Jacob Weimer was Tornado Jake when he emerged as one of the Chicago Cubs’ top starting pitchers of the 20th century. Weimer was an American professional baseball player from Iowa. He batted right-handed but was a left-handed pitcher who eventually became one of the top left-handers in baseball history. From 1903 to 1905, he played for the Chicago Cubs. In 1906, the left-handed hurler was awarded the Chicago Baseball Champions Gold and Diamond Medallion following the Cubs’ triumph over the White Sox in a post-season matchup to determine a “champion” of the Windy City. This 14-karat gold and diamond medallion is one of the leading lots in the upcoming Sports Memorabilia auction, presented by Hindman. Baseball fans can also find collectibles like signed baseball cards, caps, pins, and quilt panels.
Another sports legend from Chicago is Michael Jordan. An American professional basketball player, Jordan played for the Chicago Bulls and helped the team win six NBA championships. On Jordan’s 32nd birthday, the sports icon received a Nike Air Jordan 1 silver cast basketball shoe by his then-wife Juanita. Howard Kaplan created ten of these and kept two copies, providing the rest to various charities. Soon after Jordan received this gift, he famously announced his return to basketball. This shoe remains a symbol of Jordan’s career. Several autographed ‘Jordan 23’ basketball jerseys are also available in the sale. Boxing fans can consider a 1970s Everlast boxing headgear worn by Muhammad Ali. Find the listed items and more on Hindman and register to place a bid.
Though he is most widely known as the only American to design scarves for the fashion juggernaut Hermès, Kermit Oliver managed to land that position because of the reputation of his paintings. When asked, Oliver states that he was a postman first, where he remained until eligible for retirement. He lives in the small town of Refugio, Texas and has never sought the limelight. He remained relatively unknown for much of his career as a painter. Still, Oliver was named the 2017 Texas State Two-Dimensional Artist by the Texas Commission on the Arts, and his painting, Tobias, was included in the 2016 inaugural exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. Another of his paintings is featured in The Collect: American Art auction offered by Freeman’s. It shows a whimsical group of animals gathering on the beach.
Also in the sale is work by American artists from the 19th century to the present. There are multiple works up for bid by Pennsylvania Impressionists Daniel Garber and Harry Leith-Ross, as well as landscapes by Bruce Crane and portraits by Thomas Anshutz. Further items of interest include works by Andrew Wyeth and family, a Jane Peterson still life, and several watercolors and drawings by Arthur Beecher Carles. View any of these lots and register to bid on Freeman’s.
Czech illustrator, graphic designer, and painter Helena Bochořáková-Dittrichová, was recognized as the first female graphic novelist. Her book, Z mého dětství, meaning From My Childhood, was a groundbreaking autobiographical work. It featured 94 woodcuts and several dark graphics. A first edition copy of this novel is available in Swann Auction Galleries’ upcoming Focus on Women sale. Numbered 46 of 60, the partially unopened book is signed by the artist in pencil on the title page.
Significant works by Black women are also highlighted. Leading this set is a rare Phillis Wheatley poem titled Recollection. Printed in the London Magazine in 1772, it was the first time Wheatley’s work was published in a magazine. Before this, her writing was only printed in pamphlets and newspapers. From Georgia Johnson’s Bronze: A Book of Verse to Nella Larsen’s Passing, collectors will find photographs, books, and prints by other noted Black activists and women. To view the full catalog or place a bid, visit Swann Auction Galleries.
Prized for its star-like light reflection quality, the mystical star sapphires are regarded as exceptional gemstones. Sri Lanka, formerly known as Ceylon, has been an eminent source of this coveted variety. The island nation is famed for producing large star sapphires in varied shades of blue. A 32-carat Ceylon star sapphire and diamond cocktail ring is a key highlight of the upcoming sale at Heritage Estate Jewelry. The piece consists of a rare unheated cabochon star sapphire and 1.40-carat round brilliant-cut diamonds. The ring size is 6.75 and is customizable on request for an additional fee. Another lot with strong visual characteristics is a ruby and diamond Rivière necklace. Measuring 17.75 inches in length, the 14-karat yellow gold piece includes oval-cut rubies and brilliant-cut diamonds. A Rivière neckpiece features a continuation of same species gemstones in identical size or smoothly graduating all along the neckline.
