularia painted in 1966 by the renowned French artist G.A. Klein, who was commissioned to come from France especially to create the work.

Viewing for the auction will take place between 10:30 am and 7 p.m. on Friday April 6th and on the morning of the auction from 10 a.m.
For anyone unable to view at these times alternative arrangements can be made by appointment with Casi Todo in Santa Gertrudis on 971 197 023.
The auction itself will begin at 10:30 a.m. on Easter Saturday (April 7th) and refreshments will be available throughout the sale of some 250 lots.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 14th, 2007 at 10:52 am and is filed under Casi Todo, David Stein, Santa Gertrudis, ibiza. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.