Sandu Darie was a prominent Concrete artist known for his kinetic sculptures. Darie initially studied law in Romania but, due to political unrest in the 1930s, moved to Paris. There he joined a Romanian avant-garde group and later moved to Cuba to start experimenting with concrete art. His sculptures received international acclaim and earned him the title “the prophet of Concretism.” The upcoming Exceptional Fall Estate Auction, presented by Gallery 63, highlights an untitled wall sculpture by Darie. The available abstract wooden oil sculpture displays Darie’s fascination with color, space, and light.
The auction also highlights a custom dining table from Sand Lyon Glass Studios. Designed by glass artist Will Roy McDaniel, the sandblasted and etched glass dining table has a waterfall motif. Several Rolex Datejust ladies’ watches with diamonds and jubilee bands are coming to auction, as well as jewelry items from Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels. Among the fine art lots are works from Andy Warhol, Yves Klein, and Roy Lichtenstein. Interested collectors can explore the full listings and register to bid online on Bidsquare.
A device used primarily to assist in walking and providing postural support, walking sticks and canes come in many shapes and sizes. Historically, walking sticks have also been used in self-defense with a concealed knife or sword. Considered a fashion accessory by many, some of the designs have also become collector’s items. A gold quartz dress cane is one of the highlights of the upcoming Antique Cane auction, presented by Kimball Sterling. Dated 1856, the cane has a piece of heavily veined gold quartz on top. The side panels are engraved: “H. Cohn to A. Gump San Francisco June 21, 1856.” One of the most prestigious families in California, the Gump family founded Gump’s Store. Both the Gump and Cohn families were active in the Jewish community and are featured in the San Francisco Jewish Museum.
Also of interest is a Native American cane. The late 20th-century piece bears carvings showing a full-figured warrior stabbing a knife into the head of an alligator. It has an ornate silver collar, a mahogany shaft, and a brass ferrule. Another noteworthy highlight belonging to the late 20th-century is a silver skull cane. A snake wraps around the signed sterling handle. To view the complete catalog and register to bid online, visit Bidsquare.
Gold leaf creates dramatic lighting and luminous reflections on a Native American hunter in the painting titled Hunter’s Watch. It offers a glimpse of the life of Indigenous hunter-gatherers who respected nature and considered the land to be sacred. This painting is a featured lot in the Fall Arts Festival QuickDraw & Auction, presented by The Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce. It is the work of artist Thomas Richman Blackshear II, who was recently inducted into the Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame. He says he approaches the canvas with an understanding of the subject and a religious belief to do the best he can.
The benefit online auction also includes a livestream component. Alongside Blackshear’s work will be 30 lots created within 90 minutes from internationally-known Western and Wildlife artists and sculptors. Watch featured artists such as Connor Liljestrom, Amy Ringholz, Danny Shervin, and Tenley Thompson create the lots live. Interested bidders can view the catalog exclusively at Bidsquare.
Nicolas de Largillière was a French artist known as one of Europe’s premier portrait painters. For his acceptance into the French Academy in 1686, Largillière painted a portrait of Le Brun, the chairman of the academy. He also painted the portraits of the Governor of Arras in 1693 and the royal family of Louis XIV in 1709. Showcased in Woolley & Wallis’ upcoming Old Masters, British & European Paintings auction is Largillière’s oil painting portrait of Monsieur Aubert, General Director of the Bridges and Roads of France. This painting shows the Director in a red overcoat standing next to a table covered in books.
Born in the Netherlands in 1603, Aert van der Neer was a Dutch painter known for his nocturnal landscape paintings and his winter scenes. He was considered a master at representing light. Van der Neer used a limited palette of earthy colors when painting to embody the Dutch landscape. Offered in this event is a van der Neer oil painting titled Sunset Over a Riverside Village. The painting shows a moonlit river with buildings and people on either side. To view the whole collection of paintings and register to bid, visit Woolley & Wallis.
The upcoming auction, presented by Millea Bros., features several Afghan and Persian rugs. Among the highlighted items is an Oushak carpet from the early 20th century. Made in the town of Oushak, these rugs are known for their Persian influences and hand-finished details. The available decorative carpet is decorated with red and gold leaf motifs surrounded by an ivory border.
In the category of classical antiquity, collectors can find an Egyptian ushabti pottery piece. Ushabti figures are often found in ancient Egyptian tombs. According to traditional burial practices, the ushabti represents a servant figure who would serve the deceased in the afterlife. This ancient art most likely dates back to 400 to 300 BCE. Another featured piece is an oil painting attributed to Johann Mongrels Culverhouse. Best known as a ‘candlelight’ painter, Culverhouse’s works often feature night scenes illuminated by candlelight. Executed in 1868, this painting depicts two women holding hands under the light of a candle. View each of the lots and register to bid on Bidsquare.
