The French Constitution of 1848 allowed a new standard for luxury in France. Like many jewelers, Louis-François Cartier began experimenting with different materials under the rule of the new government. He saw a breakthrough with platinum, a material which became the stepping-stone for Cartier to experiment in form, mechanisms, and attitude. The house of Cartier was the first to use platinum in jewelry making. Highlighted in the upcoming Abell Important Jewelry Auction, presented by Abell Auction Co., is a platinum Panthère bracelet from Cartier. The seven-inch long bracelet has a central cushion-shaped aquamarine surrounded by diamonds and onyx.
Another featured item is a gold wing nude statue by Carrera y Carrera. In the 1970s, Manuel Carrera incorporated his family business to create Carrera y Carrera. He applied his talent as a sculptor and pioneered the brand’s signature female figures in matte gold. A Bulgari Serpenti bracelet is also available. Set in 18-karat gold, the piece has natural-cut turquoise and full-cut diamonds. Browse the full catalog and register to bid on Invaluable.
As president of Mexico from 1861 to 1872, Benito Juárez repelled a foreign invasion from the Archduke of Austria and pursued democratic reforms. One of the highlighted lots in the upcoming Latin American Art Auction, presented by Morton Subastas, is a portrait of Juárez painted by David Alfaro Siqueiros. The portrait is dated 1971, almost 100 years after Juárez’s death. Siquieros is remembered as part of the Mexican Muralists movement, which also included artists such as Diego Rivera and José Clemente Orozco.
Rivera is also represented in this event with a portrait verified by his grandson, Juan Coronel Rivera. The portrait’s subject wears a layered necklace and looks directly at the viewer. Outside of Mexico, collectors will also find a painting by contemporary Peruvian artist Alfredo Alcalde García. The work’s title, Eros y Tanatos, evokes the Greek god of love (Eros) and the god of death (Thanatos). Interested collectors can view each lot and register to bid on Bidsquare.
In China’s Qing dynasty, clothing served an important cultural purpose and often indicated military and civil rank. The upcoming Art of the World sale, offered by Revere Auctions, presents a Chinese Imperial blue chifu, also known as a dragon robe, from the Qing dynasty. The designs on this formal court robe include Lishui waves, dragons, clouds, and mountains. It was likely worn by a first, second, or third rank officer.
Since the dawn of the Bronze Age in China around 2,000 BCE, bronze vessels have undergone various changes. From simple and irregular shapes to intricate designs and patterns, these vessels have consistently played a role in Chinese culture. Several examples of these archaic bronze pieces are available in this auction, including a wine vessel with a flaring rim and an animal head handle. The sale also offers a variety of Chinese scroll paintings, Korean ceramic articles, jade figurines, and tribal African masks and headgear. An 1865 Russian silver tankard decorated with geometric and floral engravings is presented as well. Interested collectors can explore the full listings and register to bid online on Bidsquare.
Francis Scott Key wrote the lyrics to “The Star-Spangled Banner” during a difficult period in the War of 1812. While watching the British attack Baltimore, Key felt inspired by the resiliency of the city and composed his song within days of the American victory. The Baltimore Patriot was the first publication to release the song, featuring it in the newspaper’s first printing after a ten-day hiatus. The editors wrote that the song was “destined long to outlast the occasion, and outlive the impulse, which produced it.” A copy of this first newspaper printing will appear at the upcoming Christie’s sale of books and manuscripts. One of only three known surviving copies, this lot includes one sheet with five columns on each side.
Several other first printings will be available in this auction, including the first edition of a 16th-century monster book. It is full of woodcuts attributed to François Desprez, many showing beings described as grotesque and whimsical. This book was never intended to frighten, but was rather self-described as “an object of laughter, an antidote for melancholy, and a pastime for the young.” Other notable lots include a signed copy of Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway, early Spanish navigational books documenting the New World, and a writing desk used by Charles Dickens. View the full catalog and register to bid for these items on Christie’s.
Lucien Lévy-Dhurmer started his artistic career as a lithographer and ceramist before revolutionalizing the French pottery style in the 1890s. It was only after 1895, following a trip to Italy, that he started working with oil paint. His first exhibition at the Galerie Georges Petit in Paris was comprised of a handful of pastel paintings, many capturing mythical scenes and portraits. Soon after, he gained fame as a Symbolist artist. The upcoming European Art auction, presented by Christie’s, features an oil on canvas piece by Lévy-Dhurmer. It shows three goddesses of Olympus— Aphrodite, Hera, and Athena— seated in a garden.
An oil painting by John Emms is also highlighted. Interested in painting horses, dogs, and other sporting scenes, Emms became one of the noted animal painters of the Victorian period. An early exhibition at the Royal Academy at the age of 22 quickly added to his reputation. The available piece depicts two hounds and a terrier in a kennel. A sculpture titled Pandora by Odoardo Fantacchiotti will also be available. Known for his Neo-Classical work, Fantacchiotti’s intricate sculptures often employed a Romantic style, which can be seen in this piece. Browse the complete auction catalog and register to bid on Christie’s.
