Hindman’s upcoming Fine Furniture, Decorative Arts & Silver auction in February will include a Chinese hardwood daybed, a 20th-century empire-style chandelier, and a pair of Renaissance Revival leather oak armchairs. Highlighted in the sale is a late 19th-century German silver sculpture. This table ornament shows a three-masted and fully staffed ship. In miniature, it is rigged and decorated with mythological figures and scrolls. The ship is raised on wheels and stands almost 28 inches tall.
An Italian Renaissance tapestry can also be found in this auction. This late 16th-century scenic tapestry depicts King Henry II and other hunters with a villa in the background. It is weaved in shades of blue, green, and brown. A key piece of furniture presented in the sale is a 19th century Louis XVI-style marquise. The small sofa is patterned with flowers set against an intricately carved beechwood frame. View the whole catalog and register to bid by visiting Invaluable.
The upcoming Trains, Toy Soldiers & Dolls auction, offered by Weiss Auctions, is anchored by a large selection of model trains, mechanical toys, and advertising pieces. The sale also includes replacement engines for the model trains and mechanical pieces.
In addition to model trains, this auction will highlight antique toys, including a lot of six boxed Mattel toy saddle guns. Included in this lot is the #663 toy gun, as well as the #592 Winchester. The latter item has a John Wayne illustration on the box and a leather bandolier with 32 bullets. A vintage Uncle Sam mechanical bank, two Buddy Lee advertising dolls (dressed in Lee brand dungarees), and a Mignot “The Time Machine” diorama will be presented as well. Other collectibles in the sale include a King-Seeley “The Partridge Family” lunchbox, a 14-piece collection of Texaco premium fire hats, and a Kyser & Rex security safe deposit bank. View any of these lots and register to bid on Invaluable.
The old mine cut diamonds preceded modern brilliant-cut diamonds. Characteristics of the older style included a high crown, a small table, and rounded corners of the square face. They were common during the Georgian and Victorian eras. The upcoming Essential Jewelry auction, offered by Hindman, will feature an Art Deco bracelet containing two old European and one old mine cut diamond.
Also available in this auction is a Bulgari yellow gold necklace and bracelet set containing alternating round and oval links with square spacers. A diamond eternity band is another leading lot. With 100 round diamonds on the piece, the eternity band signifies eternal love. Another item of interest is a garnet lizard brooch. Lizards were a popular figure in jewelry during the time of Queen Victoria, representing eternity, divine wisdom, and good fortune. The lizard brooch available in this sale contains old European and mixed-cut diamonds with two pink sapphire eyes. View the complete listings and register to bid on Hindman.
The Golconda mines in southern India have produced some of the most historic diamonds since the time of the Moghul Emperors. Jeweler Laurence Graff’s artistic journey began with a 1974 acquisition of a yellow diamond, the Star of Bombay from the Golconda mines. He bought the diamond from a European dealer who sold it for the benefit of a noble Indian family. An 8.56-carat cushion-cut yellow diamond ring by Graff will be featured in the upcoming Valentine’s Estate Jewelry, Coins & Collectibles auction, offered by Kodner Galleries.
Another key lot available in this sale is a drypoint etching by Georges Braque. Often dubbed a founder of Cubism, the French painter and printmaker was among the most admired artists of his generation. Also of interest in this auction is a Bouchardon vase by René Lalique. Both sides of the blue frosted glass vase depict molded nude female figures holding garlands. View the full catalog and register to bid online on Bidsquare.
Beginning with Russian Constructivism before continuing to Impressionism and Cubism, Yuri Gevorgian Yuroz has experimented with disparate mediums and styles. His art incorporates expressive, gestural brushstrokes and monochromatic colors. The upcoming Paintings, Furniture, Decorative Arts & Fine Rugs auction presented by Alex Cooper will feature one of Yuroz’s mixed media pieces. This work on a panel depicts a couple sharing wine. Besides fine art, the sale also includes mid-century furniture, Asian arts, textiles, and decorative arts. A selection of rugs, dinnerware, and carpets are available as well.
Of interest in this sale is a Chinese Famille Rose porcelain vase. The vase is painted in opaque overglaze pink colors, portraying auspicious figures of immortals and sages. Other available lots include an 18th-century American Chippendale mahogany secretary desk with four graduated long drawers and double side lopers. Explore the full listings and register to bid online on Bidsquare.
In 1916, the public got its first glimpse of Renault combat armored tanks. Louis Cartier was so impressed by the geometry of those tanks that it became his muse for a new line of men’s wristwatches. He designed the prototype in 1917, which quickly became popular. In the preface of his book Cartier: The Tank Watch, watch expert Franco Cologni wrote that the watch “is one of those V.I.O.s (Very Important Objects) which rank amongside [sic] the most famous of human V.I.P.s.” One of Cartier’s mini-tank wristwatches is among the highlighted lots of the upcoming jewelry auction offered by Stair.
