'Timeless design is a fundamental philosophy at the core of both Bugatti’s and Asprey’s vision.' —Wiebke Ståhl, Managing Director, Bugatti International

Celebrating an exciting collaboration between two brands synonymous with luxury and craftsmanship as much as innovation and pioneering design, Phillips is proud to present The Asprey Bugatti La Voiture Noire, a unique physical sculpture and artwork fused with NFT designed and created by the Asprey Studio and made at the Asprey workshop in London. Attached to the NFT being offered here which enables two physical sculptures to be redeemed, the gold 24k plated on silver with rose gold finish, included in the lot price. The second Noire version is an exclusive option to the buyer. 

 

This piece is the latest iteration in a fascinating story related to one of Bugatti’s most iconic designs influenced by the Bugatti Atlantic Type 57.

 _{Installation shot of the NFT with renderings of the physical components}

 

Breaking new digital ground for both brands, this collaboration also honours the deep connections to innovation and art that anchors the legacies of both Asprey and Bugatti. Born into a family of prominent designers and sculptors, Ettore Bugatti is of course best known for his iconic car design. As an internationally recognised artist and silversmith in his own time, Ettore’s father Carlo provides a particularly fitting lineage for this new collaboration which blends design, craft, and digital technology as it moves the idea of a masterpiece into the future.

 

Asprey Studio’s Chief Creative Officer Ali Walker has described: This is the first masterpiece derived from the Asprey Bugatti partnership, following the hugely successful sell out of the smaller 261 collection, inspired by pop art and the current digital art movement. The NFT enables the artwork to link to two physical sculptures in the blockchain, preserving provenance and authenticity. The NFT is a secondary feature that simply enables the sculpture and artworks to co-exist together in a unique narrative, a moment in history for the art of Asprey and Bugatti.

 

Raising fascinating questions around ownership and the object, NFTs and blockchain technology have become increasingly prominent aspects of our contemporary landscape. While the tendency towards reproduction and replication of digital products might have initially presented certain complications for brands founded in a history of craftmanship, scarcity, and exclusivity of which Bugatti and Asprey are of course supremely representative of, the introduction of NFTs into this landscape proved decisive. Shifting the debate from questions of reproduction onto those of individuality and ownership, NFTs have ushered in ‘the power to prove the provenance of a digital asset’, radically transforming ‘what was an alien landscape into familiar territory.’ⁱ

 

London of course sits at the heart of Asprey’s history. Founded by William Asprey in 1781 and focussed initially on silk printing, by 1847 the family-run business moved into premises on Mayfair’s New Bond Street, where it remains today. Celebrating their 241st anniversary this year, Asprey’s new Studio ushers in a new, exciting chapter in the company’s history. As Walker has described: ‘The partnership with Bugatti, such an iconic and artistic brand, is the ultimate collaboration to explore new production and artistic techniques. The bold colours, mixed with the gold and silver precious metals, create a vivid pop art theme.’ⁱⁱ

 

The reference to Pop Art goes considerably further than the bold colour contrasts employed by the likes of Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein but draws on a pioneering history which recontextualised the objects of popular and consumer culture as art for the first time. Warhol too was of course an early pioneer of digital technologies, his computer-based works from the mid-1980s recently recovered and sold as NFTs in 2021. The culmination of centuries of heritage in the decorative and applied arts, the present lot represents the opportunity to be a part of this fascinating history at a pivotal moment, occupying both physical and digital spaces.

i Alex Levin, ‘Bugatti and Heritage Luxury Goods Maker Asprey Announce Invite-Only Access to Auction of Inaugural NFT’, Forbes, 16 February 2022, online.
ii Ali Walker, quoted in ‘Bugatti Asprey Collaboration Creates One of One La Voiture Noire Sculpture’, press release, Bugatti Newsroom, 2 February 2022, online.

Once paid for in full, the buyer of the NFT Lot will have the option of ordering one or both of the following physical sculptures which will be created by Asprey London Limited following the Auction (the “Physical Companions”):

• a unique sculpture (1 of 1) of a “Bugatti La Voiture Noire “in original silver with 24K gold plated and rose gold plated finish, dimensions 120 x 55cm (inclusive of the base) (“Gold Physical Companion”) on a complimentary basis without any additional charge; and/or

• a unique sculpture (1 of 1) from the “Asprey Bugatti La Voiture Noire Collection” series with black finish, dimensions 120 x 55cm (inclusive of the base) for an additional price to be agreed between Asprey London Limited and the Buyer (“Black Physical Companion”). 

