A Charitable Online Auction of Michael Jordan Memorabilia Sold by and Benefiting the Foundation Founded by Jordan’s Mother, Deloris Jordan, In Honor of His Late Father, James R. Jordan

FEATURING:
A 2012 Michael Jordan x Converse Commemorative Pack & a Michael Jordan UNC Colors Practice Worn Jersey
Estimated Together for $100/110,000

ONLINE AUCTION OPEN FOR BIDDING 2–12 NOVEMBER
Browse the Sale Now on Sothebys.com

NEW YORK, 22 October 2020 – Sotheby’s is pleased to present James R. Jordan Foundation | Capsule Collection, a charitable online auction featuring Michael Jordan memorabilia on offer from the James R. Jordan Foundation (JRJF).

Founded and run by Deloris Jordan in honor of her late husband, the James R. Jordan Foundation (JRJF) is a non-profit organization that empowers children and families in underserved communities through access to educational resources and knowledge. JRJF provides a pathway out of poverty by empowering children to achieve their full potential and by leveling the playing field so they can become successful human beings and productive contributors to society. JRJF accomplishes this by creating networks of support for families and communities, motivating youth, and ensuring high-quality academic opportunities for youth in underserved communities.

The works presented in James R. Jordan Foundation | Capsule Collection are sold by the foundation, with full proceeds, including Sotheby’s Buyer’s Premium, benefiting JRJF.

Bidding will be open from 2–12 November, with the full sale contents available for discovery now in our digital catalogue.

Deloris Jordan, President/Founder of the James R. Jordan Foundation, commented: “The James R. Jordan Foundation is a 501(C) (3) nonprofit organization who has been doing vital work both locally and globally in support of children and families in underserved communities for over 20 years. It has been an honor to build educational programming and healthcare initiatives in support of the children and families we serve. We are excited to partner with Sotheby’s to bring additional support to our efforts through this incredible charity auction, featuring a curated grouping of property from the organization’s collection. Our hope now, as it is always, is to make a difference in the lives of all the children and families we serve.”

Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s Director of eCommerce Development, said: “Sotheby’s is honored and excited to partner with the James R. Jordan Foundation. The property is a tightly curated grouping of items with perhaps the most remarkable provenance collectors could hope for. We are looking forward to raising funds for this very important cause, which will support the efforts of the Foundation both locally and globally. We hope this collection of items, including cufflinks, jerseys, and art excite our global audience towards bidding for this important cause.”

THE COLLECTION

The highlight of the collection is a single lot comprising a 2012 Michael Jordan x Converse Commemorative Pack and a practice-worn Michael Jordan Air Jordan Brand UNC Colors Jersey (estimate $100/110,000). The 2012 commemorative pack features an autographed North Carolina size 40 jersey as well as an autographed pair of the special edition Jordan x Converse Pro Leather sneakers in Michael’s size 13. Additionally included, and not available elsewhere, is Michael Jordan’s practice worn Air Jordan Brand jersey in his alma mater’s signature colors of Carolina blue and white.

In 2012, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Jordan’s incredible 1982 University of North Carolina (UNC) National Title win, the Jordan Brand and Converse collaborated to create 30 packs of signed UNC style sneakers and jerseys to commemorate the win, with the benefits going to the JRJF. During the 1982 National Title game, while wearing Converse Pro Leather sneakers, Jordan made the go-ahead jumper with just 17 seconds remaining to give coach Dean Smith and the Tar Heels a victory.

The present pack is number 9/30, which has remained in the collection of the JRJF as a reminder of Michael Jordan’s use of the number 9 as a member of the 1984 and 1992 Olympic teams.

The inside of the box reads: “Thirty years ago on college basketball’s grandest stage, a game winning jump shot with seventeen seconds remaining birthed the legend of 23. It was the moment that Mike Jordan became, Michael Jordan. The moment that 23 became more than just a number. And that moment the world was introduced to the greatest to ever play the game.”

The capsule also includes a dazzling pair of Jordan’s 14 Karat White Gold and Diamond Cufflinks customized with his ‘MJ’ initials set with round diamonds (estimate $50/60,000). The square-shaped cufflinks have been worn by Jordan and each measure approximately 1-inch x 1-inch, weighing a total of approximately 5.75 carats together. They come with a beautiful Lester Lampert box, a Chicago based fine jeweler.

