This December, Lion and Unicorn’s upcoming auction offers a variety of ceramics, bronzes, and figurines. Over 550 lots will be available, including a collection of Royal Doulton figurines. Founded by John Doulton, Royal Doulton entered the ceramics industry as a small pottery shop in Vauxhall, London in 1815. It launched various products over the years— from ornamental vases to stoneware figurines. Royal Doulton later collaborated with a young artist, Pauline Parsons, whose designs would lead the company to global recognition. Her popular works include salt-glazed stoneware and terracotta figurines of royalty, maidens, and military men. The lot available in the sale is a strong example of her work. It depicts Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip on their wedding day.
A hand-painted Art Deco figurine is another highlighted lot. The piece shows a seated woman with two black Scottish terriers. A 1989 figurine of Mary, Queen of Scots is also showcased. This piece comes from the Queens of the Realm series, which was commissioned in 1986 to honor some of the most memorable queens in history. Interested collectors can explore the full listings and register to bid online on Bidsquare.
Bonhams’ upcoming sale of Chinese and Japanese art will highlight a Japanese suzuri-bako and matching bunko box made in the style of Ogata Kōrin. Known for his paintings on ceramics, Kōrin was a lacquerer of the Rinpa school. Dating back to the 18th C Edo period, these pieces were inspired by Kōrin’s preference for luxurious materials and careful attention to detail. These inkstone and document boxes are decorated with gold lacquer and shell inlays that tell stories on their covers. Several other traditional Japanese boxes will also come under the hammer in this auction, including a suzuri-bako depicting a flock of geese in a dense marsh.
Katana collectors will find notable examples in the listings. Among them is an Awataguchi katana crafted by 17th-century smith Asai Omi no Kami Tadatsuna. The founder of a prominent Osaka Shinto school, Tadatsuna’s blades were known for their traditional shape and cutting ability. The available katana bears gold spiderweb accents with dew-laden leaves. Chinese art in the event includes a selection of jade figurines. A kneeling deer is particularly notable. Likely carved during the Six Dynasties period (222 – 589 CE), the animal is shown glancing over its back to symbolize immortality. This particular pose would be considered unusual for its time. Find the full catalog of Chinese and Japanese art and place a bid on the Bonhams website.
A member of the Bay Area Figurative Movement, Joan Brown (1938 – 1991) was a painter who played a significant role in the local artistic community. Her painting style was characterized by the use of bold colors and symbolism with a personal touch. The upcoming Christie’s auction of post-war and contemporary art will feature Brown’s David with Statue of Mary Julia #2. The pastel, acrylic, and fabric collage on paper piece was executed in 1976. Mary Heilmann, another California-based artist who experimented with techniques, styles, and mediums, is represented in this event. Chrysanthemum Fan, a painting on shaped plywood, is among the featured lots. Heilmann completed it in 1988.
Another key highlight of the sale is Eddie Martinez’s BH Stack #14, which is an oil and enamel on canvas piece mounted on a panel. Based in New York, the artist is known for his use of bright color schemes and abstract forms. To view the complete catalog and register to bid online, visit Christie’s.
Clearing Winter Storm, Yosemite National Park is among the highlights from this collection of Ansel Adams prints, presented by Sotheby’s. The photo was taken from Adams’ favorite vantage point in Yosemite National Park. It captures the changing skies of a storm as first rain and then snow passes. “Sometimes I do get to places just when God’s ready to have somebody click the shutter,” said Adams about such photographs.
Another photograph that found Adams in the right place at the right time is Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico. Driving home after a fruitless day of shooting, Adams realized he had a perfect shot as the moon rose over the settlement of Hernandez. The moon, clouds, mountaintops, and crosses from the settlement’s cemetery share a brightness in the picture, connecting the human and natural worlds. This is the earliest print of the photograph ever to appear at auction. Those who would like to learn more about Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico can read Auction Daily’s extended coverage.
A photograph by Adams of artist Georgia O’Keeffe and park guide Orville Cox round out the featured lots. Adams got to know O’Keeffe in Taos, New Mexico, in the late 1920s. In the photograph, Adams captures an expressive grin from O’Keeffe. Register to bid and view each of the lots on the Sotheby’s website.
Gunther Granget was among the world’s finest sculptors, famous for his wildlife figurines. Born in Germany, Granget’s interest in nature developed as a child. The artist accompanied his father on land surveys and frequently sketched birds and animals. Granget started working for Lorenz Hutschenreuther, a Bavarian porcelain factory, at the age of 24. The artist became one of the top sculptors of the factory and continued to work there until his retirement. The upcoming Cowan’s Auctions event presents Hutschenreuther bisque porcelain figurines by Granget. One highlight is First Lesson, a figural group from the series titled Birds of Forest, Field, and Stream. The realistic sculpture by Granget depicts a family of ducks in the reeds.
