One of the most influential British artists of the 20th century, David Hockney has explored traditional artistic genres through mediums as diverse as printmaking, photography, painting, and iPad drawing. An example of his work is available in the upcoming Quarterly Fine & Decorative Arts sale, presented by Bunch Auctions. The available piece, an early landscape painting of Kirton, shows houses, a tree, and a farm.
Because of his artistic focus on wealthy and famous personalities, Italian artist Giovanni Boldini established his reputation as a ‘Belle Époque’ portraitist by the end of the 19th century. His portraits show some Macchiaioli influence and a style reminiscent of younger artists. An oil painting by Boldini is featured in this auction. Also highlighted is a pair of Ferdinando De Luca’s bronze sculptures. These sculptures are 19th-century copies of the two Roman marble versions excavated in 1736 by Monsignor Giuseppe Alessandro Furietti. The sculptures on marble bases are shaped like centaurs, one with bound hands and the other with a wolf skin. Browse the full catalog and register for online bidding at Bunch Auctions.
The upcoming Toys, Comics, Advertisements, and Collectibles auction, offered by Selkirk Auctions, will include over 350 lots. Sports memorabilia is notably represented by a limited edition display of 25 photographs and signatures of winners of the golf Masters Championship from 1976 through 2000. The display also contains a four-day ground pass for each event, a Masters yellow pin flag, and a photograph of Bobby Jones. A few of the signatures included are from Tom Watson, Fuzzy Zoeller, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods.
There is also a selection of comic books for sale, including Hulk number 181 (the first to include the Wolverine character), X-Men number 1 (first to include the X-Men and Magneto), and X-Men number 2 (first to include the Vanisher). Among the toys up for bid is a Victorian cat squeak toy from the late 19th or early 20th century. The toy is made of painted burlap and includes an original silk bow and translucent glass eyes. The pull string to activate the squeak is still functioning. View any of these lots and register to bid on Invaluable.
Material Culture presents a selection of decorative antique rugs in the upcoming auction. The featured lots come from areas such as Persia, Caucasus, Turkey, India, and China. Persian rugs and tapestries are particularly highlighted. One such item is a Farahan Sarouk rug from the 1890s. Farahan rugs come from a city in western Iran that is known for its subtle medallion motifs.
In addition, the collection features pieces from the West, including a Navajo rug and a 16th-century Flemish tapestry. The latter piece depicts a scene with wooden houses and lions, storks and wild animals. Also included in the auction is a silk rug from Turkey. The auction house estimates that the rug has nearly 8,000,000 knots, likely created over the span of 1,552 days with more than 5,000 knots per day. For more information on these items or to place a bid, visit Invaluable.
Samuel Kirk was best known for his technique of creating shapes and designs on hammered sterling silver. A Kirk sterling repoussé tea set from the 1910s is featured on the second day of the upcoming Winter Antiques Sale, offered by Litchfield County Auctions.
The sale will include a collection of 18th-century furniture, jewelry, and contemporary art. Among over 550 lots, a collection of pocket watches by Patek Philippe will be highlighted. One of these watches is a 14-karat yellow gold hunter case that dates back to around 1883. Also available in the auction is a sculpture titled Le Faneur by Charles Octave Levy, celebrated for his figurine sculptures. This piece depicts a standing figure of a young farm boy holding a pitchfork and flask. An Abstract Expressionist piece by Jimmy Ernst will be presented as well. Born in Cologne, Germany, Ernst was one of the most prominent Abstract artists in New York during the mid-20th century. To view the complete catalog and register to bid online, visit Bidsquare.
Rolex introduced the Submariner wristwatch in 1954. However, it was not until 1967 that the style became popular. Highlighted at the upcoming Jewels and Unreserved auction, offered by Rago, is a Rolex Submariner Oyster Perpetual wristwatch with a black dial.
Another lot of interest is a diamond and platinum engagement ring. During the Edwardian era, platinum became widely available, making it the metal of choice in engagement rings. Also among the notable jewelry pieces is an Art Nouveau enamel and freshwater pearl necklace by Janvier Quercia. An Italian jeweler, Janvier Quercia was considered a leader in jewelry design during the early 20th century. He incorporated a variety of materials in his works, including gold, semi-precious stones, and enamel.
George W. Shiebler and Company was a firm that produced artistic jewelry in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The excavations of Pompeii and Herculaneum inspired their oxidized silver and transparent enamel medallion items. This sale features a pair of the company’s silver medallion bracelets depicting Roman profiles of warriors and citizens. Browse the entire collection and register to bid on Bidsquare.