Another highlight of the collection is a size 48 Michael Jordan Signed Champion Dream Team Jersey believed to be a 1990s era Champion brand jersey commemorating the 1992 Olympic games and hand-signed by Jordan (estimate $10/15,000).

The 1992 gold medal ‘Dream Team’ is undoubtably the greatest gold medal basketball team that ever graced the Olympic Games. Consisting of Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone, Scottie Pippen, and more, the team is remembered today as perhaps one of the most remarkable assemblage of players to ever play together – in any sport. The team dominated at the Olympics, and to this day is credited with increasing the popularity of basketball throughout the world, creating a lasting impression on global sports culture.

Rounding out the collection is a LeRoy Neiman Michael Jordan screenprint, one of only two screenprints ever produced by Neiman picturing Jordan and the only one that features him exclusively (estimate $5/7,000). Signed by both Jordan and Neiman, the screenprint is numbered 313/320 and is dated to 1991 – the year of Jordan’s first of six NBA Championship wins with the Chicago Bulls.

Best known for his brilliantly colored, stunningly energetic images, Neiman was one of the most popular living sports artists in the United States until his passing in 2012. Over the span of his career he painted such illustrious athletes as Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Joe Namath, Sandy Koufax, Tiger Woods, and of course as is the case in the present screenprint, Michael Jordan. His work has been displayed in the Baseball, Basketball, Football, Boxing and Tennis Halls of Fame. Additionally, Neiman’s paintings and drawings are in more than 40 museums around the world, including the Smithsonian, the Chicago Art Institute and the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Trick-or-treating may be cancelled this year, but Pook & Pook Auctioneers and Appraisers has a gallery full of 600 treats coming up at the October 28th, 2020 Online Only Decorative Arts Auction. Bidding for this auction will be available live on Bidsquare.

Pook & Pook, Online Only Decorative Arts Auction | October 28, 2020

As always, there is a large cross-section of decorative arts material with prices that fit every collectors budget. Stoneware, redware, glass, quilts, pewter, silver, maps, toleware, silhouettes, furniture, and artwork are just a few of the categories represented. Several lots of folk art will cross the block, including fraktur, oil on velvet theorems, chalkware, and more. Pottery and porcelain are aplenty as usual, including stoneware, redware, Meissen, Majolica, Historical Blue Staffordshire, and Delft. The quilt and textile department is overrun with samplers, hooked rugs, quilts, carpets, Jacquard coverlets, and other woven works. Metalware includes a tin heart in hand cookie cutter, toleware, a cheese strainer, wrought iron utensils, wrought iron hearth equipment, brass bells, andirons, and candlesticks, and more. As usual, there is a nice group of antique furniture including dower chests, dining chairs, highchairs, corner cupboards, rocking chairs, tall case clocks, a doughbox, footstools, work tables, beds, blanket chests, chests of drawers, stands, etc. A rare Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Federal cherry tall case clock, from around 1835, includes eight day works with a painted face and is signed A.W. Carpenter New Holland ($800-1,200). From across the pond comes an English pine two-part corner cupboard, ca. 1800 ($400-800). A Tiffany & Co. sterling silver flatware set in the Provence pattern is expected to fetch $500-700. Other silver sets to cross the block include a set of twenty-two dinner knives in the Baltimore Rose pattern, an English silver handled fish service in the Kings pattern, Georgian pistol-grip dinner knives, French silver grapefruit spoons, Georgian silver scissor tongs, sugar tongs, spoons, ladles, a tea caddy, a dresser box, and more. A large collection of books will also cross the block, including edge painted books, bibles, etc. There are hundreds of other goodies that fall into the category of Decorative Accessories from all over the globe, all waiting for a new owner. 

 The usual selection of art that buyers have come to expect at Pook & Pook’s Online Only Decorative Arts Auctions will be found at this sale as well, including paintings, lithographs, sculptures, and carvings. A portrait attributed to Jacob Eichholtz of a gentleman is expected to bring $400-600. An unusual acrylic on mirror by Robert Loughlin carries a $1,000-2,000 estimate. A fun lot of three Al G. Barnes Circus posters are set to hammer down in cyberspace. The Circus ran from 1895 to 1929 until it was bought out first by the American Circus and then Ringling Brothers & Barnum & Bailey that same year. An ink Toonerville Folks cartoon strip by Fontaine Fox will surly catch more than one buyer’s eye ($200-300) The comic, which told the story of the people of Toonerville, ran from 1913 to 1955 in hundreds of newspapers all over the country. And if comics are your thing, several cartoon strips by Thomas Dorgan ($200-300) will also be on offer. Dorgan’s writings created or made popular many sayings we use all the time without really thinking about them, like “for crying out loud” or “yes, we have no bananas”. One of the more unusual pieces of art in the sale is an oil on canvas portrait of a Moldavian woman by Russian artist Grigori Izrailevich Tseitlin. Additional listed artists up for auction include Frederick Thompson, George Vertue, Albert Pennoyer, William McMaster, David Y. Ellinger, Julius Augustus Beck, Warren Sheppard, Edmund Darch Lewis, Maynard Reece, Gayle Porter Hoskins, and many more.

