Considered the “stone of life,” turquoise holds special significance in several Native American cultures, especially for the Navajo people. According to one legend, Estsanatlehi, the Navajo goddess of creation, protection, and abundance, appeared as a drop of turquoise. Santa Fe Art Auction will present several turquoise jewelry pieces in their upcoming auction. Highlighted among them is a Navajo turquoise and coral band cuff from Kenneth Begay. Made of six silver bands, the cuff is accented with 15 turquoise and ten coral stones.
Of several pieces of cast silver jewelry, a tufa cast silver and stone inlay cuff bracelet by Preston Monongye is particularly highlighted. One of the leading figures of the “New Indian Jewelry” movement of the 1960s and 70s, Monongye used traditional techniques and motifs to create a contemporary and fresh look. Also featured is a 1920s Navajo silver necklace. The long necklace is made from handmade silver beads and bears a single turquoise stone. View the complete catalog and register to bid on Bidsquare.
American Pop artist Jeff Koons began his Gazing Balls series in 2013 by placing blue hand-blown glass spheres on re-created classical sculptures. A few years later, Koons began placing the balls in front of painted replicas from art history. The artist believes that while these works reference the past, the gazing ball encourages viewers to inspect their present surroundings. As Koons has said, “I see them as devices of connecting. I always just wanted to be involved in the dialogue with the avant-garde.” One of his paintings titled Gazing Ball, Da Vinci Mona Lisa is featured in Alex Cooper Auctioneers’ upcoming sale. Executed in 2016, the piece shows the iconic Mona Lisa painting with a blue gazing ball in the foreground.
Another work highlighted in the auction is an oil on fabric painting from Karel Appel. A co-founder of the artist group CoBrA, Appel found inspiration in children’s drawings and is best known for his brightly colored figurative works. A selection of Persian rugs, mid-century furniture, and Chinese pottery articles are also available. Interested collectors can explore the full listings and register to bid online on Bidsquare.
Highlighted in Doyle’s upcoming Fine Literature auction is a first edition copy of Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman. This copy remains in excellent condition and includes a printed copy of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s letter to Whitman. It also includes four promotional articles for the book, each written by Whitman himself. This is an early copy from the first print run for the English market. Also in the sale is a signed copy of Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita. Nabokov generally refused to sign copies of any edition but made this exception for Jason Epstein, the recipient of the book. Epstein published Nabokov’s Pnin at Doubleday and encouraged the publication of Lolita. Vera Nabokov said in a letter that the author had only autographed the book “for personal friends and the very few writers whose work he admires.”
Other items in the sale include a signed first edition copy of Now We Are Six by A. A. Milne, a signed copy of A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway, a typed manuscript with extensive hand-corrections of The Miracle of Purun Bhagat by Rudyard Kipling, and more. View any of these lots and register to bid by visiting Doyle.
Avalokiteśvara is widely known as the Buddhist deity of compassion. He is also believed to be the embodiment of the eternal Buddha who offers salvation to humanity. A 16th-century Korean Avalokiteśvara sculpture will be available in the upcoming Exceptional Private Collection of Asian and Tribal Art sale, presented by The Scanlan Collection. The figure is seated on a lion with a beaded crown over his head.
Jamali’s cork painting of an idol is also offered in this sale. American artist Jamali is best known for his explorative style and figurative paintings. Noting his artistic mannerisms and techniques, art critic Donald Kuspit believes Jamali’s style requires its own name: Mystical Expressionism. This distinctive style links contemporary consciousness with traditional methods. Other featured lots include a Fukagawa punch bowl from the late 19th century. The Japanese bowl features a Hou-ou bird on both the interior and exterior. Its panels are separated with recurring geometric designs, landscapes, and floral patterns. View all of these lots and register to bid at Bidsquare.
Henri Rodanet (1884-1956), the descendant of a family of Parisian watchmakers, joined Jaeger LeCoultre after World War I. At the time, small wristwatches were beginning to be marketed toward women. The duo wanted to make small size lady’s watches without compromising on quality. Rodanet brainstormed the idea and came up with an innovative double-sided watch movement for the Calibre 101. LeCoultre’s Calibre 101 debuted in 1929 and became world-famous in 1953 when Queen Elizabeth famously wore one of these watches on her coronation day. Fortuna Auction will present one of these LeCoultre watches from the 1930s in the upcoming sale. The available piece is modeled as a continuous line bracelet, each link set with a single white diamond and a tiny watch dial set in a square window.
Among the offered 205 lots, a vintage long Alhambra necklace from Van Cleef & Arpels is particularly highlighted. Unveiled in 1968, the Alhambra motif was inspired by the four-leaf clover and is considered reminiscent of the traditional quatrefoil. Also showcased is a Gikas lapis lazuli set. This vintage 18-karat gold set includes a bracelet, earrings, and necklace. Explore the full listings and register to bid online on Bidsquare.
