Historically, self-sustaining Shaker communities were skilled in simple and elegant carpentry. Shaker furniture, with its minimalistic lines, was designed to be functional rather than decorative. Over 180 Shaker and Shaker-related lots will be offered by Skinner in the upcoming auction. The Shaker style can be best seen in cabinets with a five-piece door and a recessed center panel. Offered in this sale is a large yellow, almost pumpkin-colored cupboard from the New Lebanon Shakers.
Another piece on offer is a butternut trustee’s chest from Enfield. It has ten drawers and features an ivory diamond keyhole. Smaller lots in the sale include buckets, carriers, pails, candle stands, chairs, and pantry boxes in many sizes and colors. Among these items is a Shaker pantry box with an oval shape and bittersweet paint (circa 1840). Also unique among the smaller lots is a carved wooden dipper painted in white. To register, view, and bid, visit Bidsquare.
Much of Swann Galleries’ second annual auction highlighting the art, material culture, and history of the LGBTQ+ community contains items from the 20th century. There are also a few lots from the 19th century, including a pair of Oscar Wilde autographs, an albumen print of Wilde, and a portrait of Walt Whitman.
One of the featured lots of fine art from the 20th century is a sculpture titled Quo Vadis by Richmond Barthé. The bronze was inspired by actor Robert Taylor, who played Nero in the Hollywood movie version of Quo Vadis (1951). No other cast examples of this bronze have been found. Also up for bid are several prints by photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, including signed pieces showing Black Jack, Milton White, and an untitled silver print nude with hand-tinting and the inscription “For Henry – from one cowboy to another.” There are also bathing portraits of Mapplethorpe and Keith Haring by photographer Don Herron.
Other features of the sale include works by and about Andy Warhol, several rare pieces by David Wojnarowicz, a selection of vintage posters, and more. A portion of the auction proceeds will benefit the NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project. For more coverage of this event, explore this Auction Daily article. View any of these lots and register to bid on the Swann Galleries website.
Leading Artemis Gallery’s mid-August Fine Antiquities, Ethnographic, & Fine Art sale is a Roman statuette of Cupid from the first to second century CE. Created during the transition from archaic to classical fine art styles, many Greek and Roman sculptors were combining realism with mythology. The available lot shows a child’s torso hugging a bird tightly to his chest. The auction house notes that this piece was likely created by a skilled artisan who could capture both human anatomy and delicate bird feathers. Another key sculpture on offer shows the draped lower body of a Greek Hellenistic goddess. Possibly depicting a Muse or Aphrodite, the sensually-posed piece would have been considered controversial in its time.
Outside of Greece and Rome, the sale will also feature items from South and Central America. Among these is a golden frog amulet from Panama weighing 56 grams. This pre-Columbian piece features a detailed ornament on the frog’s head and finger-like feet. Ancient Panamanian societies viewed frogs as symbols of rainfall and fertility, and the golden frog is still considered a lucky national symbol today. A group of Roman intaglios is presented as well. Those interested in more contemporary lots can consider a signed football from the 1960s signed by Vince Lombardi, Woody Hayes, Eddie Crowder, Bill Dickey, and others. Find more information on these lots and register on Bidsquare.
“When I held a lithographic stone or a copperplate in my hand I thought I was touching a talisman,” Marc Chagall once expressed. An early Modernist artist, Chagall worked in mediums ranging from prints and lithographs to paintings and drawings. Chagall started making lithographs in 1922 to create dreamy scenes with spiritual figures. He was later introduced to color lithography in 1950 by Charles Sorlier, the master lithograph painter. Over the years, Chagall continued to promote lithography with innovative techniques. The upcoming Akiba Antiques auction highlights a lithograph from Chagall titled Four Seasons. Number 39 of 100 limited edition color lithographs, this piece depicts native village scenes of Russia.
The auction also showcases paintings and sculptures from the Falling Man series by Ernest Trova. Featured is a portfolio of ten silkscreens, titled Falling Man Manscapes, by Trova. Through his signature character, the artist explored man’s imperfect nature. The sale also presents etchings by Pablo Picasso, lithographs by Roy Lichtenstein, Lalique glassware, Ralph Lauren furniture, Chinese jade articles, and silverware. Interested collectors can explore the full listings and register to bid online on Bidsquare.
Buddhist sculpture has long been part of China’s history, dating back to the second century BCE. The initial representations were not human forms but rather empty seats, footprints, trees, or domes. The human form sculptures began during the fourth century CE. One of the highlights of the upcoming New York City Estate auction, presented by Showplace Antique + Design Center, is a large Chinese gilt copper figure of Buddha Shakyamuni from the Ming dynasty. The figure is heavily cast and seated with hands held in the dhyana mudra. The face has a calm expression and the hair is tightly curled above the elongated earlobes. Another sculpture of interest in this sale is a large bronze figure from 17th or 18th-century Tibet. The heavily cast yab-yum icon of Hevajra with his consort Nairatmya has hands on the right holding kapala with animals. Those on the left hold kapala with images of the gods of air, water, and elements.
