Freeman’s November auction of modern and contemporary American craft works from the collection of attorney Robert L. Pfannebecker will present nearly 200 lots of genre-defying fine art, sculpture, furniture, and other items. Since the 1980s, Pfannebecker has amassed a famous collection of craft based on an individual vision and style. He often collected directly from the studios of graduate students at Cranbrook Academy of Art and Alfred University. Among the top lots is a low-fire clay, wood, and acrylic sculpture from Patti Warashina, an American artist who Pfannebecker patronized for decades. Her low-fire clay works depict “situations in which irony, humor, absurdities portray human behavior as a relief from society’s pressure and frustrations on mankind,” according to her artist’s statement. The available 1979 grouping, aptly titled Freeing the Bird, depicts a partially clothed woman joyfully releasing a long-necked bird to the sky.
Many of the available lots were made and acquired during the 1970s and 80s. This includes several sets of glass basket forms by Dale Chihuly, many of which evoke the colors and shapes of Pacific Northwest Coast Native American baskets. The catalog boasts art by William Harper, Dominic Di Mare, Michael Lucero, and Dan Dailey, as well as more contemporary items from Sunkoo Yuh. Proceeds from this auction will support scholarships for artists of merit and need. To view the complete listings and place a bid, visit Freeman’s.
Diamond Dust Shoes (Pink), Warhol’s 1980 synthetic polymer paint, silkscreen ink, and diamond dust on canvas piece, is a leading lot in Bonhams’ upcoming Post-War & Contemporary Art auction. Warhol started his career drawing shoes for Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, for which he received the nickname “the Leonardo da Vinci of the shoe trade.” Warhol created his high-heeled art to depict the glamourized and consumerist American way of life, as opposed to his humble upbringing by Slovakian immigrant parents.
Two red cherries are beaming with smiles in Takashi Murakami’s Cherries from circa 2005. It is a fiber-reinforced plastic, steel, acrylic, and urethane paint sculpture offered in the upcoming auction. Murakami is one of the most recognizable contemporary artists whose art was greatly influenced by Pop Art. Cherries is a representation of Murakami’s most Pop, playful, and kawaii side. The Post-War & Contemporary Art auction will offer several lots from the estate of Melvin S. Rosenthal and the estate of Sherman K. Edmiston. Major works by Keith Haring, Adriana Varejão, Rashid Johnson, Mark Rothko, Roy Lichtenstein, Norman Lewis, and Sam Gilliam will be included. Find the listed items and more on Bonhams and register to place a bid.
Austrian-born British potter Lucie Rie produced fine ceramic buttons to make ends meet during and after World War II. She studied pottery under the guidance of artist Michael Powolny at the Vienna Kunstgewerbeschule, a school of arts and crafts. In 1946, she hired Hans Coper to help her make ceramic buttons. The creative duo established a style of modern ceramic art that remains influential even today. Footed Bowl by Lucie Rie is a key highlight of this upcoming Modern Design event, held by Hindman. The porcelain bowl with a golden manganese glaze and sgraffito design is signed with an impressed artist’s seal to the underside. The piece showcases Rie’s unique 20th-century ceramic techniques.
William Morris’ glasswork, Suspended Petroglyph: Urn with Horn, is also available in the sale. The offered item stands on an enamelled metal stand and was made in 1991. The first section of the auction features a selection of works from American luminaries Paul Evans and Paul Frankl as well as suites by American artists and designers Philip and Kelvin LaVerne. European highlights from the sale feature iconic designs by Hans Wegner, Luigi Caccia Dominioni, Franco Albini, Afra and Tobia Scarpa, Gae Aulenti and Cini Boeri. Find the listed items and more by visiting Hindman.