London, 21 October 2020

Sale Total: £8,516,592 / $11,120,966 / €9,487,483

COMBINED TOTAL FOR EVENING & DAY SALES: £34,849,441 / $45,506,400 / €38,822,277

Lots Sold: 133 | Lots Offered: 161                                    Sold by Lot: 83% | Sold by Value: 89%

Tamila Kerimova, Head of 20thCentury & Contemporary Art Day Sale, said, “Building on the strong results of our Evening Sale, our Day Sale totaled £8.5 million. The enhanced live auction experience was broadcast worldwide from our purpose-built studio in London, as collectors from 53 countries competed throughout the sale. The number of online registrants reached an unprecedented level, adding to the energy and excitement of the saleroom. The top ten demonstrates our distinctive strategy of positioning key artistic voices of the 20th century alongside leading contemporary names, with notable prices achieved for the group of five Alexander Calder sculptures from an Important Private Parisian Collection. We saw great depth of bidding for Stanley Whitney, as well as Banksy and Loie Hollowell. We look forward to continuing this momentum in the lead up to our sales in Hong Kong and New York.”

The fall fine prints sale will include masters of printmaking from the sixteenth through the twentieth centuries. Highlights include woodcuts, etchings and engravings by Albrecht Dürer, Francisco José de Goya, Giovanni B. Piranesi, and Rembrandt van Rijn. The superb selection of modern prints that follows is led by a strong group of nineteenth-century artists, ranging from James A.M. Whistler to Paul Gauguin, and Impressionist stalwarts like Edgar Degas and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. The auction continues with works by American printmakers, featuring color woodcuts by Gustave Baumann, classic views of New York City by Edward Hopper, Louis Lozowick and Martin Lewis, the important Regionalist lithographer Thomas Hart Benton, and modern European masters such as Salvador Dalí, Rene Magritte, Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso.

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Old Master Prints

With significant selections of woodcuts, engravings and etchings by Albrecht Dürer (lots 6 to 35); Rembrandt van Rijn (lots 71 to 104); and Giovanni B. Piranesi (lots 110 to 127).

Nineteenth-Century Prints

A large number of works by American expatriate James A.M. Whistler (lots 143 to 166) and Impressionist printmakers (lots 167 to 187).

American Prints

Featuring artists depicting New York City scenes (lots 243 to 267); Regionalists (lots 268 to 284); and Latin American artists (lots 295 to 310).

European Prints

Including signature works by Pablo Picasso (lots 312 to 337); Henri Matisse (lots 351 to 363); Joan Miró (lots 388 to 411); prominent Surrealists (lots 412 to 440); and Marc Chagall (lots 442 to 451), among others.

What You Need to Know on Auction Day
Previewing By Appointment Only Through Wednesday, November 11
This auction will be held live and conducted remotely by Swann auctioneers taking bids from multiple platforms. While there will not be bidding in the room, we will be accepting order bids, and interested buyers will be able to participate live online via the Swann Galleries App. The app is available in the App Store and on Google Play, and it can also be accessed on a desktop at live.swanngalleries.com.

Please note: limited phone bidding will be available for this auction. Phone bidding registrations will close the day before the sale at 4pm.

At this time, our exhibition and auction location at 104 East 25th Street is closed to the public. Private viewings are available by appointment only, and must be arranged in advance. To make an appointment please contact a specialist the department.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions.

Join us for First Tuesday online!

AUCTION EVALUATION DAY | TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3

See what hidden treasures our experts may be able to reveal

We invite you to join us online for our Virtual First Tuesday on November 3. Submit your items anytime before the 3rd and Skinner specialists from all departments will be on hand on Tuesday to evaluate items and respond by email.

