Bonhams Skinner

Founded over four decades ago, Skinner offers more than 60 auctions annually. Skinner auctions reach an international audience and showcase the unique, rare, and beautiful in dozens of categories, including the fine and decorative arts, jewelry, modern design, musical instruments, science and technology, wine, and many others.
Drawing on the expertise of its specialists and its personalized service, Skinner works with individuals, institutions, and estate settlement professionals to attract outstanding items from across New England, the United States, and the world. Important sales include a Qing Dynasty vase that set the record for Chinese art sold in the U.S., works by Fitz Henry Lane and Aldro Thompson Hibbard, folk art portraiture, and Kashmir textiles. Skinner regularly sees strong results for items ranging from fine Italian violins to Cartier diamond jewelry.
Skinner is located in Boston and Marlborough, Massachusetts, Maine, Florida, and New York, and offers its customers worldwide, "anywhere" access to its sales.
Upcoming Auctions from Bonhams Skinner
Native American & Tribal Art|Bonhams SkinnerNative American & Tribal Art | Bonhams Skinner This sale features objects from several private collections. The first is a large collection of African art from family collection of Daniel P. Biebuyck, the renowned anthropologist and scholar of Central African art. Included in the sale are two Lwalwa masks, a pair of Pende figures, Bembe and Yombe figures, Kuba cups and a drum, weapons, and Luba and Hemba figures, as well as South African material. Also offered is a collection of Plains Indian beadwork from the Dean Taylor collection, of Denver, Colorado, which includes moccasins, beaded bags, and knife sheaths. There is also a fine collection of early Southwest polychrome pottery from a private New York collection, featuring Hopi, Zuni, Acoma, and San Ildefonso examples. The sale also includes a good quantity of Southwest silver and turquoise jewellery as well as California baskets, Navajo textiles, and Hopi katsinas. Specialist contacts Michael Evans American Indian & Ethnographic Art Tel: +15089703254 Michael.Evans@bonhamsskinner.com Native American nativeamerican@bonhamsskinner.com Client Services (Bonhams Skinner) Tel: +1 508 970 3000 bids@bonhamsskinner.com Bids (Bonhams Skinner) Tel: +1 508 970 3000 bids@bonhamsskinner.com
Bidder Reviews for Bonhams Skinner (18)
4.2 out of 5.0 Stars
8 Latest Top ReviewsSee All
StephanieMelrose, MA
Feb 08, 2023
Welcome to 2023
Did everything seamlessly online from bud to payment to scheduling pickup. Would definitely use them again.

HeidiLexington, VA
Dec 03, 2022

StuartToronto, CA
Nov 01, 2021
very happy customer
Pleasure to deal with. Very good auction house. Answered all questions promptly. Buy with confidence.

RichardIndianapolis, IN
Oct 21, 2021
Great Overall
I think there were some hiccups in the payment process but I would definitely bid with them again.

Anonymous
Nov 20, 2017
Skinner is one of the best auction houses around. Thank you again Kind regards Justinian
JoshuaSanta Fe, NM
Feb 19, 2023
Bonham's Does Not Care
We paid Bonham's $3, 750 for our item on 1/24/2023. On 1/24/2023, Bonham's acknowledged their receipt of our payment. For the last four weeks, Bonham's has refused to ship us our item. They have refused our offer ship them an empty box for return shipment of the item. They have refused to allows us to ship the item to ourselves on our FedEx account. On 1/13/2023, after exhausting all other options, we agreed to Bonham's shipping quote of $547.55. As of 2/19/2023, we have receive no word regarding Bonham’s shipment of our item. Over the past two years, we have bought numerous items from Bonham's. In each instance, Bonham's has taken at least a month to ship us our items, and has charged us excessive fees for both packing and shipping. In one instance, Bonham’s shipped us the wrong lot. Then Bonham’s took a month to ship us the lot we had purchased. The lot arrived damaged. Bonham’s took a month to reimburse us. No one at Bonham's answers phone calls. It takes Bonham’s four to five days to reply to our emails, if they reply at all. If Bonham’s wants to contest anything stated in this review, we have a file of documents substantiating what we have stated here. If you buy from Bonham's, arrange to have your item picked up and shipped by a third-party shipper immediately after paying for your item. The only reason we’re posting this negative review is to save other bidders from being treated the way Bonham’s has treated us. Bonham’s idea of customer service is to ignore you. Once Bonham's has your money, your status as a customer disappears. If Bonham’s contacts us with an acceptable resolution to Bonham’s lack of attention to our status as a reliable, paying client, we will amend this review.

ZoëScottsdale, AZ
Jan 09, 2023
Inaccurate description of turquoise, unhelpful staff, erroneous email
This is my second experience with Skinner Auction in Boston. I paid for my winning bid the Monday following the auction. On Thursday I received an email stating I was past due. The Tuesday following the auction I was connected to a person I later found out was answering the phones for Skinner Boston in New York. She was ill informed, rude and very difficult to work with. On Thursday I requested the email address for the CEO of Bonhams/Skinner so I could write a letter outlining my issues. I was assured that this information would be forthcoming and to date I have not received any correspondence. Today I finally received the item and it clearly states it is Persian turquoise not red mountain turquoise as identified in the catalogue. To say I am disappointed is an understatement. Skinner has dropped the ball on five occasions with this auction purchase. Needless to say, I will not do business with them in the future. At every level they have come up deficient and in the era of multiple auction house availability, I will take my business elsewhere. I have recently heard horror stories related to this auction house and it is a shame that they cannot seem to work cohesively and accurately.

Past Auctions from Bonhams Skinner
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