In the West Coast Photography Movement, participating artists embraced the reality of the subject without manipulating or altering their photographs in any way. Robert K. Byers, a black-and-white photographer, was among the creators who embraced this style. Included in this Seagrave Gallery auction is a portfolio of West Coast Photography Movement images, assembled and owned by Byers. Ansel Adams’ Thunderstorm, Yosemite Valley c. 1940 is among the featured works in the portfolio.
Another item of interest in this sale is a 1965 image by Brett Weston, a leading American photographer of the 20th century. This particular photograph is titled Farm House, Ridgeport, CA, 1965 and features a farmhouse in a snowy landscape. It is signed and dated by the artist. Other lots include works from photographers such as William Garnett, Henry Gilpin, and Richard Garrod. View the complete collection and register to bid by visiting Bidsquare.
An Anglo-Hungarian painter, Philip Alexius de László (1869 –1937) was best known for his portraits of royal and aristocratic personalities. In 1900, he married Lucy Guinness of Stillorgan, County Dublin, and became a British subject in 1914. One of the highlights in the upcoming White Oaks: Single Owner Auction, presented by Ahlers & Ogletree, is a László portrait of “The Honourable Mrs. Philip Leyland Kindersley,” née Oonagh Guinness. The painting depicts the Anglo-Irish socialite, one of the three “Golden Guinness Girls” and daughter of Arthur Ernest Guinness, wearing a white chiffon dress while holding a wide-brimmed hat. Another key lot is a pair of Chinese Ming dynasty monumental guardian lions. The seated Buddhist lion figures are designed with ochre, turquoise, and aubergine glazed tiles. The female has a cub under her right paw and the male’s left paw rests on a ribboned brocade ball. Each one is raised on a separate waisted plinth with molded panels of horses and lotus lappet borders.
The auction also features a Saxon Garde-Reiter regiment officer’s helmet. The regimental parade lobster tail helmet has a gilt metal skull topped with a roaring silvered parade lion. The lion holds a cartouche with an “AR” (Augustus Rex) cipher. To view the complete catalog and register to bid online, visit Bidsquare.
Sometimes called the “King of Diamonds” or the “New Harry Winston,” London-born jeweler Laurence Graff is known for his use of rare diamonds and colored gems. A self-taught gemologist, Graff began his career as an apprentice at a local shop. In 1960, he founded Graff Diamonds and became the first jeweler to receive the Queen’s Award. Graff’s jewelry has since been worn by the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, Angelina Jolie, Anna Kendrick, Oprah Winfrey, and the Sultan of Brunei. The upcoming California Jewels sale, presented by Bonhams, features several Graff jewelry pieces, including a pair of emerald and diamond pendant earrings. Set in 18-karat white gold, this piece features round emeralds and diamonds.
Another featured lot from the event is a Cartier Love bracelet. Designed by Aldo Cipullo in the brand’s New York workshops in 1969, the Love bracelet is oval-shaped to match the curve of the wrist. Made of 18-karat gold, the available piece features the classic screw motifs and comes with a screwdriver. A ruby necklace designed in an open-work choker style is offered as well. The event also includes jewelry by Cirari, Tiffany & Co., and David Webb. View any of these lots and register to bid online on Bonhams.
Founded by Louis and David Marx in New York City, Louis Marx and Company was an American toy manufacturer in operation from 1919 to 1980. The brand produced a wide range of dollhouses, cars and trains, toy soldiers, action figures, and mechanical tin toys. Their lithographed tin windup toys earned particularly wide recognition. A tin lithograph walking wind-up toy from Louis Marx and Company is offered in the upcoming Gerritt & Shirley Breininger Western Toy Collection sale, presented by Pook & Pook.
Other top items include a set of eight spun cotton Christmas ornaments. The set includes a Santa Claus holding firewood, a girl in a crêpe paper dress, a child standing on a snowball, a fisherman, a dancing girl, and more. A musical clockwork lithograph toy is also on offer. The lot depicts an animated banjo player seated on a checkerboard stage. Completing the sale is a Gong Bell cast iron toy of a clown on a pig and a Mickey Mouse handcar from Lionel. Find more information and register to bid online on Bidsquare.
American designer Cathy Waterman embraced two fundamental motifs: nature and fairy tales. Her best-known works often incorporate oak leaves, branches, leaves, fruits, and flowers. Waterman intended her work to be “ethereal, feminine, lyrical.” Today, she is a leading figure in jewelry design. The upcoming sale, presented by Hampton Estate Auction, highlights an amethyst and diamond ring by Waterman.
Another highlight of the auction is a gold and diamond watch necklace from Longines. The watch company was founded by Auguste Agassiz and two other partners in 1832 under the name Raiguel Jeune & Cie. For over a century, the company pioneered advancements in watchmaking. Among their innovations was the integration of crown mechanisms to wind and set time. A Bvlgari Tubogas watch bracelet is also available. Launched in the 1940s, the Serpenti Tubogas combines two of the most iconic hallmarks of Bvlgari: tightly-wound tubogas links and snake-like designs. Interested bidders can explore the full listings and register to bid online on Bidsquare.
