Engagement rings were originally worn by Roman wives to signify their husbands’ ownership. The trend of presenting a prospective bride with a diamond ring as a symbol of love evolved much later. In 1477, the Archduke Maximillian of Austria commissioned one for his bride, the first recorded use of diamonds in an engagement ring. A more contemporary diamond and platinum engagement ring by Tiffany & Co. will be offered in the upcoming Estate Jewelry, Art, & Collectibles auction, presented by Kodner Galleries. It features a 4.30-carat square-cut diamond of VS1 clarity.
Also highlighted in the event is a 2000 model of the Patek Philippe Aquanaut 5066/1. The 18-karat yellow gold bracelet watch features an automatic self-winding movement. The first Aquanaut launched as a 1,000-piece limited edition in 1997. Several other pieces of jewelry, fine art, and decorative art will also cross the auction block, as well as paintings by Le Pho, Salvador Dalí, and Erté. Visit Bidsquare for the entire catalog or to place a bid.
Showcased in the upcoming July Asian Sale, offered by WR Auction Gallery, is a Chinese bronze Buddha potentially created in the Qing dynasty. The Qing dynasty was the last imperial dynasty in China, ruling from 1644 to 1912. Chinese Buddhism is one of the country’s oldest foreign religions and balances the principles of Taoism and Mahayana Buddhism. A Chinese porcelain snuff bottle can also be found in the sale. This bottle can likely be traced to the Qianlong period. Reigning from 1735 to 1796, Qianlong was the sixth emperor of the Qing dynasty and the fourth to rule over China proper. This piece is decorated with potted flowers and stands 3.25 inches tall.
Also offered is an 18th-century white and blue porcelain jar with a landscape motif, as well as a bronze food vessel and a Chinese bonsai jade and stone flower tree. Visit Bidsquare to view the entire catalog and register to bid.
Acclaimed for his surreal animal sculptures, François-Xavier Lalanne tried his hand at painting before focusing on sculpture. He and his wife, Claude Lalanne, became one of the most creative art duos of the 20th century. For his sculptures, Lalanne drew inspiration from animals, which soon sparked interest in collectors such as Yves Saint-Laurent. Lalanne created works that added an artful element to the daily domestic experience. He once said, “The animal world constitutes the richest and most varied forms on the planet.” Lalanne’s bronze and glass table will be highlighted by Christie’s in the upcoming Creating Space: Design Online auction. The table is shaped like a sitting monkey who holds the glass top with his upraised arms.
American Greek sculptor Peter Voulkos is considered the first ceramic artist to free clay from its traditional limitations by including gesture and sculpturally expressive forms. A participant in the resurgence of American studio crafts, he helped change the viewpoint that ceramics were merely utilitarian objects. Available in this sale is an untitled ceramic sculpture by Voulkos, executed between 1960 and 1964. Another highlight of the auction is a peony table lamp with a crab base from Tiffany Studios. View these lots and register to bid on Christie’s.
A Swiss sculptor, painter, printmaker, and draftsman, Alberto Giacometti (1901–1966) lived mostly in Paris but often paid visits to his hometown of Borgonovo to connect with his family and art. Surrealism and Cubism were the two major artistic styles that influenced his body of works. One of the highlights of the upcoming Design auction, presented by Phillips, is a table lamp by Giacometti, designed around 1934. It was later cast in patinated bronze and topped with a fabric shade. A rosewood, metal, and glass argentier from Charlotte Perriand is another lot of interest. It is accented with reverse-decorated mirrored glass.
The sale also features a Marcel Wanders chair that formerly belonged to an important American collection. An Amsterdam-based Dutch designer and art director, Wanders creates architectural, interior, and industrial projects. In 1996, he gained popularity with his Knotted Chair, which combined ‘high-tech’ materials and ‘low tech’ production methods. To view the complete catalog and register to bid online, visit Phillips.
The assassination of Robert Kennedy on June 5th, 1968 came as a shock to many Americans. Three days after the unfortunate incident, a funeral train took Kennedy from New York to his final resting place in Washington, D.C. As the train carried on its journey, thousands of people gathered along the tracks to bid goodbye. Onboard the funeral train was Paul Fusco, a photographer for Look magazine whose images of grieving Americans documented the historic moment. The upcoming Sotheby’s auction presents photographs from the Kennedy funeral train by Fusco. The seminal series of photographs reflects the diversity of American culture as well as the artist’s compositional skills.
Another highlight is a gelatin silver print titled Nuit De Noël (Happy Club) by the celebrated Malian photographer Malick Sidibé. Nicknamed the “Eye of Bamako,” Sidibé captured the notable changes his country underwent after the end of French colonial rule in 1960. Sidibé’s black and white photographs often portrayed the nightlife of Bamako. Captured on the Christmas Eve of 1963, Nuit De Noël is among Sidibé’s best-known works. The gelatin silver print shows the intimacy between a young couple dancing in an empty room.
Also showcased in the auction are portrait photographs by Chris Levine, a photograph portfolio of supermodel Kate Moss, and a Polaroid print of actress Marilyn Monroe by Philippe Halsman. Interested collectors can explore the full listings and register to bid online on Sotheby’s.