The ancient inhabitants of Nayarit were proficient in ceramics. At that time, pottery became a visual method of expression to pass on religious, philosophical, and astronomical knowledge. Several pieces of ancient Nayarit pottery from 200 BCE to 200 CE will be showcased in the upcoming Ancient, Ethnographic & Tribal Arts Auction, offered by Material Culture. Included in the collection are pre-Columbian Nayarit pottery pieces depicting standing female and male figures.
Ceramic works from the Late Preclassic period include not only decorated vessels but also large and small figurines of humans, animals, and other creatures. Along with the Nayarit works, the auction also presents pottery figures from Jalisco. One key lot depicts a man playing the flute. Another highlighted work is a stone anthropic Cohoba stand from Taíno (c. 1000-1500 CE). The ancient Taíno people developed different artistic traditions using bone, shell, stone, wood, and other mediums. To bid for the above-mentioned items and more, visit Invaluable.
The upcoming Open Salts auction will highlight pieces from the collection of Barbara & Elmer Guilmartin, offered by Nest Egg Auctions. A selection of open salt containers is available in the sale. These salt cellars, which are small open bowls for holding spices, were the saltshakers of the 19th century.
Highlighted are two sterling acorn salt cellars by the Danish silversmith Georg Jensen. These oval open salts are made of hand-hammered sterling silver with cobalt blue enamel. They each have double acorn-shaped handles. Also showcased is a Gorham sterling silver open salt cellar. Resting on six feet, the decorations on this piece include lions and anchors. It also has a cranberry glass insert. Over 15 open salt cellar reference books are included in the sale. Mostly written by Allen and Helen Smith, the available publications include a Royal Bayreuth collector’s guide, a handbook of Gorham open salts, and more. Visit Invaluable to register to bid and view the complete collection.
Edward Gorey was a prolific illustrator, best known for his macabre artworks for books, periodicals, and posters. He was also an author in his own right. On the 95th anniversary of Gorey’s birth, a selection of his works is presented for auction in an upcoming event offered by Doyle.
Available from Gorey’s written work is an unpublished four-page manuscript of Can Pigs Fly, a children’s story. Part of the first page is typed, with several handwritten corrections; the rest of the manuscript is in Gorey’s handwriting. Also in the sale is a limited edition copy of his book titled The Lavender Leotard; or Going a Lot to the New York City Ballet. This lot was a presentation copy given to Andreas Brown of the Gotham Book Mart. The book includes a lavender graphic cover label with a hand-colored tutu by Gorey.
From his work in posters is a set of six alphabet broadsides titled The Thoughtful Alphabet, each individually titled and numbered 2, 3, 4, 10, 14, and 15, respectively. The posters are illustrated with Gorey clip art images. Each poster is from a limited edition and signed by Gorey. View any of these lots and register to bid by visiting Doyle’s website.
The Boston Red Sox sold Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees in late 1919. In New York, Ruth became one of the most well-known baseball players in history. A news photograph of Ruth and his first wife from an article announcing his move to New York is available in the upcoming Vintage Sports Photography event, presented by Heritage Auctions. The auction notes that few photographs exist of Ruth with his first wife, Helen, who died in a 1929 house fire.
Collectors interested in Ruth can also consider a 1924 photograph of the player with bubble gum on his cap. The photograph was taken by Charles Conlon, whose photographs were used for trading cards throughout the early 20th century. Beyond Ruth, bidders will also find an early 1910’s photograph of Walter Johnson, the first pitcher to reach 3,000 strikeouts. Hall of Fame hitter Ty Cobb said that the first pitch from Johnson he ever saw “hissed with danger.” The available photograph in this auction was used for Johnson’s Cracker Jack cards. It also illustrates Johnson’s deceptively slow pitch delivery. Register to bid for this event on the Heritage Auctions website.
Brazilian artist and photographer Vik Muniz began as a sculptor but is better known for his photography. Muniz creates artworks inspired by classical paintings and photographs them. One of the highlights of the upcoming Estate Jewelry, Coins & Collectibles auction, presented by Kodner Galleries, is a 2009 silver gelatin print by Muniz. It depicts the noon rush hour and is based on a work by Andreas Feininger. Another Muniz artwork showcased in the auction is a chromogenic print titled The Goldfish Window, after the original work by Childe Hassam.
From the historic ruby mining locations to the recently found deposits in the northern state of Kachin, Myanmar (Burma) has become one of the ruby mining hubs in the world. One of the key lots featured in the upcoming sale is a Burma ruby, diamond, and gold bracelet. Another highlight is an 1873 US two-cent encased bronze coin. The auction also presents a variety of decorative art items, watches, and clocks. To view the complete catalog and register to bid online, visit Bidsquare.
