The Antique Canes auction, presented by Kimball Sterling, offers a collection of folk, Art Nouveau, dress, and porcelain canes from the 17th century to the present. Introduced in the 16th and 17th centuries by English and French aristocrats, walking canes often served as symbols of power, wealth, and social stature among the nobility. Highlighted in the auction’s lots is a gold quartz presentation cane. This piece has an octagonal handle and gold quartz on top.
Also featured in this timed auction is a late 20th-century memento mori dress cane. The philosophy of memento mori, Latin for ‘remember that you must die,’ reminds the viewer of their mortality using symbols and art. Topping the available piece is a carved ebony female head, one half of which exposes the skull. Also offered is a late 19th-century folk art cane. Made by untrained artisans, folk art canes cast attention on the artist’s individual skill and personality. The available piece shows a carved monkey eating a coconut. Explore the full listings and register to bid online on Bidsquare.
When Jerome Myers permanently moved to New York from Virginia at the age of 19, he discovered ample inspiration for his Realist paintings. Myers later became one of the first New York Realists to paint the Eastern European and Italian immigrant neighborhoods of the Lower East Side. Myers observed his subject with a different perspective: “Others saw ugliness and degradation there… I saw poetry and beauty.” In mid-April, Rago will present over 200 lots in the Object & Home Day 1 Auction, including an untitled painting by Myers.
Also available in the sale is a coffee table designed by Jeffrey Greene. Executed in 2019, the enameled wood table features a single slab burl top with a continuous natural edge. Another offered lot is a painting by 20th-century watercolorist, Paul Jenkins. In this piece, he allowed his colors to flow freely rather than using a paintbrush. View each of these lots and register to bid on Bidsquare.
The Illustration Art Signature Auction, offered by Heritage Auctions, presents original art alongside pin-up posters, cover art, and other printed works. One of the available paintings is an untitled work by Patrick Nagel. An American artist who created popular illustrations, Nagel created work for both Playboy Magazine and the rock band Duran Duran. There are several examples of his work up for bid in this auction, many of which reflect his Art Deco style.
From the available pin-up art are several images by Gillette Elvgren, including A Put-Up Job, which was created for the 1955 Brown & Bigelow calendar. Elvgren was primarily a painter of advertisements and illustrations but was best known for his Brown & Bigelow pin-ups. Another well-known pin-up artist in the sale is Enoch Bolles, represented here by his Dancer illustration for Breezy Stories Magazine. Bolles was an early pin-up illustrator and was one of the most widely circulated in his time. Though he is known primarily as a pinup artist, Bolles was also a versatile advertising illustrator. View any of these lots and register to bid on the Heritage Auctions website.
Japanese contemporary artist Takashi Murakami is known for his contributions to both fine art and commercial media. Murakami leads the Superflat movement, which employs flattened forms in Japanese animation, graphic art, and pop culture. Murakami is best known for his recurring motifs, including smiling flowers, mushrooms, and skulls. A Little Flower Painting: Yellow, White, and Purple Flowers by the artist is one of the leading lots in the upcoming Prints & Multiples Monthly Online Auction, offered by Heritage Auctions. The offset color lithograph was published by Kaikai Kiki Ltd, an art production and management company founded by Murakami. The auction also showcases Pablo Picasso’s etching and aquatint on rives paper, titled Piero crommelynck avec sa femme et sa fille dans l’Atelier II and Salvador Dalí’s photolithograph titled Pecheur penitant, from Flor Dali/ Les fruits.
Another key lot is a color lithograph from Sam Francis’ Portfolio 9. Francis was influenced by Abstract Expressionists such as Arshile Gorky and Clyfford Still, especially in his early years. To view the complete catalog and register to bid online, visit Heritage Auctions.
The upcoming Watches and Jewelry Auction from Nacional Monte de Piedad, presented by Morton Subastas, will offer a selection of luxury watches. Rolex, Hublot, and Bulgari Sotirio are among the highlighted brands. One of the standout items is from Hublot’s Big Bang collection. The available watch is made of 18-karat pink gold, titanium, and steel with semi-precious gems. The black dial shows a zinc etching of a colorful skull by the Mexican lithographer José Guadalupe Posada.
Another lot of interest in the sale is a perpetual date submariner watch from Rolex. This watch includes a blue dial with geometric numerals and an oyster bracelet. Also available is a Christian Dior timepiece. This item from the French luxury company has a black dial with diamonds and Arabic numerals. For more information on the mentioned items and more, visit Bidsquare.
When sculptor and Pop artist Ernest Trova created his signature humanoid figure, The Falling Man, he told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “The figure is a personal hypothetical theory on the nature of man. I believe that man is, first of all, an imperfect creature.” In 1969, Pace Editions published a set of ten silkscreens from Trova titled Falling Man Manscapes Portfolio. Available in the upcoming Eclectic Collection of Estates Worldwide sale, presented by Akiba Antiques, this lot shows Trova’s Falling Man in various poses. The faceless and armless figure is both separated from and juxtaposed with others.