The Shang dynasty (c. 1600 – 1046 BCE), the second dynasty of China, brought numerous cultural advances such as the transition from stone and iron to industrialized bronze casting. The Shang dynasty also introduced bronze sacral vessels. One such vessel was the gui, a bronze ritual vessel used to relay events to ancestral spirits. A Shang Dynasty gui is highlighted in the upcoming Ancient/ Ethnographic From Around the World auction, presented by Artemis Gallery. The piece has a spherical body with vertical ribs and a pair of abstract dragon handles atop a circular foot. A removable, form-fitting lid bears a circular handle.
The auction offers over 100 lots of both fine and decorative art, jewelry, and ethnographic art. Among them is an early 20th-century Kuba wood box from central Africa. Intricately carved Kuba boxes were traditionally used for storing cherished valuables or tukula – a reddish powder used for body and hair coloring. A carved human face decorates the lid of the available box. Visit Bidsquare for more information and to register to bid.
In 1791, William Duesbury II, the owner of Derby, introduced floral decoration in his porcelains. Inspired by William Curtis’ monthly periodical called The Botanical Magazine, Duesbury began incorporating detailed flowers in the company’s designs. In the late 1790s, the factory acquired flower books by John Edwards that contained 79 printed and hand-colored etchings. These books became the inspiration for Derby, which became the only porcelain factory to use Edwards’ flowers. The upcoming Porcelain Sale, offered by Stair, particularly highlights a Derby 58-piece botanical dessert service with Edwards’ flowers.
The auction also features four trays by Piero Fornasetti featuring tromp l’oeil coins, classical motifs, and printed images. Fornasetti was a Milanese Renaissance man whose career included more than 11,000 works. Many of them featured the face of the opera singer Lina Cavalieri. Fornasetti’s designs were fanciful, sophisticated, and sometimes humorous. He once said, “I also consider myself the inventor of the tray, because at a certain point in our civilization people no longer knew how to hand over a glass, a message, or a poem.” For more information on these lots and to register to bid, visit Bidsquare.
Mario Buccellati was among the first Italian goldsmiths to open a shop on Fifth Avenue in New York and, later, in Palm Beach, Florida. As his popularity increased, his clientele came to include the Vatican and the royalty of Europe, earning him the nickname “The Prince of Goldsmiths.” In the 1920s, Buccellati started creating silverware inspired by Renaissance motifs and nature. A small Italian silver pumpkin box and cover by Buccellati will feature in the upcoming Stair auction. Realistically designed to resemble a pumpkin, the box has a textured skin, a lift-off lid featuring one leaf, and three leaf-form feet.
Danish silversmith Georg Jensen worked as a potter and sculptor before setting up his silver business in 1904. Jensen was greatly influenced by Art Nouveau silhouettes as well as the then-burgeoning Modernism that ultimately became his signature aesthetic. A silver tazza by Jensen is among the featured lots in this sale. The circular bowl with hanging grape branches beneath is supported by a twisting stem and a circular foot. An 18-karat gold charm bracelet with seven decorative charms is also available. View any of these lots and register to bid on Bidsquare.
Henry Dunay was only 14 years old when he first developed a fondness for jewelry design. Intending to pursue his passion, Dunay began to study jewelry design under the apprenticeship of one of New York’s famous jewelers, Rudolph Cacioli. Since then, he has become known for his experimentation with the traditional Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi, a concept that embraces imperfection and simplicity. A hammered gold necklace by Dunay is among the key lots of the upcoming Fine Jewelry auction, presented by Doyle. The piece, decorated with asymmetrical designs, is one of his many wabi-sabi influenced works.
Another leading lot is from Hammerman Brothers. In 1946, the three founding brothers came together with an initiative to design and produce high-quality jewelry. Today, the company is among the most noted jewelry manufacturers in the world. Also included in the sale is a Curb Link bracelet-watch from Verdura. The design gained popularity after it was worn by Swedish-American actress Greta Garbo in 1941. The available 18-karat quartz watch features a white dial, sapphire crystal, and two-hand movement. A gold and diamond bracelet designed by Paul Flato is offered as well. The piece is decorated with 97 round diamonds set on buckled interlinks. Those interested in these lots can register to bid on Doyle.
A set of six Andy Warhol screenprints from 1979 is one of the highlighted items in the upcoming Contemporary Prints & Multiples Online auction. The set, titled Grapes, is signed with felt-tip pen by the artist. Each piece included in the lot showcases Warhol’s use of contrasting colors on Strathmore Bristol paper. Along with this lot, collectors can bid for five other works by Warhol.
Also of interest in this Sotheby’s sale is a portfolio of color screenprints by Alex Katz. Inspired by Abstract Expressionism, Katz is best known for his portraits of his wife, Ada Del Moro. He began working on these pieces the day they met in the fall of 1957. The available item is a collection of screenprints of his wife and himself, titled Alex and Ada. Interested bidders will also find various other works from the likes of Donald Judd, Joan Mitchell, and Bridget Riley. For more information on the auction, visit Sotheby’s.