Like many artists in the 1920s and 30s, René Buthaud was intrigued by Classical mythology. Nude figures and mythological goddesses were a subject he frequently returned to, in ceramics as well as paintings. An example of these themes can be found in Buthaud’s oil painting in the upcoming auction, presented by Collective Hudson’s Antiques. This work shows a goddess and winged griffin with a landscape background.
A yellow gold necklace designed by Henry Dunay is another leading piece. An American goldsmith and jewelry designer, Dunay worked in the jewelry industry for over 50 years. In 1998, he introduced a design known as Sabi finish, inspired by the Japanese wabi-sabi aesthetic. Sabi, which translates to ‘taking pleasure in the imperfect,’ adopts the concept of acceptance. Another featured piece includes Camille Fauré’s Art Nouveau vase. This early 19th-century piece has a floral motif with gold enamel. Also on offer is a Chrysler marble table from the 20th century and an Anglo-Indian carved table. For more information, visit Bidsquare.
Renowned sculptor James Tandi often uses verdite stone to capture Africa’s native people and wildlife. For each of his sculptures, Tandi visits the verdite mine where he hand-selects his materials. He believes in doing so, he is “revealing the spirit which is within the stone.” A carved verdite and bone elephant statue by Tandi is available in the upcoming Eclectic Collection of Estates Worldwide sale, offered by Akiba Antiques. The statue is titled Mazoe and is signed.
Also available in the event is a Bvlgari “Tubogas” watch in 18-karat yellow gold. It features a flexible construction, black dial, and quartz movement. It comes with an original presentation case and engraved bezel. A gilt-bronze and glass telescopic floor lamp by Austrian artist Gustav Gurschner is on sale as well. The lamp features a blue Loetz glass shaft and dome base. Browse the entire catalog at Bidsquare and register to place a bid.
J.E. Caldwell & Co. was established in the 19th century when Henry Blanchard Dominick joined forces with Leroy B. Haff. The silverware company eventually became a leading producer in the industry. Through the 1850s, they produced silver in a pattern known as ‘Washington Reproduction.’ In the upcoming Online Only Decorative Arts auction, a Washington Reproduction tea and coffee service from J.E. Caldwell & Co. will be available.
Pook & Pook will bring a pair of watercolor portraits from James Ellsworth to the event. Between 1840 and 1860, Ellsworth developed his signature portrait style. Most subjects of his miniature portraits sat on a Victorian armchair against a cloud-like backdrop. Ellsworth would eventually become one of the leading folk art painters of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Representing the available oil paintings is the work of Antonio Martino. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Martino was a noted American painter. He initially started as a sculptor but later turned to drawing and painting after attending lectures at the Graphic Sketch Club. His paintings mostly centered on the scenery of Pennsylvania’s Manayunk region. Those interested in these or any other items can register to bid on Bidsquare.
Farhad Vladi first imagined himself buying and selling islands after reading an article about such a transaction in Seychelles. The article, it turned out, was fake, but Vladi nonetheless went on to sell over 2,000 private islands over the next 50 years. Every time Vladi represented an island, he sought antique maps of it and the surrounding region. This curiosity led to a wide-ranging collection of maps that Guernsey’s now brings to auction.
Featured in this event is the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum atlas (1574) by Abraham Ortelius. The creation of the Ortelius atlas marked the first time that maps by various cartographers were printed uniformly and arranged cohesively, leading many to consider it the first modern atlas. The title page contains an allegorical depiction of each known continent, with Europe presented as the queen.
Also available is the Tabulae Geographicae atlas (1585 & 1589) by Gerard Mercator. Maps of France, Germany, the Benelux countries (Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg), Italy, and the Balkans are included in this atlas. Near the end of the work are two maps presumably added by Mercator’s son after the cartographer’s death. Those looking for more maps of Asia, Africa, and the Americas will find several included in Frederick de Wit’s General Atlas (1656-1666). Those interested in this or any other lot can register to bid on Bidsquare.
Leading Hindman’s upcoming Important Jewelry auction is a brilliant-cut diamond ring from the Chicago collection of Norene Goldstein. The center stone, which weighs in at 6.05 carats, received a GIA clarity grade of SI1. Two half-moon diamonds accent the main stone. Items from Goldstein’s collection, noted for its emphasis on fine art, were also highlighted in the auction house’s spring sales. Another diamond ring in the upcoming event features an emerald-cut diamond mounted in yellow gold.
Jewelry items from luxury manufacturers will be available as well. A “Fil de l’Eau” necklace from Van Cleef & Arpels shows a slight variation on the brand’s signature five-petaled flower. Designed to represent the “flow of water,” this necklace is decorated with 27 pear-shaped sapphires arranged to resemble falling flowers. One petal from each bloom is separated from the rest. Other key jewelry items include a Mario Buccellati yellow gold cuff bracelet and a Tiffany & Co. green beryl and diamond brooch. The latter piece, designed by Jean Schlumberger, shows a small bird perched on an emerald-cut beryl.
“We are looking forward to this beautifully curated sale which will offer lovely examples of jewelry by well-known makers our clients are always seeking at auction,” said Kimberly Burt, Hindman’s Vice President of Marketing & Luxury Goods, in a press release about the event. For more information on the mentioned lots and to place a bid, visit Bidsquare.
