Cindy Sherman’s self-portraits have defined her artistic career after over four decades of development. By placing herself in different scenes and roles, she has intimately explored perceptions of feminism and representation. Van Ham’s upcoming auction of the Olbricht Collection will highlight three Sherman self-portraits, including a black-and-white print from her first round of photographs in 1979. Sherman is referenced in two additional works in the sale. American photographer Robert Mapplethorpe captured her in a 1983 photoshoot and Japanese appropriation artist Morimura Yasumasa alludes to Sherman’s famous Untitled #96 in a 1998 reimagined self-portrait.
Another female artist exploring themes of feminism under the male gaze is Vanessa Beecroft. She is an Italian performance artist known for her arrangements of nude women. Available in this event is a set of three props used in her VB64 performance, held in New York in 2008. In the original show, 20 models were painted to resemble marble Renaissance funerary statues. The living women laid next to wax sculptures, three of which now come to auction.
The event will feature the collection of Thomas Olbricht, a physician and chemist who has amassed a well-known and sizeable collection of contemporary art. A selection of his Wunderkammer or Cabinet of Curiosities objects will complete the auction. Visit the Van Ham website to place a bid.
Following the success of the Rolex reference 6542 watch, a distinct GMT-Master watch was introduced in 1959. It was initially designed as a timekeeping tool for pilots who sought a readable, accurate, and functional wristwatch. The upcoming Auction XI – Fall Jewelry Picking, presented by Intervendue, offers a Rolex GMT-Master Pepsi among the key lots. This watch is the only model that features a fourth hand, referred to as the GMT hand, which can be adjusted to a second time zone.
The event of over 200 lots especially highlights jewelry pieces. A platinum diamond ring from American brand Orianne Collins is highlighted alongside an Omega ceramic chronograph watch in stainless steel. Additional lots include jewelry associated with the Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and Victorian periods. To view the complete catalog and register to bid online, visit Bidsquare.
In Hindu mythology, the deity Shiva is believed to embody enlightenment, compassion, and auspiciousness. An 18th-century painting of Kali trampling Shiva is one of the notable lots of the upcoming Christie’s auction. The painting depicts Kali, the goddess of death, standing over Shiva’s chest. She holds a sword and the severed head of a demon in two of her four hands. In this depiction, Shiva (her husband) was trying to stop Kali from destroying the world. The painting was likely completed in Rajasthan, India.
Sacred and Imperial: The James and Marilynn Alsdorf Collection Online auction will also present an iron kapala and cover from the 17th or 18th century. In Vajrayana Buddhism, the upper cranium of a human skull (kapala) is used for several tantric rituals to transform impurities such as ignorance, greed, and delusion into forces of goodness. This particular kapala bears an inscription in Tibetan on the underside along with scrolling lotus motifs on the lid. Visit Christie’s for more information and to register to bid.
The fahua glaze was developed in the early 13th century during the Yuan dynasty. This low-temperature glaze is used to create shades of blue, green, yellow, purple, and white. Known for its aesthetics, fahua remains a popular glaze for Chinese ceramics. A pair of fahua-glazed figures of seated lions is available in the upcoming Hundred Antiques: Fine and Decorative auction, presented by Sotheby’s.
The auction also features works of fine art, including a piece from Taiwanese sculptor Ju Ming. At the age of 15, the artist entered the world of art as a wood-carver. It was only after he came under the influence of Yuyu Yang, a significant sculptor and pioneer of the modern art movement, that Ju began developing a fondness for painting and sculpture. The available ink and color on paper piece shows two women resting beside each other. For more information or to place a bid, visit Sotheby’s.
A Chinese hu is a pear-shaped wine vessel with a swollen body flaring into a narrow neck. Author Jenny So documents the evolution of the vessel in Eastern Zhou Ritual Bronzes from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, vol. III. According to So, hu vessels were made from the end of the 8th century B.C.E. and disappeared a few centuries later. A bronze ritual wine hu is among the highlights of the upcoming Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art auction, presented by Christie’s. The vessel is raised on a ring foot and has a globular lower body that tapers to a cylindrical neck. Its body and neck are cast with four bands of dense interlocking scrolls. The cover resembles a bird with a raised head and hinged beak.
Another key lot is a large cast bronze ritual food vessel from the early to mid-6th century B.C.E. The bronze has an eye-catching mottled grey and blue-green patina. It is flat cast around the sides with two registers of abstract interlaced dragons, all above a frieze of lappets. To view the complete catalog and register to bid online, visit Christie’s.
