Prime Auction Gallery’s upcoming 60th Antiques & Fine Art sale features a porcelain plaque from KPM (Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur) Berlin, one of Europe’s oldest porcelain manufactories. The 1890s KPM porcelain plaque depicts a woman with delicate features and black hair tied up with a green ribbon. The piece has a royal scepter mark and a gilt frame.
This antiques auction will highlight a sterling silver vanity set by Shreve & Co. The seven-piece set features Art Nouveau details and floral motifs. George C. Shreve and his nephew, Samuel S. Shreve, opened the silver company in the 1850s. Shreve & Co. silver remains popular among presidents, business leaders, and philanthropists. The catalog offers a selection of antique furniture, including a Louis XV-style ormolu clock by Jean-Henri Riesener. Made in the late 19th century, the clock features parquetry decorations, a quarter-chiming longcase, and a sunburst pendulum. Bidders can also consider a short Darbar sword from the Persian Pahlavi dynasty. It measures 18 inches long. Find more than 400 lots of fine art, decorative art, furniture, jewelry, watches, and Native American collectibles on Bidsquare.
Emerald mining began around 1500 BCE in Egypt. While other precious stones often have a variety of colors, emeralds are available only in green. The stone gets its hue from traces of chromium or vanadium. A 140-carat emerald necklace is a key highlight in the upcoming Alex Cooper Auctioneers sale. The handmade necklace features graduated oval-cut emeralds. It has a 14-karat gold box clasp studded with baguette diamonds. Another leading necklace is from the estate of heiress and philanthropist Linda McRae Noe Laine of Washington, DC. The necklace features a combination of oval and round carved carnelian links and diamonds, together weighing approximately 4.50 carats.
A 5.26-carat unheated Burmese sapphire set in a platinum ring is also on offer. Unlike treated sapphires, which are more commonly found, this unheated piece likely comes from the Mogok Stone Tract of Myanmar. A double-prong mounting holds the oval-cut gemstone. To view the complete catalog and register to bid online, visit Bidsquare.
Sally Mann’s photographs explore growing up, familial bonding, and other subjects that some would consider tame. Yet in her compositions, Mann unearths the unsettling feeling of childhood anxiety. That includes the photo Naptime, a print of which is available in Hindman’s upcoming Photographs auction. In the picture, a child lays down for a nap but can’t shut her eyes, instead fixating on the viewer. Two more children rest to her left and right. Sally Mann composes the photograph so that it’s unclear if these children are fast asleep or equally restless.
Also on offer is Ruth Bernhard’s Perspective II. During her 70+ year career, Bernhard was particularly well-known for her nude subjects. In Perspective II, Bernhard subverts the expectations of a nude, making the composition more about what the subject is hiding than what they’re revealing.
Those interested in 20th-century art history can also consider a photograph of Marcel Duchamp taken by Man Ray. Two of the most well-known artists of the century, Duchamp and Ray were also friends for much of their lives, starting in 1915. Ray used his numerous photographs of Duchamp to document the latter’s ever-changing demeanor. In this example, Duchamp is cloaked in a big black coat and framed by his shadow. Those interested in this or any other piece can view each lot on Bidsquare.
Bonhams’ Fine Gemstones, Lapidary Arts, and Minerals auction will feature a padparadscha sapphire weighing approximatley 15.26 carats. Unlike most sapphires, the available padparadscha sapphire has a naturally salmon-pink hue with no indication of heating. The Sri Lankan name indicates the pink-orange color of a tropical lotus.
A Quahog pearl weighing over 16 carats is also available in the auction. Its purple, non-nacreous spherical surface is uncommon, even among pearls from the Mercenaria mercenaria mollusk. In GIA’s quarterly Gems & Gemology journal, expert Joyce Wing Yan Ho stated, “This Quahog pearl’s large size, clean surface, fabulous luster, near-round shape, and evenly distributed rich color combine to make it an exceptionally fine and rare example of its type.”
The auction also features intarsia boxes and jewelry from award-winning artist Nicolai Medvedev. Born in the Republic of Turkmenistan, Medvedev brought the art of intarsia with him to New York. Intarsia is a centuries-old lapidary technique. Few contemporary artists like Medvedev have mastered this skill. Medvedev makes his jewelry boxes with malachite, lapis lazuli, turquoise, marble, and opal. Visit Bonhams to view each lot and place a bid.
Akiba Antiques’ upcoming Early Summer Showcase auction highlights sculptures by Ernest Trova. A self-trained Surrealist and Pop art painter and sculptor, Trova was best known for his Falling Man figure series. The auction offers a 1972 sculpture by Trova titled Stainless Flowing Man. Made of polished stainless steel, it depicts an elongated figure of a man in motion.
This sale offers a selection of sculptures, paintings, and collectibles. A Paul Dupré-Lafon coat rack is one notable furniture lot. This piece has a removable shelf entirely covered in black leather and features the mark “M.A.” A 19th-century stamped oil painting is also available. It shows a Greco-Roman man carrying a cluster of grapes. His dog walks beside him. To view the entire catalog or place a bid online, visit LiveAuctioneers.
A landscape painting from plein air artist Gerard Blouin will be featured in the Family Health Center of Worcester’s upcoming Art in the City auction. Growing up in Maine, the artist was interested in the colors of the land, ocean, sky, and rivers. Describing his art, Gerard Blouin said, “I paint outside throughout the year in all kinds of weather. Only through direct observation am I able to capture the ever-changing colors and moods of the landscape.” The available painting depicts a beach scene in pastel tones.
