Advantage Card Playing and Draw Poker was a 1905 book by F. R. Ritter. It is leading the upcoming Gambling Memorabilia Auction from Potter & Potter Auctions. It is a rare first edition book illustrated with photographs of manipulative dealing positions like blockouts, holdouts and the earliest known image of a Jacobs Ladder-style holdout. The majority of this book deals with marked cards popular during the early 20th century in the United States. The second part briefly describes sleight-of-hand for the card cheater such as second dealing, bottom dealing, shuffling, false cuts, and mechanical holdouts. It is covered in light green cloth and gilt-stamped.
Gambling devices like a matching pair of Keno gooses are other noteworthy lots. This pair was made in 1885 by John Kewnig. Among the pair, one keno is gaffed and another is straight. The gaffed goose is operated by twisting the ring on top and opening a chamber where the operator can place low or high numbers. It has a partial set of wood keno balls. Kewnig was one of San Francisco’s premier knife makers who also sold sporting goods. He worked with John Meyer, a well-respected ivory turner, before going off on his own. The available pair is the only known set of keno gooses marked with his name. The auction also offers gambling posters, vending machines, casino and poker chips, and ephemera. Visit Potter & Potter Auctions for more information on the upcoming Gambling Memorabilia sale and to place a bid.
Columbian emeralds that possess a deep green color are known for their exceptional clarity and quality. The upcoming auction from Freeman’s will showcase a platinum necklace set with alternating sections of natural Colombian emeralds and diamonds. The lot features a total of 41 Colombian emeralds, weighing 45.79 carats, and 82 round brilliant-cut diamonds. The total weight of the diamonds is 8.89 carats.
Another noteworthy lot is a platinum ring laden with the lining of ten round, brilliant-cut diamonds and additional accent diamonds. Adorning the center is a 10.47-carat cushion brilliant step-cut natural royal blue Burmese sapphire. The diamonds appear almost colorless with VVS clarity. Tiffany collectors can consider an antique diamond and enamel orchid brooch designed by jeweler Paulding Farnham. The brooch depicts a rare species of orchid represented realistically in green, pink, and violet enamel hues. The blossom emerging from a long gold and diamond stem is composed of sepals in silver and gold. The dropping sepals are supported by a column of rose-cut diamonds, mine-cut diamonds, and cabochon rubies.
The select 55-lot sale also features a Bulgari Monete coin diamond necklace, an 18-karat yellow gold Aldo Cipullo XO collar necklace, a pair of Harry Winston platinum and diamond earrings, and a Kashmir sapphire ring. Visit Freeman’s to view the complete catalog and register to bid in the upcoming Jewelry and Watches sale.
The upcoming sale at Avenue Auctions will feature a large colored bison sculpture by Steve Kaufman. This work was formerly owned by Nicolas Cage and was sold with the actor’s San Francisco home around 2004, at which point it was painted and signed by Kaufman. An American Pop artist, Kaufman served as an assistant to Andy Warhol at The Factory studio before launching his own studio and focusing on outsized works with social commentary. The available fiberglass sculpture stands over five feet tall and eight feet long. Other notable works of fine art in the catalog include a lithograph by American Pop artist James Rizzi and a selection of paintings by Canadian contemporary artist Natasha Turovsky.
Beyond fine art, the auction will present a selection of Ukrainian icons. Among them is a religious painting executed on the side of a barrel. It shows the Virgin Mary and Child at the center of a sunburst. Saints and angels surround them, carrying scrolls and making gestures of praise. Additional lots of interest include a 2019-S American Silver Eagle coin, a 2016 Queen’s Beast Lion of England gold coin, and more. Over 150 lots are available in this event. To view the complete catalog of the May I Buy Art? sale and to find other online auctions, visit Bidsquare.