Another key item in the sale is a long gold Cuban chain necklace. The result of the hip-hop jewelry movement that began in the late 1970s, the Cuban link chain has a thick texture and is interlocked to highlight each link. Another featured lot is a piece from Ilias Lalaounis. Founder of one of the most popular Greek jewelry brands, Lalaounis combines ancient techniques with modern technology. View the entire catalog for this auction and register to bid online on Bidsquare.
The legacy of Manhattan’s Fifty/50 Gallery will be honored in the upcoming Structure & Ornament auction, presented by Rago and Wright. This sale of jewelry from 1900 to the present revisits a similar exhibition by the gallery in 1984. Mark McDonald, the only surviving founder of Fifty/50, was among the forerunners of Mid-century Modernism. He brought the work of contemporary designers into New York and the broader art market, particularly through his catalog for the 1984 show. Curating the present auction, McDonald reflects, “Creating this sale has been a look back and a lunge forward for me, reviving treasured old connections and encouraging me to stretch my focus in new directions.” Over 140 lots of Modernist studio jewelry will be available. This includes pieces from Giampaolo Babetto, Peter Chang, and Harry Bertoia.
Babetto’s pieces represented in the sale reflect Minimalism, Concrete Art, and Modernism. One key lot from the Italian artist is an 18-karat gold necklace, signed and dated by Babetto in 2000. A perfect circle with five slightly bent parts, the back is blackened with niello, a metallic sulfur alloy popular during the Renaissance. Several of his brooches will be on offer as well, resembling small, geometric wall hangings.
Works from Peter Chang, a Scottish jeweler, contrast strongly with many of the other Mid-century Modern lots. All three of his works available in this auction invoke Chang’s Chinese ancestry and personal touch of whimsy. The Herald quotes his artistic philosophy: “I like to incorporate a bit of fun: spice it up. People take things too seriously.” His bracelet is decorated with red and white fragments on a purple background, edged by a bulbous yellow-and-green border. A scorpion necklace from John Paul Miller, a gold bracelet by Arnaldo Pomodoro, and several figural jewelry works by Gerd Rothmann are also highlighted. View the complete catalog and register to bid for this event on Bidsquare.
The 20th century saw the emergence of Inuit and Indigenous artists in the Western art scene. Representing diverse communities and cultures across the Canadian Arctic, Greenland, and parts of Alaska, these artists differ in style but maintain common themes in their work. The upcoming Inuit Art auction offered by Eldred’s will include a selection of contemporary Inuit and ethnographic works, including carvings, prints, and jewelry. Leading the sale is a lithograph by the late R.C. Gorman, a Navajo painter whose works were inspired by his Mexican contemporaries. Carol’s Blanket Slate II by Gorman shows a Native woman wrapped in a blue and red striped blanket, gazing skyward.
Soapstone and ivory carvings were among the chief artistic outputs of Inuit communities during the 20th century. A Cape Dorset beluga whale sculpture is a highlight of this auction, as well as an Eskimo soapstone carving of a muskox. The ivory pieces include a mallet with two polar bear reliefs and a carved walrus tusk. Depicting a walrus, kayak, and caribou, the latter tusk was likely made on Nunivak Island. View the complete catalog for this auction and register to bid on Eldred’s.
Romain de Tirtoff, better known as Erté, moved to Paris from St. Petersburg when he was 18 years old to pursue fashion and costume design. With the help of Harper’s Bazaar magazine, Erté grew to become a leading designer of French performance halls, women’s fashion, and theatrical costumes. His lavish yet simple designs placed him at the forefront of the Art Deco movement. Heritage Auctions will present almost 100 items designed by Erté in the upcoming Art & Costume Design Online Auction. Painted bronze sculptures, serigraph prints, and costume sketches from Erté will be offered in the sale.
Among the leading lots is a set of ten original embossed serigraphs signed by the artist. Collectively titled Numbers, each print shows a woman or pair of women arranged to resemble the numbers zero to nine. Number Two is formed by a woman resting on her shins, while Number Six shows a woman as a charioteer. Several mirrors are also available in this sale, including a bronze wall mirror from 1985 titled Narcissism. Erté’s jewelry works presented in the auction include ruby and diamond earrings and amethyst rings. View the full catalog and register to bid by visiting Heritage Auctions.
Broward Auction Gallery presents over 400 pieces of fine and decorative art in their upcoming auction. An untitled abstract painting by Esteban Vicente is one of the featured lots. Vicente moved to New York City from Spain in 1939, where he met and was influenced by notable Abstract Expressionists Willem de Kooning and Jackson Pollock. This painting comes to auction from New York collector Ruth Vered, who knew the artist and even hosted his exhibitions in her galleries.
20th-century art collectors can also consider an untitled piece by American artist Llyn Foulkes. The painting was produced in 1961, the same year as his first solo exhibition at the Ferus Gallery in Los Angeles. Later in his career, Foulkes would be known for repurposing pop culture icons such as Mickey Mouse within his pieces. Also available in this auction are works of decorative art, including a bronze antelope by Loet Vanderveen and a 19th-century urn from Dresden. View each of the lots and register to bid on Invaluable.
