Louis Cartier created the Cartier Santos watch for Alberto Santos Dumont, a friend of the designer. The well-known aviator expressed his concerns about checking his pocket watch during flights. To solve this problem, Cartier designed the first wristwatch for men in 1904. The Cartier Santos collection was named after Alberto Santos Dumont in 1911 and soon became popular. The upcoming Intervendue auction presents several notable Cartier watches. Particularly featured is a Cartier Santos 18-karat gold wristwatch. The water-resistant watch has a square bezel and black leather straps. Also showcased is a stainless-steel automatic Cartier Ballon Bleu ladies watch. The Ballon Bleu watch was named for its lightweight round dial, which resembles a hot air balloon.
The auction also features Palmiero jewelry pieces. A Palmiero white gold, diamond, and amethyst ring is among the highlights. Designs by the Italian jeweler often feature vibrant colors with the “arlecchino” effect and focus more on the ornament’s surface rather than its shape. A Tiffany & Co. 18-karat gold Summerset mesh ring with a high polish will be available as well.
The upcoming sale offers a plique-à-jour dragonfly brooch studded with diamonds and emerald. The plique-à-jour enameling method dates back to the 6th century. This filigree technique allows light to pass through stained glass. The catalog also offers Victorian earrings, Rolex travel alarm clocks, jade and Art Deco rings, and by-the-yard necklaces. Interested collectors can explore the entire catalog and register to bid online on Bidsquare.
In her lifetime, philanthropist Anne Marion earned spots in both the Texas Business Hall of Fame and the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame. These dual honors are a testament to both her success in life and her commitment to the American Southwest. Now, eight artworks from her collection will come to auction with Sotheby’s.
One lot that demonstrates the influence of Anne Marion’s Southwest background is Elvis 2 Times by Andy Warhol. Viewers may be surprised to see Elvis holding a gun instead of a guitar in this canvas. The MoMA believes that Warhol used publicity shots for Elvis’ 1960 Western Flaming Star to create this work. Elvis saw the film as an opportunity to show his acting chops in a dramatic role, but the movie only reached 12th place in the domestic box office.
Representing Abstract Expressionist Clyfford Still in this auction is PH-125. Produced in 1948, Still painted PH-125 as Abstract Expressionism was picking up steam. A gold-like yellow takes up most of the canvas, with patches of red linking into place on the right. At this time, Still was regularly visiting New York via California and collaborating with local galleries, building the Abstract Expressionist movement.
One of Still’s colleagues at the California School of Fine Arts, Richard Diebenkorn, will also have a piece on offer. Ocean Park #40 is part of a series of abstract works Diebenkorn created towards the end of his life. The artist was inspired by the ocean view near his Santa Monica studio, ushering in Diebenkorn’s second abstract phase. View each of the lots coming to auction from Anne Marion’s collection on Sotheby’s website.
A Cartier mystery clock, known as Model A, headlines Christie’s upcoming auction. Manufactured in 1919, the piece is an early example of mystery clocks. Louis Cartier and master clockmaker Maurice Coüet, who had studied the clock designs of the famous French magician Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin, created the clock together. Pendules Mysterieuses Model A, first completed in 1913, was based on the art of illusion. Entirely handcrafted, mystery clocks required up to seven craftsmen to create, sometimes taking up to a year. The example available in this auction has a rock crystal case and a white enamel Roman chapter ring in the center.
The auction also features a Patek Philippe white gold wristwatch, ref. 3448. Reference 3448 was the world’s first serially produced automatic perpetual calendar wristwatch. According to the lot essay, “out of the 586 examples made, the majority [were] in yellow gold cases. Only around 130 were cased in white gold, 2 in platinum and 1 in pink gold are known to exist to date.” Interested bidders will also find an experimental prototype of the Panerai One Thousand Meter watch, a Vacheron Constantin tourbillon pocket watch, and a limited edition Audemars Piguet pink gold watch. View the complete catalog and place a bid on Christie’s website.
Motivated by a real incident in his personal life, Darryl Zanuck of 20th Century Fox adapted Laura Z. Hobson’s Gentleman’s Agreement novel into a film with the same name. The 1948 Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Performance in the film, bagged by Celeste Holm, is a highlight of the upcoming Doyle auction. The trophy is among the first awards designed by Marina Cisternas. The 1947 Gentleman’s Agreement film is known for unmasking anti-Semitic attitudes in post-war America.
Another notable lot offered in the sale is a monkey music box from The Phantom of the Opera, the longest-running stage musical on Broadway. The evocative prop was used recently at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London. The monkey with cymbals in each hand is dressed in an embroidered vest and seated on a black box. A personal invitation for two (flights and hotel excluded) to attend the re-opening of The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway will be included with the prop. British composer and impresario of musical theater, Andrew Lloyd Webber, authored the invitation. Another leading lot from a stage musical is Lin-Manuel Miranda’s autographed black-brown pair of boots from Hamilton: An American Musical. Lin-Manuel Miranda signed the leather boots in black ink. To view the complete catalog and register to bid online, visit Doyle.
Over 2,000 lots of fine wines will be available in Hart Davis Hart’s upcoming auction. Top picks include wines from the valleys of Burgundy in eastern France where viticulture was practiced before the Roman conquest. Today, there are thousands of small-batch wine producers in Burgundy. Its appellation as regional, village, premier cru, and the top-ranked grand cru remains. Vintage Burgundy wines from Romanée-Conti are not just good for drinking but also for investing. Available in the auction is a collection of 12 La Tâche 1995 Grand Cru Burgundy, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti wines.