A sapphire-studded diamond brooch from Cartier is a key jewelry piece in the upcoming Estate of a Pan Am World Airways Pilot auction. The brooch, from the Panthère De Cartier collection, is in the form of a running panther holding a diamond and Tahitian pearl drop. Also offered are jewelry pieces from luxury design houses such as Tiffany and Co. and Van Cleef & Arpels.
Several notable lots in this Joshua Kodner sale represent the fine art category, including works from artists such as Dominic Besner, Jamali, and Pablo Picasso. An oil on canvas painting by Besner is particularly featured. It uses gestural strokes and varied textures, consistent with the Canadian artist’s signature style. Besner has spent a career experimenting with a range of mediums, including oil sticks, acrylic paint, structural mortar, and aerosol paint. To explore the listings and to place a bid, visit Bidsquare.
Crescent City Auction Gallery will offer fine art, Asian art, furniture, and more in the third session of the Gallery Important September Estates Auction. A marble sculpture in Sandro Botticelli’s style is among the key lots. An Italian painter and sculptor, Sandro Botticelli is best known for his series of mythological works. The acclaimed artist was active from 1478 through 1490. The available sculpture, titled The Birth of Venus, is based on the famous original. That piece led Botticelli to become one of the central figures of the Florentine Renaissance period.
Another lot of interest is an oil work titled Back Porch Chores by the American artist Rhoda Brady Stokes. She and her family moved from Georgia to a farm in Liberty, Mississippi in 1905. The view of the farm is a subject Stokes would often feature. Completed in 1956, this painting depicts a landscape scene with two figures enjoying the comfort of the back porch. Collectors will also find several sapphire, emerald, and gold jewelry lots in the listings. View the full catalog and register to bid on Bidsquare.
Sir Walter Raleigh was the first Englishman to encounter mahogany during one of his voyages to the West Indies in 1597. As his ship needed to be repaired, he used the native mahogany and was impressed by its quality. He loaded some for his voyage back to England. Folklore states that when Queen Elizabeth commented on the wood, Raleigh commissioned a table for her. This table commenced England’s tradition of fine mahogany furniture, a practice that reached its peak during the 18th century. The upcoming English Interior auction, presented by Stair, features a selection of mahogany furniture. A key lot among them is an early George III settee made of mahogany wood.
Also highlighted is a George III partner’s pedestal desk. It features six frieze drawers and two small cupboards. Another notable mahogany item is a Regency period dining table. The piece is raised on acanthus and gilt-metal feet. Beyond furniture, the auction will include a 1905 oil painting from Rex Vicat Cole. An English landscape painter, Cole was best known for his depictions of the area surrounding Bolton Abbey. For more information and to register to bid, visit Bidsquare.
At the cutting edge of the Art Nouveau movement was Alphonse Mucha, a Czech designer active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Mucha’s hand was behind the Art Nouveau emphasis on beautiful women surrounded by stylized flora and fauna. Available in the upcoming Sworders auction of Arts & Crafts and Art Deco items is a pair of Mucha lithographs in the artist’s signature style. Tête Byzantine Brunette and Tête Byzantine Blonde show the heads of two women facing each other from opposite frames. Both figures wear jeweled hairpieces and translucent white garments.
This sale also highlights furniture, fine art, and decorative works created before World War I. A bronze and ivory sculpture from Romanian artist Demétre Chiparus is among the key lots. Showing a flamenco dancer balanced on an onyx base, the piece was inspired by a Russian ballet and the discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb. The offered furniture lots include an embossed mahogany settee with an Arts & Crafts pattern, a 1930s European rug, and an assortment of Art Deco dining tables. To bid online and view the full catalog, visit the Sworders website.
Captain James Cook was one of the only 18th-century explorers to undertake more than one Pacific voyage. In three trips between 1768 and 1776, Cook mapped the Pacific Ocean, New Zealand, and Australia. His work clarified the geographical knowledge of the southern hemisphere, then still misunderstood. Captain Cook’s Set of Three Voyages is available in the upcoming auction of a gentleman’s library, presented by Stair. The book set comes with engraved plates, charts, and maps.
The Stair event also includes historical war books, with Winston Churchill’s The Second World War among the highlights. The Second World War, presented in six volumes, is Churchill’s account of the war that affirmed his place in history, both as a politician and a writer. Churchill was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1953 for his description of the war. Register to bid for these lots by visiting Bidsquare.