An Art Deco revival bracelet made of round brilliant-cut diamonds also leads the listings. The platinum piece is crafted with symmetrical geometric shapes akin to vintage Art Deco designs. To view the complete catalog and register to bid online, visit Bidsquare and browse other online auctions.
Christie’s upcoming sale of 1920s and 30s design features works from Ivan da Silva-Bruhns (1881 – 1980), Alberto Giacometti (1901 – 1966), Jean Dunand (1877 – 1942), Armand Albert Rateau (1882 – 1938), and others. French interior design, architectural structures, and decorative arts began changing just prior to World War I. The days of mosaics, arches, asymmetrical shapes, and curved lines of the Art Nouveau movement were over. Instead, buildings, jewelry, automobiles, ocean liners, radios, vacuum cleaners, and more became influenced by geometric shapes, bold colors, smooth lines, and sleek forms. This was the beginning of the Art Deco movement that lasted through the 1930s.
Highlighted in the auction is an important carpet by Ivan da Silva-Bruhns. The hand-knotted wool carpet with a Cubist design was created for Manik Bagh, the Palace of the Maharaja of Indore in 1930. Several Alberto Giacometti table lamps can be found, including a 1937 Grecque lamp. This large lamp of plaster and galvanized brass stands 18.5 inches high and 5.5 inches in diameter. A white fabric shade is also included. Browse the entire catalog and register to bid by visiting Christie’s.
Session one of the upcoming Spring Southern Estates event from Everard Auctions and Appraisals will feature fine art, sculptures, furniture, and carpets from collections including the Estate of Murray C. Perlman. Leading session one is Francis Augustus Silva’s Early Morning Sailing. Silva (1835 – 1886) was a second-generation Hudson River School painter from New York. He is best known as an American Luminist painter who captured the marine life around the Hudson River and the coastline of Massachusetts. The available painting shows a sunrise with atmospheric effects. Also notable is an oil on board depicting sharecroppers titled Picking Cotton by William Aiken Walker (1838 – 1921). Three figures pick cotton in a field with cottages in the distance. Walker was a South Carolina artist whose most famous paintings document Southern scenes of plantations, cotton fields, docks, and wood cabins. The available lot is accompanied by a letter from Anne Cohen DePietro, from the Charleston Renaissance Gallery, certifying to her knowledge that the work is an original by Walker.
During session two, the catalog features Watson sterling silverware sets, jewelry, and fine armorial china sets. Included is a Watson Sterling silver set containing 143 knives, forks, spoons, pierced serving forks, a scalloped serving spoon, and a cheese knife. An 18th-century Chinese export armorial china set, comprising 14 bowls, plates, and an oval serving dish, each painted with a central shield, is also available in the second session. All the pieces are decorated with garlands and flowers, birds, and a cornucopia. Find the listed items and more online auctions on Bidsquare.
An angelic, almost surreal figure lays on top of a rock-like structure with its wings stretched out into the golden sky in an oil painting by Tilsa Tsuchiya Castillo (1928 – 1984). The Peru-born French artist of Japanese descent won numerous awards like the prestigious Bienal of Teknoquimica Prize for painting. Tsuchiya often painted Peruvian myths and legends and included issues of gender and identity in her works. This mythical painting remained with Tsuchiya’s youngest son, Gilles Mercier Tsuchiya, until now. Swann Auction Galleries is presenting this masterpiece alongside Modern and Post-War Art in its upcoming auction. Painted by Tsuchiya in 1973, this painting comes with a certificate issued by the Museo de Arte.