The auction also features several works from Lee Friedlander, an American photographer and artist. He is known for his work documenting the urban social landscape. To view the complete catalog and register to bid online, visit Bidsquare.
The Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 was designed to keep Romeo at the top of the international motor racing scene in the 1930s. With its straight-eight, twin-overhead-camshaft engine, the 8c 2300 did exactly. It was eventually associated with notable racers such as Luigi Chinetti and Tazio Nuvolari. A 1934 Alfa Romeo 8c 2300 is featured in the upcoming Quail Motorcar Auction, presented by Bonhams.
Over 100 cars are on offer as part of this era-crossing event. One lot representing contemporary motorcars is the 2018 Bugatti Chiron with a W16 engine. Chirons with this engine are believed to have a top speed of at least 280mph, according to the auction house. The Chiron also recently beat a world record for having climbed to 249mph and then back down to 0mph in 42 seconds.
Collectors can also consider the 1935 Aston Martin Ulster. There are only 28 surviving examples of the Ulster. This one comes to auction from the estate of David L. Van Schaick, the former president of the American Aston Martin Owners Club. Those interested in this or any other lot can register to bid on the Bonhams website.
Though there are many cultural touchstones in the upcoming California Dreaming auction, offered by Bonhams, the sale is anchored by items from Hollywood. One of the notable film props up for bid is a Saint Christopher medallion worn by Elvis Presley in the hit film Jailhouse Rock (1957). The lot also includes three letters related to the medallion’s provenance, as well as photos of Elvis wearing the medallion, appearing in Jailhouse Rock, and riding a surfboard.
There are also many vintage surfboards offered in the sale, including a Reynolds Yater limited edition “Apocalypse Now” board. The piece is a foam recreation of the surfboard used in Apocalypse Now (1979) by the character Lt. Col. Bill Kilgore (played by Robert Duvall). The board up for bid is one of 90 and was formerly displayed at the Santa Barbara Surfing Museum. Other items of interest include a Rick Griffin “Surfing Eyeball” Grateful Dead poster, a pair of scripts and contact sheets from the TV show Gidget, several early examples of skate style scooters, and more. View any of these lots and register to bid on the Bonhams website.
Available in the upcoming LUXE: Fine Art & Branded Luxury auction, presented by Palm Beach Modern Auction, is a life-size sculpture by artist George Segal. His works often drew inspiration from his own body and the people around him. The featured piece shows a man resting his head on his hand, covered in bandages. The use of the plaster bandage interacts with the vulnerability of the human body.
One of Nicola Simbari’s oil paintings is also highlighted in this sale. The Italian painter was admired for his distinctive approach to Neo-Impressionism. Many of his works portray partially nude women while experimenting with bright pastel colors. The available piece shows a half-naked woman facing away from the viewer. Also highlighted in this event is Alfred Daguet’s repoussé box. This piece is an example of the Art Nouveau style. Made of hammered and tooled copper, the box depicts a mounted warrior. View these fine and decorative art items and register to bid online by visiting Bidsquare.
A collotype print of Andrew Wyeth’s The Reefer is one of the highlighted lots in the upcoming Luxe Boutique Auction, presented by Pook & Pook, Inc. In the piece, a man wearing a reefer jacket walks down the stairs. In front of the figure, the viewer can observe rays of sunlight streaming into the room through a small window. Throughout his career, Wyeth attempted to depict, in his words, “… the real feeling of a subject, all the texture around it.”
The upcoming event offers over 600 pieces of fine and decorative art, jewelry, furniture, and more. This includes British-Mexican artist Leonora Carrington’s lithograph titled Menashe y Rabbi Mendl. Carrington was among the leaders of Surrealism, opposing the constraints of the rational mind. Her art often explored the concepts of gender identity and feminism, along with themes from Celtic mythology. Collectors can also consider Reed & Barton’s sterling silver five-piece tea service. One of the oldest silversmiths in the United States, Reed & Barton was founded in 1824 by Isaac Babbitt before selling to Henry G. Reed and Charles E. Barton. Register to bid for these lots on Bidsquare.
The upcoming Field & Range Firearms sale, offered by Morphy Auctions, will include a large collection of antique guns. One lot of interest from the collection is an 1886 Winchester short rifle. The firearm has a 22-inch tapered round barrel with a full-length magazine tube. A Cia single-shot pistol also leads the listings. This pistol was produced in 1964 by the Machine & Foundry company. Thousands of these guns were produced to be airdropped to South Vietnamese guerrilla fighters during the Vietnam War, yet were never delivered.
Another key lot is a Colt single-action Army revolver from 1926. The gun was manufactured with a six-shot fluted cylinder and hard rubber grips. Also available is a British light dragoon pistol and a Spanish pistol with a miquelet lock. Browse the full catalog and register to bid by visiting Morphy Auctions.
