Rugs have been woven in Turkey since the 13th century, following the arrival of nomadic tribes from Central Asia. Turkish carpets were highly influenced by the Greeks, who dominated carpet manufacturing at that time. The carpets often employ geometrical motifs and are made of wool, cotton, and silk. They are almost always tied with a Turkish knot. A selection of Turkish carpets will be featured in the upcoming Eclectic Variety Auction, offered by William Bunch Auctions.
Another featured item in the sale is a pair of etchings by Ludwig Meidner. The Expressionist artist is known for his dark urban landscapes and portraits. The available lot, executed in 1924, is a pair of portraits. Also available is a Japanese Imari ware vase. Imari is a style of porcelain named after the Japanese port from which it was shipped to the West in the late 17th century. Imari ware is characterized by images of cranes, fish, women, flowers, and gnarled tree branches. To view each lot and register to bid, visit William Bunch Auctions.
Reuven Rubin is best known for his colorful depictions of the Israeli countryside. Beyond his work as a painter, Rubin was also the first Israeli ambassador to Romania. One of Rubin’s works is featured on the first day of the upcoming Modern Design Auction, offered by Uniques and Antiques Auction Sales. The still life oil painting has been confirmed as authentic by Rubin’s daughter-in-law, Carmela Rubin, who is the director and curator of his museum. The painting is estimated to have been painted in Palestine during the early 1920s.
Also showcased in the sale are two lithographs by Marc Chagall and Robert Motherwell. Chagall’s We Live Among the Flowers shows three different figures and a satyr. A Triennale floor lamp by Gino Sarfatti is also highlighted. The lamp has white enameled cone shades with a chrome tube and black leather handles. Another furniture lot on offer is a set of lounge chairs by Kipp Stewart. View the entire catalog and register to bid for these items at the Invaluable.
British toymaker John Hubley missed the model train craze of the late 19th century. Searching for other options, he began making cast-iron toys, particularly of circus animals. A Royal Circus lion cage wagon made by Hubley is a featured lot in the upcoming Toy Catalog Auction, presented by Hess Auction Group. Two lions look out the end of the cage while horses carry them to the next circus event. Also coming from Hubley is a surfer boy pull toy. Waves break on both sides of the boy’s board, and his shirt announces he is part of the beach patrol.
Representing Disney in this event is a Wells wind-up Mickey and Minnie Mouse handcar. Both Minnie and Mickey hold a side of the lever, with Minnie’s side also including a bell. Painted on the handcar is their dog, Pluto. It is unclear what agreement the British company had with Disney, but this handcar’s box reads “Made by Permission of Walt Disney Mickey Mouse Limited.” The handcar also comes with six pieces of track and two buildings made of cardboard. Register to bid on this or any other lot on LiveAuctioneers.
The first Rolex 6542 GMT-Master was introduced in 1954 to fulfill Pan-Am Airlines’ request of a watch that could simultaneously display two time zones at once. A 24-hour hand and a rotating bezel were included in the original model. The GMT-Master was named after the Greenwich Mean Time, which could display multiple time zones at once. Gallery 63 presents an 18-karat gold Rolex 6542 GMT wristwatch with a soldered oyster band in the upcoming Spring Estates & Modern Art Auction. The sale also offers other timepieces by Rolex, including the Daytona 16520 with Patrizzi subdials and the Sea Dweller Deepsea Cameron.
A collection of jewelry, ranging from diamond and platinum rings, earrings, and necklaces, is also showcased. Highlighted is a diamond Alhambra necklace by Van Cleef & Arpels. The four-leaf Alhambra collection was introduced in 1968 and symbolized luck. Persian rugs from Ghome Qume and Tabriz, a selection of Hermès scarves, and several Louis Vuitton handbags are also featured. Interested bidders can explore the full listings and register to bid online on Bidsquare.
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s Moulin Rouge: La Goulue poster continues to be one of his most-recognized designs. The Moulin Rouge dance hall opened in October of 1889, but by 1891, attendance had fallen due to increased competition. In 1891, Toulouse-Lautrec was commissioned to produce posters for the newly opened cabaret. His first, La Goulue at the Moulin Rouge (1891-92), depicting the dancer Louise Weber, secured rapid international fame for the venue. The upcoming Antiques, Clocks & Estate Auction, presented by Fontaine’s Auction Gallery, will feature a lithograph of Toulouse-Lautrec’s poster.
A ten-piece mahogany dining set by R.J. Horner is also among the leading lots. The furniture manufacturer marketed both to the elite and those in the middle class. R.J. Horner used mahogany and oak hardwoods to produce high style pieces, many of which remain popular today. Also featured in this event is a portrait by Ellen Emmet Rand. Best known for her portraits of world leaders such as Franklin Roosevelt, Rand’s works focus on bringing her subjects to life. Beyond fine art and furniture, this auction will include a selection of clocks, music boxes, jewelry, and more. Browse the full catalog and register to bid on the Fontaine’s Auction Gallery website.