Post-war abstraction lots in the sale include works by Robert Lee Neal, Dorothy Dehner, John Von Wicht, and Shinkichi Tajiri. Dorothy Dehner’s Candles and Mellons is a corten steel sculpture with an oxidized patina available in the auction. Although Dehner immersed herself in art from an early age, she didn’t start making her metal sculptures until the 1950s. She was encouraged by her husband David Smith, an American Abstract Expressionist painter and sculptor. The couple traveled extensively, which influenced Dehner’s art. This season’s Modern & Post-War Art sale will feature the Gary Snyder collection, Museum of Non-Objective Painting exhibitors, and Indian Space painters. Find the listed items and more by visiting Swann Auction Galleries and registering to place a bid.
The fictional Disney dog Pluto is one of the most popular star characters in the animation world. This golden yellow adventurous dog first appeared in the 1930 cartoon movie The Chain Gang. He also made a comeback this year as a character sighting at the 2022 Epcot International Festival of the Arts, an annual Walt Disney event. A circa 20th century antique figurine of Pluto is a key highlight of the upcoming auction from Akiba Antiques. Measuring over 27 inches high, the figurine is made of polychrome carved wood. The carousel piece is suspended on a brass stand.
A vintage Edward Wormley sofa designed with purple upholstery leads the furniture listings. It features a tufted backrest, complementing cushion, and lacquered mahogany wood feet. The American modern furniture designer was known for integrating Scandinavian and European ingenuity in his designs. Another notable antique lot is a steel Kashkul or beggar’s bowl. The hand-hammered piece has four link chains and is adorned with silver and gold inlaid foliate patterns and inscriptions. Used by wandering religious mendicants called Dervishes, the 19th-century container is closely associated with the Sufi sect of Islam. To view the complete catalog and register to bid online, visit LiveAuctioneers.
A major sculptural work by American artist Sam Gilliam will lead Neue Auctions’ third annual May Modern sale. Pantheon #5 from 1984 is composed of acrylic on canvas with collaged aluminum pieces. Described by Neue Auctions’ Bridget McWilliams as “an exuberant, highly textured and complex composition, executed with deft craftsmanship,” the piece mixes broad fields of color with splattered geometric shapes. Another notable piece of fine art in this event is Paul Travis’ Winter from 1965. The Cleveland School artist was particularly known for exploring multiple perspectives in his work, including themes and imagery inspired by Travis’ travels through Africa.
Notable furniture in the catalog includes a set of upholstered chairs by Harry Bertoia for Knoll, as well as a pair of Erwin Lambeth sofas. Founded in 1902, Erwin Lambeth evolved through the decades to offer furniture items with mid-century elegance. The available sofas feature industrial-style squared chrome legs. Interested bidders may also consider an ovoid stoneware vessel by Claude Conover and two bronze sculptures from Clement Meadmore. An Australian-American sculptor, Meadmore built enormous public commissions that used geometry to bend shapes into evocative new angles. Visit Bidsquare for the complete catalog of this and other online auctions.
The Russo-Chinese Bank was founded in 1896 to oversee the loans intended to back China’s indemnity to Japan following the First Sino-Japanese War. The bank would eventually become the second largest in China with headquarters in St. Petersburg and branches in China, East Asia, Calcutta, San Francisco, Paris and London. The bank also issued legal tender at the time, including a $5 note such as the example issued in September, 1903, on offer in the Banknotes auction from Noonans. Very few examples of this note are known to exist, and Noonans has been unable to find records of its sale in decades.
Other rare items in the auction include a National Bank Limited £3 note, a Banque de l’Indochine 100 Piastres note, a United Arab Emirates Currency Board 1000 Dirhams note from 1973, and more. With over 1,204 lots in the auction, there are many nations and periods represented, such as a Bank of Ireland color trial from 1978, a Government of Ceylon 100 Rupees note from 1945, and an Imperial Bank of Persia 1 Toman note from 1930. View any of these lots and register to bid on Noonans.
