The ritual of adorning a wedding band on the fourth finger of the left hand goes back to the ancient Egyptians. These earliest forms of bands were designed with leather, braided hemp, bones and reeds. In modern times, the bands have evolved into elaborate pieces with the use of diamonds and other precious gemstones. One such diamond band ring, made in 18-karat yellow gold, is a key highlight of the upcoming sale by Heritage Estate Jewelry. Weighing a total of 2.75 carats, the three rows of diamonds have SI2 clarity and H color.
Two other jewelry lots fashioned with diamond halos also lead the listings. One is a pair of earrings crafted in 14-karat rose gold, featuring an oval-cut morganite, weighing 8.82 carats. This centerpiece is flanked by round brilliant-cut diamonds, weighing 1.86 carats. The other is a cocktail-style sapphire ring made in platinum. The sapphire, measuring 2.83 carats, is surrounded by round and baguette diamonds, weighing 1.21 carats. Equally noteworthy is an 18-karat yellow gold emerald and diamond bypass ring. The round and baguette diamonds weigh 1.50 carats and have VS2 clarity and G color. To view the complete catalog and register to bid in the upcoming Fine Estate Jewelry Closeout sale, visit Bidsquare and browse other online auctions. Find the latest auction previews on Auction Daily.
Among the highlights of Bonhams’ September Asia Week New York sale series is the company’s Classical and Modern Chinese Paintings event. This extensive auction highlights museum-quality works by masters of Chinese painting across the centuries, from Qi Baishi and Zhang Daqian to Fu Baoshi and Zhao Mengfu. Among the top lots is Fu Baoshi’s Lady in the Studio, a 1945 hanging scroll executed in ink and color on paper. This work was formerly included in the Robert and Lisa Kessler Collection and was recently exhibited at the Denver Art Museum in Colorado. This work, created by the artist during the Sino-Japanese War, depicts a woman sitting serenely on a mat, scrolls laid out in front of her. In the background, an elegant plum blossom branch and vase rests on a window frame. The painting features delicate brushwork and ample negative space. Another key 20th-century lot is Zhang Daqian’s Lady from 1929. According to the auction house, the subject of this work— a woman in a flowing gray robe— may reference the historical Su Xiaoxiao, a famous courtesan and poet of the Southern Qi Dynasty period.
Older works in the catalog include Cao Yuan’s Snow Landscape, which dates back to 1683. This is a hanging scroll that bears two artist’s seals and one collector’s seal. It depicts a mountainous landscape scene, with minute figures and houses lining a stream. Bidders can also consider an anonymous painting in the style of 14th-century artist Bian Jingzhao. Birds and Blossoming Flowers in a Garden depicts a layered vignette: a curved rock formation appears in the foreground, with birds and a flowering tree appearing behind. To browse the complete Classical and Modern Chinese Paintings catalog and register to bid, visit Bonhams’ website. Find more auction previews and news on Auction Daily.
In the United States, the underground comix scene emerged in the 1960s. The comics focused on subjects like counterculture, politics, free love, rock music, or more controversial topics like recreational drug use. The underground comix scene had its strongest success in the United States between 1968 and 1975. A central figure in the underground comix movement was Steve Clay Wilson (1941 – 2021), an American cartoonist. Wilson attracted the attention of readers with aggressively violent and explicit panoramas that often depicted the wild escapades of pirates and bikers. Wilson’s Gems and Junk “Frank N. Stein” from 1985 is a leading lot in the upcoming Counterculture and the 1960s auction, presented by Potter & Potter Auctions. It is an original ink on paper with numerous white-out corrections and enhancements. A total of 11 panels complete the story on five layout pages. This complete story, published in Jump Start #2 (1987), features a drug user, “Itchy” Fenan, and his friend, R. Z., who rob and kill a jewel dealer to purchase heroin.
Letter From Birmingham City Jail, a handsome copy of one of the most important and famous works written during the Civil Rights movement, is coming to auction this September. It was written by Martin Luther King Jr. and published by the American Friends Service Committee in 1963. This copy was the first edition, first printing with the “5-63” letter code on the rear cover. The lot has one light vertical crease to wrappers and text. The message delivered by the letter was “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” The sale offers an array of counterculture collectibles, from comic art to civil rights treasures. View the Counterculture and the 1960s auction catalog by visiting Potter & Potter Auctions, and browse other auction previews and news on Auction Daily.