The auction also showcases a 20th-century burgundy Lilihan rug with a Persian floral design and detached floral sprays. These single weft, cotton warp rugs were famous for their American Victorian style and quality. Artworks like John James Audubon’s engraving of a Bonaparte flycatcher and 532 Liberty Street by Ohio printmaker Davira Fisher are also featured. Completing the listings is a set of International Silver Co. sterling flatware, Massachusetts Chippendale furniture, and a Rosenthal tea service. Interested collectors can explore the full listings and register to bid online on Bidsquare.
A ruby and diamond ‘Cuori’ necklace designed by Michele della Valle is among the key lots of the upcoming Fine Jewels sale, presented by Sotheby’s. A costume jewelry designer, della Valle purchased his first stone on a trip to Burma in 1976 at the age of 16. It proved to be the motivating factor that mapped della Valle’s career as a precious stone dealer and jewelry designer. He opened his own workshop and jewelry line in 1978; since then, his clients have included ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev, Katharine Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, and various Italian opera singers.
Another leading lot of the event is a diamond charm bracelet from Graff. In 1960, London-born, self-taught gemologist Laurence Graff founded Graff Diamonds and later became the first jeweler to receive the Queen’s Award. Today, Graff is synonymous with rare diamonds and colored gems. Also highlighted is a GIA-certified deep yellow diamond ring. The available ring features a central deep yellow round diamond, surrounded with pavé-set round diamonds. Interested collectors can view the auction catalog and register to bid on Sotheby’s.
Challenging the aesthetics of classical art is an oil painting titled You Like Me, Why Not from Liu Wei. He is a Beijing-based artist and a significant contributor to Conceptual art. Liu’s works are driven by personal ideas or concepts and often go through an extensive process of tinkering and manipulation. The aforementioned painting is available in the upcoming Asian Art, Antiques & Estates auction. The I.M. Chait sale will include over 600 lots of Asian and European art, antiques, jewelry, automobiles, furniture, sculptures, ceramics, and more.
A well-preserved Apulian fish plate is highlighted in the auction. It features three fish painted in vivid colors. Rich in archaeological history, Apulia is located along the coastline of Southern Italy. Colonized by Mycenaean Greeks, the place is famed for its azure water, olive cultivation, and food. A GIA-certified pink sapphire ring is also among the featured lots. The sapphire weighs approximately 4.4 carats and is surrounded by numerous round-cut diamonds. Considered rare, pink-colored sapphires symbolize trust and loyalty in many cultures. To view the full catalog and bid, visit Bidsquare.
Gustave Vichy was 23 years when he saved his failing family business by focusing on musical automata in place of mechanical toys. His wife sewed clothes for dolls while he handled the mechanical aspects. Merging these skills, Vichy became the first manufacturer to produce automata from a single workshop. He pioneered improved sound construction and elaborate costumes. Soon after Vichy died in 1904, the company went bankrupt. Several pieces of vintage Vichy automata will be available in the upcoming Millea Bros auction. The automata are well preserved and in working condition.
The event also features an assortment of Continental, Modern, and French fine artworks. Two Pablo Picasso etched monoprints are among the leading lots. These prints reflect Picasso’s experiments with photography. Only one known image from this series has come to auction. Dated 1945, this piece indicates that Picasso’s experiments go back a decade earlier than previously believed. View the complete catalog or register to bid on Bidsquare.
Paul Starrett Sample was a leading American painter in the early 1940s. He mostly painted the struggling life of people during the Great Depression — a subject that would recur throughout his early oeuvre. Sample’s works were closely associated with Social Realism, though he drifted to Regionalism later in his career. The upcoming event, presented by Oakridge Auction Gallery, features an oil painting by Sample. Titled Grey Boats, the work shows grey boats lined up in the San Pedro, California harbor.
Also among the leading lots is a figurative sculpture from Diana K. Moore. A contemporary American artist, Moore is best known for her depictions of justice. “By creating work which is almost jewel like in conception and execution, I hope to draw the viewer in to my way of seeing the world,” explains the artist. Executed in 1999, the offered work depicts a woman in a striped, full-length dress. Beyond fine and decorative art, the auction also includes a collection of jewelry, furniture, and watches. Browse the full catalog and register to bid on Bidsquare.
Lowell Nesbitt’s White Iris is among the featured lots in Joshua Kodner’s upcoming Winter Wonderland sale. The painting features a large-scale snowy-white iris framed against a green background. Nesbitt, a celebrated American artist, was associated with the Photorealist and Pop Art movements. While he painted many different subjects, from Manhattan bridges and studio interiors to vegetables and articles of clothing, it was his gargantuan images of flowers that earned the artist popularity. In 1980, the United States Postal Service issued four stamps of his flower paintings.
Launched in 1998, Tiffany Victoria was inspired by Tiffany’s diamond centerpiece from the 1889 Exposition Universelle, held in Paris. Traditionally, the style features marquise diamonds set in a floral pattern. A Tiffany & Co. Tsarina necklace with the Victoria flower motifs is a leading lot in the live event. The necklace features the flowers set between rows of round, brilliant-cut diamonds and emeralds in a yellow gold setting. Visit Bidsquare to view the complete collection and place a bid.
