A day after the horrific bombing of a Ukrainian maternity hospital, visitors to the Mayfair offices of the Russian-owned auction house Phillips could not help but wonder if an event preview seemed subdued.
“It did feel quiet,” said one attender at the preview, where viewers sipped espressos as vintage German-made Lange watches, labelled with six-figure prices in dollars and Swiss francs, lay behind display cases for an exhibition next month.
