Strong women in different eras have shown how to tackle chauvinists. And Letizia Bonaparte showed how even prepotent world leaders can be brought into line. Joseph Stieler's portrait of Napoleon's strong-willed mother is one of the highlights of our December auction.

Munich's painter princes, such as Franz von Lenbach and Franz von Stuck, were men in their own right. Both of them contributed excellent studies for our pre-Christmas illustration. Just like Ludwig von Schwanthaler, who created the Bavaria statue on the Theresienwiese. He is the most famous scion of a family of sculptors who worked successfully for generations. Five members of the creative Schwanthaler clan will be represented with works in the upcoming auction.

Our two Istoriato picture plates from the 16th century will look wonderful on the Christmas gift table. Or you can score points at the Advent coffee party with Viennese Classicism porcelain. Histo- ric cutlery from Georg Jensen would be perfect for a festive meal. And for dessert, you could serve 16 Nymphenburg comedy figures from the Commedia dell'Arte, which Bustelli designed around 1760 for the dessert table of the Munich court.

"The most beautiful things in life are free. The second most beautiful thing is quite expensive," said Coco Chanel. But it doesn't have to be that expensive, as our author's jewelry proves, which is more about ingenuity than valuable material. And for those who would rather be seduced by sparkling treasures, the December auction offers a choice. Either way, buying jewelry at auction is an investment in the future. And if things turn out differently in life, you can always do as Zsa Zsa Gabor did: "I never hated a man so much that I gave him back his diamonds." With this in mind: Merry Christmas to all!