The Nayarit region of western Mexico is known for its distinct pottery style. Since the third century CE, the inhabitants have been honoring the dead by crafting sculptural ceramic vessels. One such pottery piece from the Nayarit people will be featured in the upcoming Antiquities & Islamic Art auction, offered by Hindman. The available ceramic figure represents the Nayarit style known as Chinesco, notable for its burnished surfaces and painted ornaments. The sale will also offer a collection of fine art, jewelry, and furniture from other Indigenous communities.
A Minoan painted terra cotta larnax is also featured in the sale. The larnax, or small closed box, was used for burial in the Minoan civilization. First appearing between 2000 and 1550 BCE, these boxes have designs similar to Egyptian linen chests. The surface of the available larnax is covered with schematic motifs, including abstract patterns, sacred horns, bulls, and hunting and ritualistic scenes. A white-ground lekythos will be featured as well. In ancient Greece, this long cylindrical flask was used for religious or funerary purposes. View more items and register to bid on Bidsquare.
The upcoming Turner Auctions + Appraisals sale of maps, books, and illustrations was sourced primarily from two California collectors. It will feature 214 printed works from the 16th century and beyond. Single-edition books in the sale include The First Collected Edition of the Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare. The book is a facsimile of the First Folio of 1623 and was published in 1866. A more recent work up for bid is a first edition copy of For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway. It is marked with an “A” on the copyright page, indicating that it is a first printing. Other authors with books represented in the auction are Truman Capote, Jack London, Raymond Chandler, and Oscar Wilde.
Beyond books, several antique and rare maps will be highlighted. These include a view of Groninga Dominum in the Netherlands by Gerhard Mercator, as well as a hand-colored Venetian map from the late 17th or early 18th century. Several bird illustrations are also on offer, including one depicting a Papuan eagle by John Gould. It was used as the cover illustration for both Great Bird Illustrators and Their Art 1730-1930 and Gould’s work, Birds of New Guinea and the Adjacent Papuan Islands. View any of these lots and register to bid on Bidsquare.
For nearly fifty years, Tiffany Studios produced the now-famous leaded glass lamps designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany. First introduced in the early 20th century, Tiffany lamps have enjoyed continued popularity. With the glass of ancient Rome in mind, Louis Comfort Tiffany invented his trademark favrile glass technique. An example of Tiffany’s favrile glass is on display in the upcoming Furniture | Lights | Garden Decorative Arts sale, presented by Kamelot Auctions.
The auction also offers several carpets and tapestries. Particularly featured is a late 19th-century Arts & Crafts rug in the style of William Morris, an English designer, social activist, and writer. Morris’ designs became popular in the late Victorian era. He was also a pioneer of the Arts & Crafts movement. The available carpet has a Persian garden design and a leafy vine border. Also showcased is an Italian crystal chandelier from the 1880s. It features a six-arm iron frame decorated with cascading crystal. Decorative art, Asian art, and collectibles will be available as well. Interested collectors can explore the full listings and register to bid online on Invaluable.
Lifelike funerary portraits flourished in Roman-era Egypt between the first and third centuries CE. Painted with tempera on wood or linen, these realistic pictures accompanied the deceased in funerals. The portraits joined Egyptian funerary traditions with Greco-Roman art practices. The upcoming sale of ancient art from the James and Marilynn Alsdorf Collection, presented by Christie’s, offers an Egyptian funerary painting from this period. Executed in tempera on linen, the portrait depicts a young woman wearing a Roman-style blue-gray striped tunic. Her hair is piled atop her head and she wears gold earrings.
This single-owner sale offers over 60 lots of Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and Near Eastern works of art. Highlighted is a marble sculpture of Hygeia from the first century BCE. Hygeia, the Greek goddess of good health, was a daughter and attendant of the medicine-god Asklepios. She is traditionally represented as a woman holding a large serpent in her arms, which she feeds from a cup. The available sculpture shows Hygeia standing on her left leg with her right leg bent. A thick mantle covers her left shoulder, falling below her arm. Explore these items and register to bid online by visiting Christie’s.
Artist Lanny Ross was known in his local community of St. Paul, Minnesota, as “The Man of Colours.” Many of his works explore his trips across Asia, from Hong Kong to Saigon, while also experimenting with color. Among the featured lots in the upcoming Eclectic Collection of Estates Worldwide auction, presented by Akiba Antiques, is a Lanny Ross mixed media work based on his experiences in Singapore. In the piece, orchids of various colors bloom, juxtaposed against a monochromatic green background.
The event includes both fine and decorative art, along with jewelry. This includes a bronze sculpture, titled Couples, by Italian artist Ferruccio Polacco. After emigrating from Italy to Argentina during World War II, Polacco transitioned away from his traditional aesthetic to more abstract work. Couples is an example of this later style. Among the jewelry pieces available in this auction is a platinum ring with a 7.96-carat Ceylon sapphire. Those interested in this or any other piece can register to bid on Bidsquare.