Let’s get started: 

Step 1: Gather information and images for up to three items of fine & decorative arts, furniture, jewelry, silver, watches & coins and much more.

Step 2: Send us an email with the information and images at [email protected] or at the button below.

Setting the Foundation for the Photography Market

We are honored to be offering numerous works from the estate of Evelyne Z. Daitz (pictured at left by photographer Evelyn Hofer) in our October 2020 Fine Photographs auction. Daitz, who was born in Switzerland, began working with the famed New York City gallerist Lee Witkin in 1976 after developing an interest in the medium from her husband, photography dealer Howard Daitz. Together, in the various iterations of the iconic Witkin Gallery, which is considered today to be the first commercially successful space for photography in New York, Witkin and Daitz helped to set the foundation for the market and pioneered the ways in which the medium is still considered and collected today.

A Desire to Look Deeply: Influence & Legacy

Daitz continued to run the gallery after Witkin’s death, finally closing the physical space in 1999 and continuing the gallery online through her death. Throughout her long and influential career, Daitz’s vision and dedication helped to shape the careers and reputations of numerous photographers. And as a woman in a field dominated by men, Daitz’s pioneering role made room for those who followed.

Daitz’s unique approach to installations and imaginative thematic shows encouraged legions of collectors. Fanciful and adventurous (perhaps not unrelated to her own elegant styling, exemplified by the dragonfly brooches she was known for wearing daily), Daitz’s legacy includes exhibitions titled “On the Elbow” and “Sur la Tête.” This desire to look deeply at content, to relish in the playful while deploying a deeply serious look at the landscape of both well-known and new practitioners, perhaps best epitomizes the legacy of Evelyne Daitz, and the long-lasting impression she has left and will continue to leave on the field.

Friendships with Artists & Establishing Precedents

One of Daitz’s closest relationships was to the hugely influential photographer Manuel Álvarez Bravo, who she continued to represent after the gallery’s official closing. Our sale includes his Platinum Portfolio (1981), an elegant and richly beautiful interpretation of his Surrealist imagery that only rarely appears at auction. We also offer the Edward Weston Witkin-Berley portfolio (1971), a set that includes numerous iconic photographs printed by Cole Weston that typify the series of portfolios Witkin and his partner Daniel Berley published. These publications set a precedent for the portfolio as we know it today. We offer other rare and important examples of the format including Ruth Bernhard’s The Gift of the Commonplace from 1976, The First Apeiron Portfolio (1981), Brett Weston’s Alaska, Ralph Gibson’s mysterious and beautifulDays at Sea(1975), and Robert Doisneau’s set of 15 from 1979. 

Subject and Symbolism

The symbols depicted on a textile can tell you quite specifically what the function was and who would have owned it. Chimes, twin fish, and double happiness characters are symbols for blessings in marriage, designating a marriage robe. At the same time, Imperial dragons were strictly only used on Imperial textiles until the later parts of the Qing dynasty. 

Stitching and Technique

A general rule would be that the greater variety of stitches used in a piece, the higher the quality. The more refined the execution of these stitches is generally also counts towards the value of a work. The most commonly used stitches include seed stitch, known as “Peking knot,” or “forbidden stitch,” and couching, which typically uses gold- or silver-wrapped thread, and satin stitch. Still, there are many more variations to discover.

Color

Color indicates rank and importance, particularly in the Imperial court structure in China. Yellow robes and accessories were reserved for the emperor; black, blue, and brown signified different ranks among court officials. Red is the auspicious color of weddings and other celebrations such as birthdays. Certain colors such as bright pink and purple were not used until the later part of the 19th century when aniline dyes reached China from Europe.

Condition

Condition is an essential consideration. Most textiles made before the end of the 19th century achieved color from vegetable dyes, which are unfortunately very transient. As noted, the commonly used colors of red and yellow are two of the more transient natural dyes and fade considerably when exposed to light. Robes were also sometimes sized down or re-cut for a more fashionable fit, particularly in the early 20th century. A semi-formal or formal robe should follow the typical straight-cut flared silhouette visible when laid flat on the floor, with one side overlapping the other.

Displaying and Preserving Textiles

While it might be appealing to hang a stunning robe or hanging panel on the wall in daylight, it is not the best way to care for your investment. Textiles, particularly antiques, can be displayed and enjoyed for short periods, but ideally, they should be stored in a cool, dark, humidity-controlled environment, folded carefully and wrapped in acid-free tissue paper to prevent dye transfer. Consider a collection of exquisitely decorated purses, accessories, or rank badges which can be stored and displayed on rotation.