Another key item is an abstract diptych by Michael Rubin titled In God’s Light. An Abstract artist, Rubin is known for constructing luminous and carefully arranged color fields in his works. Beyond fine art, this auction also includes over 100 lots of furniture and decorative art. Leading these is a three-piece French clock set that features a painted panel of a courting couple. An early 20th-century tri-fold Chinese wood screen decorated with dragons is also available. Explore the full catalog for this auction and register to bid on Bidsquare.
Antonio Jacobsen, also known as the “Audubon of steam vessels,” painted over 6,000 ships in his lifetime. Clients chose Jacobsen both for his commitment to accuracy and his low cost, charging a rate of about five dollars per piece ($130 today, when adjusted for inflation). A profile of a sailing ship by Jacobsen, titled The American Bark, is among the highlighted lots in John Moran Auctioneers’ upcoming California Living event. Produced in 1909, the painting comes to auction in good condition with no evidence of restoration under blacklight.
American decorative art collectors will find a Gustav Stickley oak serving table produced sometime between 1907 and 1912. The table comes with three short drawers, a long drawer, and a rectangular undershelf. The late 1900s were a productive time for Stickley, when his company, The Craftsman Workshops, was held in high regard around the world. Also available to bidders are several Tiffany lamps, including a turtleback-style desk lamp in green, blue, pink, and gold. Register to bid on this or any other piece by visiting the Invaluable
The upcoming Pauling’s auction will highlight the private collection of Guy E. Mayer, a New York gallery owner and an avid collector of Eastern arts. During a missionary trip to Japan in 1927, Mayer first encountered traditional Buddhist statues, paintings, and calligraphies. The sale will include more than 50 lots from his collection, including several paintings from Giuseppe Castiglione. A Jesuit priest and missionary, Castiglione traveled to China to paint for the Imperial court in the early 18th century. Many of his works bridged the gap between Eastern and Western art, as seen in several of the available lots. A large figure painting by Castiglione is among the highlighted items, depicting a battle between two opposing armies. Dozens of blue-clothed figures on horseback dominate the scene with twisted trees and mountains in the background.
Also from Mayer’s collection is an anonymous arhat painting from the Ming dynasty. In Buddhism, an arhat is someone who has achieved spiritual enlightenment or nirvana. This painting shows a group of spiritual men praying, offering incense, and contemplating flowers. Other paintings from artists such as Huang Binhong, Qi Baishi, and Chao Shao-An will be available. Chao was a 20th-century painter who enjoyed a nearly 80-year career. He emerged after the fall of China’s last imperial dynasty and focused on blending international techniques with traditional Chinese painting. Chao’s available works are painted in bright shades of yellow, red, and blue and depict birds and tree branches.
Several qin instruments are also available in this auction. Commonly known as guqin, meaning “ancient qin,” these seven-stringed instruments have been present in Chinese culture for over 3,000 years. One of the featured qins comes from the Qing dynasty and is decorated with teal blue tassels on one end. Examples of Chinese calligraphy will also come to auction in this event. Browse the complete catalog and register to bid on LiveAuctioneers.
In the upcoming Leland Little sale, a selection of furniture, paintings, and other items can be found. This April Estates Auction highlights a pair of Georgian mahogany bachelor’s chests. These late-20th century chests sport bow-front forms with graduated banded drawers, all resting on French bracket feet. They measure 33 x 36 x 19 inches. The Backwoods Bacchus, a mixed media piece from Louis St. Lewis, is also included in this auction. It was made using paint and printed material, some using the reverse glass method. The lot comes with a gilt frame and matting.
Also included in the auction is a Sheffield Plate double wine cooler, a 1940 oil painting of zinnias and marigolds by German-American artist Hans Weingaertner, a pair of Neo-Classical urns, and a French inlaid vitrine. Visit Invaluable for the complete catalog and to place a bid.
Roy Lichtenstein was an American Pop artist recognized for his work inspired by comic-strips, recognizable with its primary colors and black outlines. Lichtenstein’s print series titled Reflections sought to imitate illusions in glass and mirrors. The upcoming sale presented by Heritage Auctions showcases Reflections on Crash, a semi-abstract colored lithograph print by Lichtenstein. This piece is an example of the artist’s paraphrasing and reuse of his works. A 2013 sculpture titled Dom Pérignon Balloon Venus by Jeff Koons is another highlight. The lacquered polyurethane resin sculpture, which is similar to his better-known Balloon Venus, arose from Koons’ collaboration with the well-known champagne brand Dom Pérignon.
Also showcased is the complete portfolio of Leo Castelli’s 90th Birthday, which includes works from Jasper Johns, Ellsworth Kelly, Joseph Kosuth, Roy Lichtenstein, Bruce Nauman, and others. Leo Castelli was a 20th-century art dealer and gallery owner who drew attention to rising art movements. The available portfolio pays tribute to “the acknowledged dean of contemporary art dealers.” Interested collectors can also find works from Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí, and Donald Baechler. Explore the full listings and register to bid online by visiting Heritage Auctions.