Available from Sotheby’s this September is an extensive collection of Ming and Qing porcelains, early ceramics, jades, and other items. Among the top lots is a large yellow-glazed bowl bearing a Kangxi mark at the base. Under the Kangxi Emperor, large yellow-glazed bowls with imperial marks witnessed a renaissance during the Jiajing period. Ceramics produced under this rule established standards for later reigns and introduced innovation and technical excellence in pottery making. The available bowl has an egg-yolk-yellow glaze on both sides, with a deep, rounded body that rises to a slightly out-curved rim. Also available is a white-glazed stem bowl, a 15th-century item from the Ming dynasty. These bowls were made for imperial ceremonies during the reign of the Yongle Emperor. As a Tibetan Buddhist devotee, Yongle used these wares in rituals and gave them to Tibetan monasteries. The present stem bowl is characterized by its perfectly balanced profile, typical of the 15th century, and is finished with a lustrous white glaze, called tianbai in Chinese. It is adorned with anhua, or ‘secret decoration,’ representing the Eight Buddhist Emblems.
Among Chinese paintings in the sale, an ink-on-paper hand scroll poem by Ruan Yuan is notable. Ruan Yuan was a major figure in Chinese culture and intellectual life in the early 19th century. Ruan Yuan authored writing in a running script, as seen in this scroll. Bidders can also consider a peach bloom-glazed brush washer from the Kangxi period, a collection of Chinese art reference books, and a pair of archaic bronze ‘tiger’ mat weights from the Han dynasty. Visit Sotheby’s website for more information on this Chinese Art sale and to register to bid. Find more auction previews and news on Auction Daily.
American landscape artist Alfred R. Mitchell was well known for his California Impressionist style of paintings. He worked outdoors in nature and depicted the state’s landscape in his compositions. The upcoming Leonard Auction sale will feature Lumber Mill in Caspar, one such oil on board by Mitchell. Portraying a lumber mill before sunrise, the painting has a gilt frame with artist plaque. Another noteworthy oil landscape in the catalog is a piece by Charles W. Fryer. It depicts tranquil scenery replete with trees, rocks, and a water puddle in a forest.
A sterling silver Glen View Club trophy assortment also leads the listings. It comprises three bowls, a plate, a tray, and a pitcher, all marked ‘sterling’. Another striking assortment is a pottery set by Van Briggle and Fulper. It includes three vases and a planter in matte mulberry glaze and a moth design vase in mountain brown/green glaze, all marked ‘Van Briggle.’ The lot also consists of a vase, a three-legged bowl and a two-handled bowl, all marked ‘Fulper.’ Also of interest is a double circle 14-karat gold charm bracelet. It is designed with seven charms, adorned with engravings, sculptures, and gemstones. To view the complete catalog and register to bid in the upcoming September Online Auction (Sale #319), visit Bidsquare and browse other online auctions. Find the latest auction previews on Auction Daily.
The upcoming two-day September sale from DuMouchelles features a broad selection of fine art, decorative art, and furniture. Leading the first day of the event is an Italian Baroque carved wood and gilded gesso console surmounted with a mirror. This 18th-century piece is elaborately decorated with rosettes, carved leaves, and scrollwork. A piece of rouge marble tops the console. A similar mirror lot will also be available on the first day of this auction. This circa 1890 piece features a Rococo bronze frame and figural motifs. Other notable lots include a Herend porcelain ‘Rothschild Bird’ dinner service that includes 93 pieces. Dishes of all shapes and sizes are included in the set. The wealthy Rothschild family patronized Herend and especially prized the company’s bird patterns. This delicately-painted pattern was renamed for the family in the mid-19th century.
Day Two of this sale focuses on fine art and sculpture from prominent modern and contemporary artists. Leading this section of the catalog is Victor Vasarely’s Ally from 1990. An acrylic on canvas, this geometric piece employs hexagons to create an optical illusion in green, orange, and purple. Vasarely was a Hungarian-French artist who helped found and develop the 20th-century Op Art movement. The available work was created near the end of his career, after he had been working with hexagons for decades. Bidders can also consider a bronze sculpture of two bears by American artist Marshall Maynard Fredericks. A major sculptor of Michigan, Fredericks was particularly known for his public artworks. Browse the complete September 2024: Day One catalog and browse other online auctions on Bidsquare. Find additional auction previews and the latest news on Auction Daily.
The upcoming Fall Modern Art + Design auction at Billings will feature nearly 400 lots of 20th-century furniture, objects, lighting, and art. Particularly highlighted is a ‘Snowflake’ chandelier dating back to 1950. It was designed by Finnish designer Paavo Viljo Tynell (1890 – 1973), who is often referred to as the ‘man who illuminated Finland.’ According to the auction catalog, the offered lot is in excellent condition with a light patina throughout. Among the available furniture pieces, a Girafa chair designed jointly by Lina Bo Bardi, Marcelo Ferraz, and Marcelo Suzuki stands out. Made in 1990, the chair was produced by the Marcenaria Baraúna workshop in São Paulo, Brazil. This elegant wood chair has a tripod base and a slim backrest resembling a giraffe neck.