For full details please see the Information relating to the Physical Companions

 

For further terms applicable to NFT Lots, please see the Additional Conditions of Sale applicable to NFT Lots.

 

This Lot is sold subject to the Conditions of Sale, London Auctions, the Additional Conditions of Sale applicable to NFT Lots and the Additional Conditions of Sale applicable to Cryptocurrency Payments, in addition to the following supplemental term

In what currency will I be bidding?

The auction will be conducted and invoiced in British Pounds (GBP).

What forms of payment are accepted?

You can pay for this NFT Lot in GBP or in Ether. If you wish to pay for this NFT Lot in  Ether you must satisfy the Cryptocurrency Conditions set out in our Additional Conditions of Sale applicable to Cryptocurrency Payments.

 

You acknowledge and agree that the price of Ether can be volatile and subject to upward and downward movements. You acknowledge that the conversion rate between these Accepted Cryptocurrencies and GBP will change during and after the auction until the Lot is paid for. Phillips does not offer cryptocurrency conversion functionality during the auction.  Bidders are responsible for making their own currency conversion calculations when bidding in the auction.

How much will I have to pay?

If you are the successful bidder on an NFT Lot, you must pay the total purchase price for the Lot (calculated as described in the Conditions of Sale plus network and other fees required to transfer the NFT to your Digital Wallet).
 
If you elect to pay for an NFT Lot in Ether and satisfy our Cryptocurrency Conditions (see above), the GBP purchase price as shown on your invoice will be converted automatically into Ether using the Coinbase Commerce rate of exchange at the time the buyer accesses the Coinbase Commerce platform to make payment using the QR code or link we will issue to you.

Are resale royalties payable to the artist on re-sales of the NFT?

If resale royalties are payable to the artist on subsequent resales of the NFT, this will be stipulated in the NFT Lot’s smart contract.  Where they exist, re-sale royalties will be a percentage of the re-sale price of the NFT. It is therefore important that you review (or seek professional help to review) and understand the operation of the NFT’s smart contract (including any rights and restrictions contained in the smart contract) before bidding.

 

Depending on where the NFT Lot is re-sold, additional artist resale royalties and transaction duties may apply to the transaction under applicable law. These would be additional to and not in substitution for any resale royalties imposed by the NFT’s smart contract.

 

BY REGISTERING TO BID YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE AS FOLLOWS

• You are bidding for yourself and not on behalf of anyone else

• If you are the successful bidder, you will be buying the NFT only.  You will not be buying the digital artwork asset identified by the NFT.  For further details please read the Additional Conditions of Sale for NFT Lots

• You have a wallet capable of supporting and accepting the NFT token type listed in the NFT Lot description

• You can only pay for the Lot in Ether if you satisfy the Cryptocurrency Conditions set out in our Additional Conditions of Sale applicable to Cryptocurrency Payments. These include requirements for you to make payment:

  • from a single digital wallet registered in your name maintained on one of the following platforms:

    • Coinbase Custody Trust;

    • Coinbase, Inc.;

    • Fidelity Digital Assets Services, LLC;

    • Gemini Trust Company, LLC; or

    • Paxos Trust Company, LLC;

  • using funds obtained from legal activities and belonging to you.

We cannot accept cryptocurrency payments:

• from digital wallets hosted on other exchanges or self-hosted wallets;

• from multiple digital wallets; or

• if you are resident in or otherwise subject to the laws of a country or territory which has banned or restricted payments in cryptocurrency (such as the People’s Republic of China);or 

• you fail to satisfy our client identification and verification checks or other vetting procedures; or

• other circumstances exist which would expose you or Phillips to potential legal or regulatory actions or fines by completing the transaction in cryptocurrency.

 
If we cannot accept payment from you in cryptocurrency for these or other reasons, you must make payment in GBP.
 
For the full terms and conditions which apply to the sale of this Lot, please read the Conditions of Sale, London Auctions, the Additional Conditions of Sale applicable to NFT Lots, the Additional Conditions of Sale applicable to Cryptocurrency Payments.