Louis Comfort Tiffany desired to create a better version of contemporary glass for interior design. He thus made his own signature glass using different materials, colors, and textures. The upcoming Hindman auction presents glass windows and lampshades by Tiffany Studios. A stained glass window, titled Musician In The Cove, carries the highest presale estimate. The circa 1890 window features Tiffany’s signature leaded-glass technique for assembling glass pieces in the lead frames. A Gustav Stickley safe-craft cabinet is notable among the auction’s furniture lots. Stickley furniture is well-known for exposing the natural grain structure of wood. The oak cabinet also features hand-hammered metal handles and hinges. It bears the company’s decal on its back.
Also showcased is a Josephine Baker etched glass vase by Vicke Lindstrand for Orrefors. The hand-blown glass vase has a Josephine Baker engraving. Lindstrand was known as the pioneer of Swedish glass art. He introduced multiple intricate glass decoration techniques, making his glassworks sought after among collectors. The auction also offers Louis C. Tiffany Furnaces Inc. desk accessories, Mulholland Brothers silverware, and an Émile Gallé glass vase. Interested collectors can explore the entire catalog and register to bid online by visiting Hindman.
Sigmund Riefler (1847 – 1912) was a renowned German inventor and precision clockmaker. Riefler’s late 19th-century regulators accelerated the accuracy of pendulum clocks. His all-mechanical pendulum clocks were being used as benchmarks in astronomical and naval observatories, alongside meridian telescopes. An early 20th-century type D observatory tank regulator from Sigmund Riefler is currently up for bid in the upcoming Schmitt Horan & Co auction. The regulator has a silvered astronomical dial with blued steel hands. The device is held within a copper cylinder covered with a transparent bell jar and suspended by a heavy cast iron bracket. The clock was originally housed at the Royal Observatory, Cape of Good Hope (now Cape Town), South Africa.
Several early 20th-century regulators are on offer, including a bow front astronomical regulator by Zenith, a Riefler type B astronomical regulator, and a very rare precision tank regulator by Peyer & Favarger. Beyond these lots, the sale will also feature vintage hanging clocks, a William Cummens Roxbury Banjo Clock, a mid-20th century United Mfg. Co. coin-operated Sparky bowling arcade game, as well as watches from Rolex and Longines. Interested collectors can view the entire catalog, register to bid online on Bidsquare, and browse other online auctions.
One of the oldest watch manufacturers in the world is Vacheron Constantin, which has been producing watches on an uninterrupted basis since 1755. A Swiss luxury brand, Vacheron timepieces have been owned and used by dignitaries and royalty. The company invented many early watch innovations, such as the world’s first watch complication in 1790. There are six Vacheron Contstantin watches available in the upcoming Important Jewelry & Fine Timepieces auction, offered by Ahlers & Ogletree, including an 18-karat yellow gold Metiers d’Art Lady Kalla diamond watch with diamond dial and diamond accented bracelet comprising approximately 30.00 carats of gemstones.
There are many other fine watches in the sale, such as a men’s Rolex GMT Master II watch with patinated original black dial and “Pepsi” red and blue bezel; a Cartier 18-karat yellow gold Jumbo Ballon Bleu; a Patek Philippe 18-karat white gold strap watch; and more. From the jewelry side of the sale there is a three-stone platinum and 9.51-carat diamond ring originally purchased from Neiman Marcus; an 8.00-carat pear shape, brilliant cut cognac diamond pendant (also purchased from and branded Neiman Marcus); and a white gold and diamond necklace featuring marquise and round brilliant cut diamonds together weighing 15.00 carats. Visit Bidsquare to find the complete catalog and browse other online auctions.
Works by artists John Constable (1776 – 1837) and Tom Wesselmann (1931 – 2004) will be showcased in 500 Gallery’s upcoming Prestige Collection: Modern & Impressionist auction. English artist John Constable was an important figure to the Impressionist era. He has been credited for being among the first to paint nature and landscape scenes while outdoors. The oil painting in this auction details a scene of men working in a field among farm animals. Framed, the painting measures 15.75 inches in length and 24.25 inches wide. A signature can be found in the lower left corner. It is important to note, however, this signature was from the previous owner and is not the signature of the artist.