TO MAKE AUCTION DEBUT AT SOTHEBY’S LONDON WITH THE VIRAL BLACK LIVES MATTER IMAGE THAT BECAME THE ICON OF A GENERATIONTHE PHOTOGRAPH WILL BE SOLD TO BENEFIT BLOOD CANCER CHARITY ANTHONY NOLAN AND THEIR IMPORTANT WORK TO INCREASE THE DIVERSITY OF THE STEM CELL DONOR REGISTER

It was my wife who made me pick up a camera a few years back but never in my wildest dreams did I envision that one day I’d capture such a pivotal moment in our history. I hadn’t met Darcy, the subject here, before taking this picture but I was immediately struck by her – there’s an undeniable purpose and passion in her expression. In one split second, I captured a young woman fighting for her future, holding up what is a seemingly simple question, a question I hope the next generation won’t need to ask. It’s true that an image can say a thousand words, and it’s an incredible honour that my photograph has been perceived by many as the voice of the moment.” It is with great pride that I offer this work, my first ever print, to be sold at Sotheby’s in order to raise much needed funds for Anthony Nolan. This will help diversify the donor register which will, in turn, save lives.

MISAN HARRIMAN

LONDON, 01 October 2020 – Hailed ‘the most talked about photographer of our times’ by the Evening Standard, and ‘the voice that was missing’ by British Vogue’s Edward Enninful, Misan Harriman has risen to stratospheric heights in 2020. The first Black male photographer to shoot the cover of Vogue in its 104-year history, Harriman’s many accolades include the cover of the British magazine’sSeptember 2020 issue, featuring Adwoa Aboah and Marcus Rashford, alongside 18 further global activists. Indeed, the photographer’s acclaim was born primarily from his powerful black and white photography, shot on the streets of London during the Black Lives Matter protests in June.

Why is Ending Racism a Debate? is Harriman’s most famous image. The work will be on view at Sotheby’s London from 11-14 October [34-35 New Bond Street, W1S 2RT], while it is concurrently offered at auction online with an estimate of £3,000-5,000. It is being sold to benefit blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan, a cause which is close to Harriman’s heart. This is the first time a work by the artist has ever been offered at sale, at auction or beyond, and thus presents a rare opportunity to acquire a photograph by one of the biggest names working in photography today.

Why is Ending Racism a Debate first went viral after a series of influential figures shared Misan’s image on Instagram, including Edward Enninful, Dina Asher-Smith, Lewis Hamilton and Martin Luther King III. Captured outside the US embassy in London, the shot shows the, then anonymous, 18-year old England U21s hockey player Darcy Bourne, stood with the oversized home-made sign which she had painted just moments before. Harriman recalled how he spotted his subject standing on the pavement, before asking her to step into the road and turn to face him. At that very moment, a protester shot their fist in the air behind Bourne, and the result was magic: an image which has defined a generation.

I’d written my sign moments before; the paint was still wet when the photo was taken. I wrote that question because I’m in disbelief every day that we still have to fight for equality, and I wanted to remind people of the purpose of the movement. I feel so lucky that I met Misan, and that this photo went viral, because it has given me a platform that I can use to try and make a difference. When Martin Luther king III posted the image, I was in complete shock, because I have always looked up to him and his father’s work in the human rights movement, and it meant the world to me that he shared this photo. Misan’s talent is undeniable; he consistently displays the raw emotions of the people, shining a light on us and the power of the movement. He is an incredible man who I can now call a good friend. I have supported and believed in the Anthony Nolan Charity for several years now, so I am glad I can be involved with such an important organisation and that this image will be sold to support it.

DARCY BOURNE

We are very grateful to Misan and to Sotheby’s for offering this work to benefit Anthony Nolan. We know that a person’s stem cell match is most likely to come from someone with the same ethnic background as them, and currently only 20% of stem cell transplant patients who are Black or have mixed Black heritage receive a match from an unrelated donor. Therefore, increasing the diversity of the UK stem cell register is vital, and it is important that we continue to find the best way possible to work with young people from different communities. If you are between the ages of 16-30 and in good health, you can join the Anthony Nolan register at www.anthonynolan.org/join.”

HENNY BRAUND, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF ANTHONY NOLAN