Finna Sze | June 7, 2025
On June 5, 2025, Sotheby’s Hong Kong unveils Maison Camus’ latest masterpiece, Sous Les Mers — one of only five collector’s pieces ever crafted — showcased alongside a striking one-meter crystal octopus sculpture by the legendary French crystal house Daum. The No. 1 decanter, its rare cognac safeguarded by elegant bronze tentacles and reserved exclusively for Sotheby’s, is available for purchase at HKD 1,870,240 through the end of August 2025.
An Extraordinary Journey Below the Surface
Sous Les Mers draws from Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. Guided by the artistic vision of Isabelle Collignon and the cellar mastery of Julie Landreau, this cognac becomes both a sensory and narrative odyssey.
At its core is a bold concept: a 35-litre cask is submerged in the Atlantic Ocean, maturing over months under the rhythm of tides, pressure, darkness, and the shifting seasons. The final blend unites:
• A century-old Borderies from Camus’ Private Reserves
• A 1972 Grande Champagne expression
• Four Île de Ré Cognacs aged between 12 and 17 years
Encased in a metal cradle on the ocean floor, the cognac evolves in constant motion, absorbing mineral-rich, saline, and iodine notes unattainable on land. Much like Captain Nemo’s deep-sea experiments, Julie Landreau adopts a physico-chemical approach: low oxygen, temperature variation, perpetual movement — all create new aromatic dimensions born from the ocean’s energy.
A Crystal Beast from the Deep: Camus x Daum
In collaboration with Maison Daum, renowned for 140 years of crystal artistry, Camus presents Sous Les Mers in a mythical sculpture — a crystal and bronze octopus guarding the decanter like a marine deity.
From the first sketch to the hand-sculpted crystal, Les Ateliers Camus and Daum shape a creature of legend. Its crystal skull embodies the ancestral savoir-faire of Daum, while its flowing tentacles embrace the decanter like a deep-sea treasure. A golden cord at the neck — shimmering between gold and platinum — evokes Verne’s marine fantasy. Discreet engravings from both Maisons seal the collaboration.
In addition to Sous Les Mers, Sotheby’s Wine also features five iconic Camus masterpieces:
• Cuvée Electrum 4.186
• Camus Tribute to Nature – Fire
• Three expressions from the Poets & Birds Collection — Crane, Phoenix, and Ibis
Together, they form a constellation of creativity, legacy, and liquid art.