American Pop artist Tom Wesselmann was a leading contributor to Modern art during the 1960s. Smoker, the artist’s available 1975 oil painting, depicts a woman’s hand with painted fingernails holding a lit cigarette to her lips as smoke escapes. The artist’s signature and date can be found in marker with pencil-erased numbers next to the signature. Works and prints by Vincent van Gogh, Banksy, Pablo Picasso, and others can also be found in the catalog. Visit Bidsquare to view the entire contents of the Prestige Collection: Impressionist & Modern sale and to browse more online auctions.
In the upcoming Coins, Currency, and Bullion event, Nest Egg Auctions will be offering a Liberty Head $20 Double Eagle gold coin. Following the production of the California gold rush coin, double eagle coins were minted in 1849. The first-ever double eagle design is called the Liberty Head, which was manufactured between 1849 and 1907. It was crafted by James Longacre. Dating back to 1897, the available lot is graded as MS62 (Mint State 62, Uncirculated).
Among 240 items, the collection includes a Kennedy half 50th Anniversary gold proof coin. This 2014 piece commemorates the 50th anniversary since the Kennedy half dollars were crafted. It is made of 0.9999 percent pure gold. Also offered in the sale is a near complete set of mercury dimes from 1916 and a St. Gaudens $20 double eagle gold coin from 1907. Find a myriad of antique coins, currency, and bullion and find other online auctions on Bidsquare.
Italian artist Morelli & Rinaldi was renowned for crafting beautiful sculptures in the late 19th century. His artworks often featured historical and mythological figures. The upcoming auction, presented by Cazadora Art Gallery, features a notable bronze sculpture by Morelli & Rinaldi. It is a bronze group depicting Apollo and Daphne set on a marble base. This piece is after the iconic marble original Apollo and Daphne by Italian artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini. It depicts Apollo pursuing Daphne as she transforms into a laurel tree. The bronze sculpture is marked on its base as ‘Morelli & Rinaldi, Roma.’ The original life-sized marble sculpture was executed between 1622 and 1625.
Another key lot in the sale is a Breitling triple date moon phase chronograph watch. It comes with an enamel dial featuring circular chronograph pushers and a black strap, not original to the watch. All of its components are in working condition and the watch was last serviced in 2021. The sale also offers fine art, furniture, decorative arts, watches, Asian arts, and more. Browse the full catalog of this and other online auctions and register to bid online on Bidsquare.
Akiba Antiques’ November Splendor auction will feature over 700 lots of luxury jewelry, fine art, collectibles, and more. Among the top lots is Norman Bluhm’s Paestum acrylic on canvas painting, dated 1962. A contemporary of Joan Mitchell and Sam Francis, Bluhm was an American Abstract Expressionist whose work remained in the shadows for much of his life. This was because, in part, Bluhm constantly pushed the boundaries of what art could be. “Bluhm is the only artist working in the idiom of abstract-expressionism [sic] who has a spirit similar to that of [Jackson] Pollock,” wrote Frank O’Hara of the artist, “which is to say that he is out—beyond beauty, beyond composition, beyond the old-fashioned kind of pictorial ambition.” Splatters of indigo and pear dominate the available painting, while its title evokes the ruined Doric temples of Paestum, Italy.
Several fine jewelry lots are also notable in the upcoming auction. They include a Van Cleef & Arpels diamond wedding ring set made of rose gold and inset diamonds. Each ring bears the brand’s hallmark and comes with an insurance appraisal from Van Cleef & Arpels. Additionally, the catalog offers a Cartier Panthère wristwatch with a malachite face, a pair of French foliage chandeliers from John Lennon’s former estate, and a set of six vermeil salt cellars with lion paw feet. To view the complete listings and register to place a bid, visit LiveAuctioneers.