Other varieties from Romanée-Conti in the auction are a 2000 red Burgundy bottle and three bottles of 2002 white Burgundy. The red wine has spicy black fruit aromas and a subtle hint of oak while the white has aromas of limestone, apple, pear, and white flowers. Rare bottles like a 1955 Graham Vintage Port and a 1961 Chateau Palmer’s Red Bordeaux are also available in the sale. Find French Sweet Bordeaux, Italian Rosé, California Pinot Noir, Red Rhône, Australian Red, Spanish Red, and many more wines by visiting HDH Auctions.
Ingo Maurer was a lamp designer famously known as the ‘poet of light.’ Maurer often made lamps from broken crockery, holograms, incandescent bulbs, and tea strainers. The upcoming Nye & Company auction presents a mid-century modern Ingo Maurer spiral table lamp. The 1960s table lamp features a combination of light and technical innovation.
The auction also offers a 20th-century Lavar Kerman Persian rug with a millefleur pattern. Intricate flowers cover the entire carpet. Lavar Kerman rugs have a high knot density, contributing to their popularity. Another highlight is a 20th-century Neoclassical ‘Clive Console’ from the Lillian August collection. The console table reflects the interior designer’s interest in patterns and colors. The clean, archival design of the table matches August’s mission of creating comfortable, elegant rooms that suit modern-day houses and fashion.
A Wurlitzer multi-selector jukebox model 500 is among the auction’s leading lots. The jukebox design includes rotating cylinders and fine metalwork. The upcoming Chic & Antique Auction will also feature Chippendale, Art Nouveau, and George III furniture pieces; crystal chandeliers; and glass table lamps from Tiffany Studios. Composite Classical Woman sculptures by Lorenzo Dal Torrione will be available as well. Interested collectors can explore the entire listings and register to bid online on Bidsquare.
The second day of the upcoming International Fine & Decorative Arts auction, presented by Shapiro, offers a selection of over 500 lots. The event includes sculptures, paintings, and modern furniture. An 1880 sculpture by Louis-Ernst Barrias is among the key lots. Titled Nature Unveiling Herself before Science, the bronze sculpture measures 65 cm tall. It depicts a feminine figure, draped in fabric, gazing downward.
Another featured lot is a painting by Russian artist Vladimir Ovchinnikov. The oil on canvas is titled Motorcycle and depicts a nude sphinx and a motorcycle rider. The artwork is signed, dated, and titled on the back. A Russian Fabergé-style silver and shaded cloisonné enamel serving dish from the late 20th century is also available. Jewelry and decorative items round out the sale. Interested bidders can view the entire catalog or place a bid on Bidsquare.
Birger Sandzén was a landscape painter who expressed a love of nature through his art. He is today known for his brushwork and contrasting use of light and dark. Offered in Soulis Auctions’ upcoming 23rd Annual Spring Fine Art Auction is an oil on board piece by Birger Sandzén, framed and signed in pencil. Titled Lake at Moonrise, Colorado, this 1925 piece is a key example of the artist’s style. It depicts a calm sea, mountains, and trees below a vibrant pink sunset. Sandzén executed the piece with thick impasto and sculptural brushstrokes.
John Steuart Curry’s black-and-white lithograph will be available as well. Curry was among the prominent landscape painters who emerged in the American art scene in the 1930s. His recurring subjects included American history, farm life and animals, tornadoes, and prairie fires. The available 1930 lithograph depicts horses running under turbulent skies. View the full selection of fine art and register to bid by visiting Bidsquare.
Day One of the International Fine & Decorative Art sale, offered by Shapiro Auctions, features works from the former Eastern Bloc and Russia. Among the key lots up for bid is a painting by Austrian artist Alfons Walde titled Bauernsonntag (Farmer Sunday). The painting shows two eerily similar men standing in the snowy town of Kitzbuhel. Walde was known for his Alpine landscapes, and collectors of his work will recognize elements of his unique style in this painting.
Several Russian porcelain pieces, including a pair of Russian imperial crater vases, lead the decorative art offerings. These vases resemble a design sketch by August Spiess, who was a 19th-century designer for the Imperial Porcelain Manufactory. His designs often referred to the work of Renaissance masters, as was common in Russian Imperial pieces from that period. An abstract painting by Julije Knifer, a variety of photographs of historical figures such as Albert Einstein and John F. Kennedy, and fine art pieces from Vietnamese artists will be available as well. View any of these items and register to bid on Bidsquare.
A George II giltwood table in the manner of William Kent is among the leading lots in Hindman’s upcoming auction. Often commissioned by Georges I and II, William Kent was among the most prominent designers of the early 18th century. He helped bring together the two worlds of architecture and interior decoration. The offered table was executed in the mid-18th century, during the Georgian period (1714 – 1820). The furniture piece features Dutch characteristics, including curved lines and cabriole legs.
A Steinway & Sons mahogany grand piano from 1905 will also be available in the European Furniture & Decorative Arts auction. This Model B piano is known for its versatility, size, and power. The available piece has an ebony finish. Bidders can also consider a Tabriz wool rug and various works of decorative art. Explore the auction’s full listings and register to bid online on Bidsquare.