The sale also features an acrylic piece from Benjamin Adwetewa-Badu. Born in Ghana, Adwetewa-Badu is best known for his acrylic and watercolor works. Inspired by Expressionism and Fauvism, his paintings can be characterized by a vibrant juxtaposition of colors. Landscape art collectors can also consider an oil painting by Norman Ringdahl. It depicts a scene in Woods Hole. View the complete catalog by visiting Bidsquare.
The design of watches remained unchanged for decades until Gilbert Albert came along. While serving as the head of Patek Philippe’s creative department in the 1960s, he revamped the way watches are made. Albert replaced round and rectangle watches with asymmetrical and triangle shapes. The Swiss designer used unusual materials like uncut stones, fossilized dinosaur bones, and lava rocks for his jewelry and watches. Thanks to his innovation, Patek Philippe won the Diamonds International Award three times in a row. A Patek Philippe watch by Gilbert Albert will be available in Sotheby’s upcoming Fine Watches Auction. It is an asymmetrical wristwatch from the early 1960s with 18-karat yellow gold and champagne dials.
Collectors with a passion for speed can find Rolex’s Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona in this Sotheby’s auction. Rolex designed this watch to meet the demands of professional racers. The Cosmograph Daytona includes a power reserve of 72 hours, a self-winding mechanical chronograph movement, and an 18-karat white gold case. The dial is made of pink mother-of-pearl. The catalog also includes lots from Asprey & Co., Zenith, Cartier, and others. For more information, visit Sotheby’s.
Rock ‘n roll emerged as a genre in 1954. Its popularity increased as musicians like Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, and others took to the stage. Over the years, rock ‘n roll has taken on different sounds and styles but continues to thrive in the music industry. Julien’s Auctions will offer an array of rock ‘n roll collectibles, memorabilia, and more in its upcoming Rock ‘N Roll’s Music Icons auction. Among the lots are handwritten lyrics by Bob Dylan, Eric Singer’s stage-played drum set, and a Kurt Cobain self-drawn portrait.
Bob Dylan is a popular singer-songwriter and author. His musical career has spanned nearly 60 years and includes hits such as “Mr. Tambourine Man,” “Subterranean Homesick Blues,” and “Like a Rolling Stone.” Showcased in this auction are Dylan’s handwritten lyrics and chord annotations for “Lay Lady Lay.” This document appears to be a working draft as some verses do not appear in the song’s final version.
A major influencer of alternative rock and known as a voice for Generation X, Nirvana’s frontman and guitarist Kurt Cobain died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in 1994. During the band’s 1992 Nevermind tour in Singapore, Cobain drew a picture of himself playing the guitar. He handwrote “Kurdt Kobain Rock Star” on the left and “I don’t know how to play and I don’t give a hoot!” on the right. To view and bid on these items and more, visit Julien’s Auctions.
Concrete abstract art painter Alfred Julio Jensen is famous for his grid-like paintings with vibrant colors. The artist was fascinated by numbers, patterns, and color theory. Encouraged by Saidie Alder, his patron, Jensen refined his work during the 1950s. He started to incorporate his knowledge of philosophy and systems into his conceptually organized artworks. The upcoming Brunk Auctions sale presents an impasto grid painting by Alfred Julio Jensen. Titled Tun, the 1959 oil painting features 360 mini squares colored using the impasto-thick layer painting technique. The 360 squares in the painting reflect Jensen’s knowledge of the Mayan chronological calendar, in which a tun indicates 360 days.
A texture-rich wood bowl by Philip Moulthrop is another highlight. The piece emphasizes how flaws in wood can become beautiful. The Moulthrop family first introduced these subtle modernist bowl designs in 1986. The locally-sourced wood requires months to process and involves wood selection, carving, and finishing.
The auction also highlights 20th-century designs, including a Bunny Williams painted palm form table. It has a carved and painted silver leaf pedestal base with an oval glass top. A set of chairs with a matching ottoman by Harry Bertoia is notable as well. The available Bird chair is a prime example of Bertoia’s famous wire chairs. Works by Toshiko Takaezu, Andy Warhol, Howard Wilbur Thomas, Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, and Salvador Dalí round out the listings. Interested collectors can browse the entire catalog and register to bid online on Bidsquare.
A decorative vase by Émile Gallé will be featured in the upcoming Early 20th Century Design Auction, offered by Cowan’s Auctions. The French artist is often associated with the Art Nouveau movement. However, Émile Gallé also dabbled in Naturalism and French Renaissance styles. One of his sculptural works, titled Red Phlox Vase, is available for bidding. Produced in the early 20th century, the vase shows a red phlox and foliage motifs engraved in cameo glass.
In the 1890s, Louis Comfort Tiffany introduced one of Tiffany Studios’ earliest lamps— a Lily Favrile lamp. This piece would lead the glassmaking company to global recognition. Although the initial design of the lamp featured 18 lights, Tiffany Studios later produced smaller versions with six or ten bulbs. Among the offered decorative art lots is a Tiffany Studios Lily Favrile table lamp with six lights. Its asymmetrical design takes inspiration from the Art Nouveau style. An Art Deco vase by Charles Schneider and a pendant chandelier by Daum will also be available. To explore the full catalog and register to bid, visit Bidsquare.