Cabaret dancers dancing to a pianist in an untitled painting by Louis Icart is leading the upcoming Luxor Sale of Modern & Contemporary Art. Dane Fine Art will host the event this May, offering more than 1,000 lots. The painting by Icart (1888 – 1950) is a unique oil on board that is unlike Icart’s usual sensual and glamourous depictions of women. This painting is chaotic, colorful, and abstract, making the subjects hard to separate from one another. Icart is recognized as one of France’s top Art Deco artists, while his etchings are now symbols of the epoch.
Cover Girl featuring Kate Moss by Mr. Brainwash is also a notable lot. Made in 2017, it is a color screen-print with paint on paper, hand signed on front by Mr. Brainwash. Discovered at the age of 14, Kate Moss caught the attention of Sarah Doukas and then the fashion industry at large. In the 1990s, she was photographed in a stark, un-stylized, candid manner by the British photographer Corinne Day. She has worked with many famous brands since. The sale marks Dane Fine Art’s 44th year with artworks by Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, Julian Opie, Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, and others. Visit Bidsquare for more information on the upcoming Luxor Sale of Modern & Contemporary Art and to browse other online auctions.
An iconic representation of the Black Forest clock industry is the clock peddler. Today, it is still used as a symbol. Early Black Forest clocks were produced by farmers in the cold winter months, which led to the clock peddler’s origin. These clocks were carried on the backs of young men into distant lands, where they were sold. An uhrentrager or clock peddler was a type of miniature made by the Black Forest clock industry in the 1850s and 1860s. One such clock peddler figure will be highlighted in this upcoming sale, presented by Schmitt Horan & Co. This polychrome painted sheet iron figure has a wooden head, hands, and legs. The peddler is dressed in a Black Forest costume, holding a shield clock with an additional clock on his back.
Another notable lot is a carriage clock featuring Limoges panels dating from the late 19th century. The available watch has a ribbed handle with a beveled glass inspection panel atop a stepped upper section, and fluted reeded columns at the corners. The Roman numeral dial is made with an eight-day movement. It plays the hours and half hours, with the last hour repeated as needed. Visit Bidsquare for more information on the upcoming Watches & Clocks, Parts, Tools, and Mechanical Music sale and to browse other online auctions.
This Finest & Rarest Wines auction offered by Sotheby’s includes hundreds of rare quality wines from across the globe. Featuring both vintage and modern wines, this auction has starting bids ranging from $100 to $35,000. Leading the collection is 12 bottles of 1982 Château Lafleur from the prestigious Pomerol appellation. This exceptional French wine has an intense plum color and a meaty taste. The full-bodied wine offers aromas of drenched damsons and strong notes of licorice with a coffee bean finish. Château Lafleur’s wines are known for their aging potential that lasts for several decades.
Six bottles of 2009 La Tâche are another highlight of the sale. Also from France, these wines are a perfect symphony of flavors, aromas, and textures. Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (DRC) produces the world’s most revered wines from its quaint vineyards in Vosne-Romanée. La Tâche is a French appellation and a grand cru vineyard entirely under the monopole of the renowned Domaine. Screaming Eagle, produced in California, is represented with several bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon. Screaming Eagle’s sister wine produced from the vineyard’s younger vines, called Second Flight, is available as well. Visit Sotheby’s to view the complete catalog and register to bid in the upcoming Finest & Rarest Wines Sale.
An autographed draft copy of Isaac Newton’s Irenicum, the thinker’s statement on God and Christianity, will soon be auctioned by Bonhams. Written near the end of Newton’s life, the Irenicum was the result of theological research spanning decades. Newton viewed the document as a bid for peace between Christian sects. He proposed a set of guiding principles that he felt all Christians could agree on. In the available lot, Newton clarifies some of his intent and sentiments outlined in the Irenicum, including his belief that Christianity must be founded on the teachings of the Old Testament. Also of note in this auction is an original leaf from the Gutenberg Bible. This contains Latin text from Ezekiel 39:7 to 40:27.