Figurative painter Claire Tabouret’s work combines layers and textures, revealing a shift in reality. Her popularity is driven by the art’s visual appeal and reflection on themes of conflict, sexuality, and desire. Admiring the intense figures depicted in her paintings, Bugada & Cargnel write, “Certain faces are turned toward the viewer, in a frank but hermetic attitude, seeming to send us back to our own gaze and questioning the pertinence of it.” Tabouret’s The School Smocks will be showcased in the upcoming New Now auction, presented by Phillips. Executed in 2016, the acrylic and fabric piece shows five school girls wearing loose-fitting smocks.
This late September auction will also present work from one of the youngest figures of the Abstract Expressionist movement: Robert Motherwell. He rose to prominence shortly after his first solo exhibition at Peggy Guggenheim’s Art of This Century gallery in 1944. Motherwell’s paintings combine distinct shapes, vibrant color, and an interplay between controlled and gestural brushstrokes. View more items and register to bid online on the Phillips website.
Peter Beard was a wildlife photographer whose affinity for the African wilderness was expressed in his photographs. He is today recognized for the documentation of Africa’s imperiled wildlife. By the 1970s, Beard had created his trademark by combining photographs, text from his daily journals, and found objects such as dried leaves, insects, and newspaper cuttings. Some of his works were also decorated with animal blood, and even with his own blood. Offered in Christie’s upcoming Photographs sale is a black and white image by Beard, framed and signed in white ink. This 1987 photo shows a nude woman feeding a giraffe at Hog Ranch.
Parade, Hoboken, New Jersey, a photograph by prominent Swiss photographer, filmmaker, and author Robert Frank, is also presented. Frank was best known for his emotive and expressive approach to photography. This gelatin silver print was captured in 1955. Along with Frank’s work, a selection of photographs by Robert Mapplethorpe, Elliott Erwitt, and Irving Penn are also offered in the sale. Interested collectors can explore the full listings and register to bid online on Christie’s.
Kawai Musical Instruments, founded by Koichi Kawai, is a well-known piano manufacturing company in Japan. Kawai lived beside reed organ builder Torakusu Yamaha and worked under him as an apprentice. After Yamaha’s death and the diversification of the Yamaha Corporation, Kawai started his own company. The upcoming New Haven Auctions event presents a Kawai model S-K7 grand piano. The limited-edition, semi-concert grand piano was designed by master craftsman Nobumichi Suzuki.
The auction also showcases lounge chairs and coffee tables by designer Walter Lamb for Brown Jordan. In the 1940s, Lamb designed his first pieces of bronze furniture while experimenting with tubing obtained from sunken U.S Navy ships. The available bronze chaise lounge chairs by the designer are composed of rust-proof bronze frames. They have UV-stable, hand-wrapped cording and flexible seats. Also showcased is a Bulgari Parentesi 18-karat yellow gold necklace set with 144 diamonds. The Parentisi collection, notable for its interlocking design, was inspired by ancient Roman architecture. The auction will feature paintings by Heather Braginton-Smith, a Steinway baby grand piano, Eero Sarrinen furniture for Knoll, a Gaetano Guadagnini cello, and Venini Fulvio Bianconi glassware as well. Interested collectors can explore the full listings and register to bid online on Bidsquare.
Milton Avery was noted for his use of lyrical color in paintings of landscapes, figures, and still lifes. A New York native, he was a central figure of the 20th-century American art scene who did not seek to categorize his work. Avery often claimed, “I never have any rules to follow… I follow myself.” One of his landscape paintings titled Birds Over Sea is featured in Brunk Auctions’ upcoming sale. Birds Over Sea was completed in the later years of his career. In the available work from 1957, the artist took inspiration from the scenery around him.
Another work highlighted in the auction is a hand-colored etching from John James Audubon. One of the most celebrated American natural history artists, Audubon began his journey through America’s wilderness in the late 19th century. After that, the artist produced over 400 depictions of North American birds. Interested collectors can find 394 lots in this event, including a 1791 chart of Nantucket from Paul Pinkham and a cut glass bowl from J. Hoare. To view more and to place a bid, visit Bidsquare.
Beginning in the early 1960s, American artist, film director, and producer Andy Warhol became a leading figure in the Pop Art movement. He was best-known in his early career for his depictions of Campbell’s soup cans and Coca-Cola bottles. Warhol’s fame grew from there until he died in 1987. Highlighted in this upcoming Prints and Multiples auction are three of his signed and dated screenprints of Jane Fonda. The three works show the actress’ face in different color schemes.
Another popular American Pop artist was Jasper Johns, who became famous in the 1950s for his paintings of ordinary objects such as flags, targets, and other patriotic items. His most notable work was a painting of the United States flag in 1954 and 1955. In this Hindman auction is a 1976 lithograph from Johns titled Corpse and Mirror. The piece is signed, dated, and numbered 15/58 in white pencil. Also featured are works from artists such as Vija Celmins, Frank Stella, Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, and Käthe Kollwitz. Visit Bidsquare to view the whole collection and to register to bid.