Martin Lewis had a varied career, ranging from decorative stage painting for William McKinley’s presidential campaign to printmaking urban and pastoral landscapes. Of interest in the upcoming Fine & Decorative Arts Monthly Online Auction, presented by Heritage Auctions, are several of Lewis’ works. His Corner Shadows and 5th Avenue Bridge Crossing works from 1930 and 1928, respectively, were made with drypoint and sand on laid paper.
The auction also showcases the work of Alexander Helwig Wyant, an American landscape painter. Wyant’s 1891 View from the Woods piece is an oil painting depicting a blurred perspective of a field and the sky from within the woods. Marcel Mouly, a French painter, is also one of the featured artists. Of Mouly’s available work is an Abstract painting of two black boats and one red boat, titled Les Bateaux Noirs le Bateau Rouge. For more information and to place a bid, visit Heritage Auctions.
In 1971, Miner Elvis “Buzz” Gray discovered a crystalized gold on quartz specimen from California’s Red Bank Mine. The piece would eventually be acquired by Gray’s business partner, William “Bill” Forest, who nicknamed the piece the “Dancing Ladies.” This specimen is among the featured lots in the upcoming Nature & Science Signature Auction, offered by Heritage Auctions in Dallas. Crystalized gold, platinum, and metal nuggets from mines all around the world are available in the collection.
A standout item in the sale is from the estate of Mato Grosso. The crystallized gold piece was originally found in a Brazilian farm field. According to Heritage Auctions, “Likely only 1 in 1,000 mines features such sharply crystallized, three-dimensional shapes.” Another highlighted lot is a gold nugget from Australia. To browse the full catalog and find more information on the above items, visit Heritage Auctions’ website.
In 1988, Sony made plans to partner with Nintendo to create an add-on for the Super Nintendo. Three years later, as the plans were coming closer to fruition, Nintendo grew dissatisfied with the contract and worked behind the scenes to partner with another company, Philips, instead. At the 1991 Consumer Electronics Show, Sony unveiled the Nintendo PlayStation. At the same event, Nintendo announced their relationship with Philips, rendering Sony’s announcement and years of work null. Publicly available for the first time is a prototype of the Nintendo PlayStation, one of over 1,300 lots in the Comics & Comic Art Signature Auction, presented by Heritage Auctions.
This prototype was originally owned by the chief executive officer of Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc., Olaf Olafsson. It is still in playable condition, according to Heritage Auctions employees who played Mortal Kombat on the system. It can also play music through the CD-ROM drive, which Sony included for future CD-based games. “Sony” is written on the front of the controller and “Nintendo” on its back.
Featured comics in this auction include the Amazing Fantasy #15, which marks the first appearance of Spider-Man. The cover was designed by Jack Kirby, with artwork by Steve Ditko as well. This copy of the comic book comes to auction in near-mint condition. Also available is a copy of Superman #1, published by DC in 1939. The cover was designed by Joe Shuster. The circular picture of Superman on the back cover encouraged many children to cut it out, leaving a relatively low number of copies in good condition.
Interested video game collectors will also find a factory-sealed copy of Stadium Events: Family Fitness for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Only 200 copies of the game are known to exist. Shortly after its release, Nintendo purchased the rights to the game and immediately rebranded it. Those interested in this or any other piece can register to bid on the Heritage Auctions website.
The upcoming Online-Only Eclectic Variety Auction, presented by William Bunch Auctions, will feature an Asian brass gong, two Black Americana cookie jars, a 1900 copy of Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe, and more.
Charles Dickens was an English writer best known for his novels, which included A Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations, Oliver Twist, Nicholas Nickleby, and David Copperfield. Highlighted in the upcoming sale is a 32-volume set of his works, dated 1894. Also included are various Goebel Hummel figurines, which became popular after World War II. Designed in Germany, the porcelain ornaments are shaped like German children in traditional outfits. An original poster for The Drunkard, or, The Fallen Saved, a moral temperance drama, can also be found. This play was to benefit the temperance movement against the consumption of alcoholic beverages. View the entire collection and register to bid at William Bunch Auctions.
Pablo Picasso, a painter, printmaker, sculptor, and ceramics artist, was an influential figure in 20th-century art. Picasso was among the pioneers of Cubism, in which he broke apart his subjects and reassembled them in an abstracted form. One of Picasso’s portraits of his wife Jacqueline is highlighted in the upcoming Early Spring Estates & Collections Auction, presented by Ahlers & Ogletree. La Dame a la Collerette shows Jacqueline in an Elizabethan outfit.
The auction will include a selection of Chinese and Japanese decorative art, collectible coins, books, contemporary art, and furniture. Also available is a Rolex President Day-Date watch. The President model was the first wristwatch to include both the date and a spelled‐out day of the week indication on the dial. The auction will also present a screenprint titled Best Buddies by Roy Lichtenstein, one of the first American Pop artists to experience global success. Explore the full listings and register to bid online on Bidsquare.