More modern works in the auction include a presentation copy of Studies in Hysteria by Sigmund Freud. Published in 1895, this book represents Freud’s first foray into psychoanalysis. It details his work with Fanny Bardas (née Klein) over many years. The available copy was gifted and inscribed to Bardas. Other key lots in this sale include one of the first books published in California, a first edition copy of Nelson Slater’s Fruits of Mormonism; an illustrated set of anatomical drawings by Gautier d’Agoty; and a signed photograph of Albert Einstein. Visit Bonhams to view the complete catalog and register to bid in this Fine Books and Manuscripts sale.
The 1847 Victoria Gothic Crown coin is among the leading lots in The Manfred Xavier Thelen Collection of British Milled Coins sale, presented by Noonans. Victoria first sat for William Wyon in 1834 before she became Queen, which was in 1837. Wyon had designed coins for Victoria throughout her reign. The available coin features Queen Victoria wearing the Gothic crown. The coin is dubbed by The Britannia Coin Company as the most beautiful British coin ever minted. Silver specimens with an edge reading are among the rarest, like the one available in this sale.
Collectors can also consider Edward VII’s 1904 half-crown coin. This is also a rare coin as Edward VII had a very short reign. Coinage with his portrait is difficult to find. The available coin has the bare head of the King on one side and a beautiful crowned shield on the other side. All of his silver coins were struck in sterling silver. The half-crown was the largest denomination silver coin stuck for regular usage. The auction also offers George III (1760 – 1820) and George IV (1820 – 1830) half-crowns. Visit Noonans for more information on the upcoming The Manfred Xavier Thelen Collection Of British Milled Coins sale and to place a bid.
This May, Bonhams Skinner will showcase handwritten musical manuscripts and scores by composer and lyricist Stephen Joshua Sondheim. One of the most influential figures in American musical theater, Sondheim (1930 – 2021) produced 19 musical productions between 1954 and 2008. He also penned lyrics and composed music for his shows. The upcoming auction highlights manuscript scores (music and lyrics) in pencil for songs from two early unproduced projects, Mary Poppins and High Tor. Also included in this collection of musical manuscripts are photo-reproduced handwritten and rehearsal scores for songs from Sondheim’s unproduced shows.
The sale also offers one of the two volumes of Kitab Alf Layla wa-Layla (Book of a Thousand and One Nights). This rare Bulaq edition printed in Arabic was published between 1834 and 1835. The red leather-bound book has 356 numbered laid paper pages with pencil illustrations of sailing ships. Among the paper items in the auction are several letters by admirers and constituents addressed to George C. Wallace during his tenure as Governor of Alabama. Other noteworthy lots include a signed 1817 letter by Napoleon Bonaparte to his son, 36 gold-plated tie clips commanded by John F. Kennedy, World War II posters, and more. Visit Bonhams Skinner to view the complete catalog and browse the Fine Books & Rare Manuscripts auction.
The upcoming Important Fine Art & Design Auction from Showplace will feature Portrait of a Young Man in the Artist’s Studio, an oil painting on canvas by Ilya Yefimovich Repin. Completed in 1914, this painting depicts a young man with a three-quarter face reclining on a sofa. His head appears to be wrapped in a black bandage. This painting is framed in a period gilt wood frame. Ilya Yefimovich Repin (1844 – 1930) was a Ukraine-born Russian artist. His portraits gained attention for being psychologically revealing. His subjects were political, literary, and artistic figures like Mikhail Glinka and Leo Tolstoy, with whom he had a long friendship.
Handcrafted in 18-karat yellow gold, an emerald and diamond encrusted floral brooch is a notable piece of jewelry in the upcoming Important Fine Art & Design Auction. The petals of this floral brooch feature 87 prong-set round brilliant-cut emeralds, weighing a total of 4.35 carats. A 94-bead set of single-cut diamonds weighing approximately 1.88 carats also adorn the brooch. Among these, three are prong-set marquise, brilliant-cut, and fancy yellow diamonds weighing approximately 2.25 carats. This brooch also features a cluster of three green diamonds. For more information on the Important Fine Art & Design Auction, May 21, visit Bidsquare and browse other online auctions.