A wide range of fine art will also be available in this auction. Leading this section of the sale is an oil on canvas by Tomory Dodge titled Heavy Weather. This abstract artwork from 2009 is marked with impressive lines and shapes. On the verso, the artist’s signature can be seen along with the title. Collectors can also consider two ‘Pig’ planters by John Follis and Rex Goode in different finishes, an early Antonio Volpe ‘Egg’ rocking chair, and a ‘Ruba Rombic’ vanity set. To view the complete catalog and register to place a bid in the Fall Modern Art + Design sale, visit Billings’ website. Find additional auction previews and news on Auction Daily.
American artist Gertrude Stanwood was born on March 2, 1874. Stanwood, an art teacher at Chicago’s Stickney School, made pottery wares for the Grueby Faience Company. Her vases and art in a wide range of media are highly valued among collectors. A rare and exceptional vase with daffodils by Stanwood is a key highlight of the upcoming auction from Rago. The available Grueby vase is a glazed earthenware with images of daffodils carved on its upper surface. It features the Grueby company’s iconic cucumber-green matte glaze. The artist’s initials and the manufacturer’s brand marks are inscribed on the underside.
Another noteworthy lot is a 1910 rare vase designed by artist Fritz Albert. It is designed for Teco Pottery, a company founded in 1881 by Illinois lawyer William Day Gates (1852 – 1935). The offered piece is characterized by Native American portraits and a distinctive green glaze. A Teco stamp is found on the underside along with the incised number ‘132’. A Favrile Pottery tyg with chard leaves by Tiffany Studios is another top lot. It has three handles. Collectors can also consider examples by Newcomb College, George Ohr, Artus Van Briggle, the Martin Brothers, and more. Visit Rago to view the complete catalog and register to bid in the upcoming American & European Art Pottery sale. Find more auction previews by visiting Auction Daily.
The origins of cuff bracelets trace back to the times of ancient Greece, Rome, and Egypt. Adorned as protective amulets, these bracelets were designed in gold. They were also considered to be symbols of power and safety. A Zolotas 22-karat gold set of cuffs and necklace fashioned in an early Greek style is a key highlight of the upcoming sale from Winbids Auctions. Each cuff fits up to 8.5 inches and measures three inches in width. The necklace fits up to 17 inches and measures 3.25 inches in width. Established in Athens in 1895 by Efthimios Zolotas, the jewelry maker is known for its signature designs, primarily drawing inspiration from antiquity. Another noteworthy piece in the catalog is an 18-karat yellow gold and silver snake bangle. It is studded with old mine diamonds and two ruby cabochon gemstones.
A platinum Diamonds by the Yard necklace, weighing 44.9 grams, also leads the listings. It is styled with 124 diamonds, together measuring approximately 45 carats. Two bracelets made of gold and platinum are of interest as well. One is a Calderoni Italy 1900 Art Nouveau Liberty piece, and the other is a French flexible bracelet created by Emile Rattan. To view the complete catalog and register to bid in the upcoming Falling Into Elegance: Estate Jewelry sale, visit Bidsquare and browse other online auctions. Visit Auction Daily for more auction previews and press releases.
Bonhams is offering a rare 16th/17th-century Huanghuali horseshoe back armchair in its upcoming Chinese Ceramics, Works of Art, and Snuff Bottles auction. Huanghuali or fragrant rosewood chairs were among the most famous pieces of furniture from the Ming Dynasty. This horseshoe-back chair was a singular chair for the head of the household or authoritative officials, often positioned in front of a large painting screen, a setup depicted in both Ming dynasty paintings and woodblock illustrations. The most striking feature of the chair is the rectangular central cartouche on the back splat, which depicts the pictorial subject of Pinghua Qinggong (flower offering). Black splats with such representational renderings are extremely rare. The gracefully curved crest rail has five sections joined by pressure-pegged scarf joints terminating in out-swept hooks with a low-relief chi dragon. The chi dragons on this chair closely resemble the style of carving found on a dressing table cabinet from the late Ming-early Qing period.
A very rare brown-splashed Qingbai ‘Sheng Player’ ewer from the Northern Song Dynasty is also available in the auction. Figural water vessels are extremely rare, and the present example— with its fine details and well-executed iron-spot glaze— is one of the best in its category. The domed vessel is lively modeled and carved as a musician wearing a floral crown and a flowing blouse with floral roundels over a long-pleated skirt. Her hands hold a wind instrument sheng, which serves as the spout opposite the handle. The facial features are depicted with large ‘phoenix’ eyes, her mouth blowing into the tube connecting to the sheng. A blue-tinted glaze covers the piece inside and out. View the full Chinese Ceramics, Works of Art, and Snuff Bottles auction catalog on Bonhams’ website, and find other auction previews by visiting Auction Daily.