Emperor Kangxi (1654-1722) was the longest-reigning emperor of China. One of the cornerstones of his tenure was the rejuvenation of porcelain manufacturing. He oversaw the reopening of imperial factories, which had been dormant for 60 years. Featured in the New York City Estate Auction, presented by Showplace Antique + Design Center, is a porcelain vase made during the Kangxi period. The landscape scene decorating the vase shows towering mountains, a man looking out onto the river, and two mingling villagers.
Several ethnographic pieces represent Rajasthan, a present-day Indian state, in this sale. That includes an archway fragment dating back to the 12th century. Depictions of Vishnu and other Hindu figures are crafted into the arch. Also available from the same period is part of a column. Hindu deities are etched into the front and monsters line the side. Rounding out the featured lots is a Ming Dynasty terracotta roof tile in the shape of a seated man draped in a robe. Those interested can register to bid in this sale on Bidsquare.
Nephrite, a type of jade, occurred naturally in remote parts of the South Island, whence it was traded and exchanged throughout New Zealand, barter, and war. Due to its rarity and beauty, nephrite was used to make valued ornaments and working tools, such as adzes, chisels, and short clubs. Even though the adzes were mostly used for various utilitarian and agricultural practices; nephrite adzes hold ceremonial significance. These were carried as a symbol of rank or leadership. An early 19th-century nephrite adze highlights the upcoming event, presented by Artemis Gallery. This adze features a bulbous central body, and a nephrite adze blade wedged tightly within the head’s forked gap.
The auction offers several lots of ancient armors. Featured among them is a German helmet frame of the Spangenhelm, belonging to the 6th-century. Spangenhelm, a German word, consists of two words, “spangen” and “helmet”. Spangen was the frame of the helmet that consisted of thick metal strips. It was used as a combat helmet in early medieval times. The available piece has a thick horizontal headband with riveted ends and several rivet holes. Also available is Mexican leather ammunition 46 thick leather loops, used to hold individual rounds of ammunition. View these lots and register to bid online on Bidsquare.
The work of Scottish artist Jacqueline Marr can be compared to the old Renaissance masters, especially given the artist’s close attention to lighting. “I strive to bring the paint to life,” she says in her biography, “to allow my figures, my subject to emerge from the canvas, stepping out from the stretched linen and into reality.” An oil painting from Marr will be featured in the upcoming Contemporary, Outdoor, and Decorative Arts sale, presented by Nadeau’s Auction Gallery. The piece is a variation on Théodore Géricault’s 19th-century Romantic painting titled The Raft of the Medusa. Pulling a small detail from the center of the shipwrecked scene, Marr depicts a survivor lying face-down in a pair of jeans.
Porcelain collectors will find a selection of Boehm birds in the sale, including a woodpecker designed by Edward Marshall. The black-and-white bird is shown perched on a piece of wood with outstretched wings. Pairs of wood thrushes, red-winged blackbirds, swans, and horned larks will also be available from Boehm. Other offerings range from a D.H. Baldwin baby grand piano to vintage class rings. Register to bid for any of the above items on Bidsquare.
The Stickley brothers, Albert, Gustav, Charles, Leopold, and John George, formed the Stickley Brothers Furniture Company in 1891. Beginning in 1900, the company produced chairs and tables in styles ranging from Colonial Revival to early Mission. The company continued to create Colonial American pieces until it ceased production in the 1950s. California Historical Design – AC Stickley is offering Stickley Brothers furniture in the upcoming auction. Highlighted is an L & JG Stickley #719 corner cabinet. This 1910 signed piece has been refinished and stands 65 inches tall by 38.5 inches wide. The four-shelf wooden cabinet is enclosed with glass. Also featured is an 1898 Martin Brother’s bird tobacco jar. The detailed porcelain jar is signed and dated on the bottom half of the removable head.
Included in the auction is a 1930s Navajo WPA hand-carved New Mexican hutch. A 1910 large Bradley Hubbard reverse-painted oval lamp and an Amphora pottery painted portrait vase will be on offer as well. Visit Bidsquare to view the entire collection and to register to bid.
In 1963, Rolex launched its first Daytona model. Named after the Daytona International Speedway in Florida, Rolex celebrated its official partnering with the racetrack the year before. More than 50 years later, the Cosmograph Daytona remains an icon of the watch industry. An Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona watch highlights the upcoming Jewelry and Watches Auction, presented by Morton Subastas. The watch has a steel round case and black dial with bar indexes. An Oyster Perpetual wristwatch and an Oyster Perpetual Datejust from Rolex are also available. Additional lots include timepieces from Cartier, Bvlgari, Piaget, Patek Philippe, and more.
The event features over 200 pieces of jewelry. A 24-karat yellow and white gold ring is one of the featured lots. This ring has a prominent central diamond, flanked by 53 smaller brilliant-cut diamonds. A white gold choker and earrings set will also be available. To view the complete catalog and register to bid online, visit Bidsquare.
