Crescent City Estates Auction Jan. 18-19 boasts nearly 900 lots

Nine-piece carved oak dining room suite in the style of R.J. Horner consisting of a server, a sideboard, six upholstered chairs and a dining table with four leaves. Estimate: $4,000-$8,000. Crescent City Auction Gallery image

NEW ORLEANS – A gorgeous carved oak nine-piece dining room suite in the style of the 19th century New York furniture maker R. J. Horner, an oil on board painting by the renowned Louisiana folk artist Clementine Hunter (1886-1988), a fine selection of Newcomb Pottery (to include pieces by Sadie Irvine), and an early 20th century patinated bronze sculpture by Anna Vaughn Wyatt Huntington (American, 1876-1973) will all come up for bid Jan. 18-19. They are a few expected top achievers in Crescent City Auction Gallery’s upcoming Important Winter Estates Catalog Auction, slated for that weekend. Bid absentee or live online through LiveAuctioneers.

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Stop the presses: Newseum closes in red ink

The Newseum façade and entrance on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. David Monack image. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States license.

WASHINGTON (AP) – In 2008, the Newseum – a private museum dedicated to exploring modern history as told through the eyes of journalists – opened on prime Washington real estate.

Sitting almost equidistant between the White House and the Capitol on Pennsylvania Avenue, the glass-walled building became instantly recognizable for its multistory exterior rendition of the First Amendment.

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Right at home: Blankets to put you in the comfy zone

A new Pendleton National Park Series (Glacier National Park Transportation) blanket sold for $327 at an auction in January 2017. North American Auction Co. and LiveAuctioneers image

NEW YORK (AP) – Author Lucy Maud Montgomery, of Anne of Green Gables fame, loved a good blanket.

“I like to hear a storm at night,” she wrote. “It is so cozy to snuggle down among the blankets and feel that it can’t get at you.”

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Gustav Klimt’s paintings are pure gold

Gustav Klimt, ‘Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer,’ 1907, oil, silver and gold on canvas. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

NEW YORK – Starting with a series of three ceiling murals for the University of Vienna in 1894, Gustav Klimt painted highly romantic scenes that were quite controversial in their day. Some paintings of an erotic nature were even decried as pornographic. His art legacy in the Vienna Secession movement and the annals of art history overall was cemented, however, with iconic works painted during his Golden period that saw the artist incorporate gold leaf into his artworks.

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Heritage Auctions’ Holiday Fine Jewelry Auction totals $4.6M

Cartier diamond and 18K gold Egyptian Revival themed Horace cuff bracelet featuring full-cut diamonds weighing a total of approximately 3.50 carats, set in 18k gold. Sold for $35,000. Heritage Auctions image

DALLAS – A dozen competitive bidders boosted a diamond, white gold pendant-necklace to $175,000, claiming top-lot honors in Heritage Auctions’ Holiday Fine Jewelry Auction Dec. 8 in New York. The result for the necklace and items from four important estates, one from Massachusetts and three from California, helped the total for the sale reach $4,683,189. Absentee and Internet live bidding was available through LiveAuctioneers.

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Tiffany Studios set the tone for luxury at Morphy’s $1.9M auction

Tiffany Studios ‘Venetian’ leaded-glass table lamp with gilt bronze base, circa 1910, 21in tall with signed 14in diameter shade. Top lot of the sale: $104,550 against an estimate of $50,000-$80,000. Morphy Auctions image

DENVER, Pa. – The luxuriant colors and incomparable artistry of Tiffany Studios dominated Morphy’s $1.9 million Fine & Decorative Arts Auction held Dec. 12 at the company’s busy Pennsylvania gallery. Exquisite examples of Tiffany table, floor and hanging lamps – many of them quite rare – were among the stars of the 767-lot sale. Absentee and Internet live bidding was available through LiveAuctioneers.

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Study: No evidence museum’s stovepipe hat was Lincoln’s

President Abraham Lincoln pictured with a hat. Image courtesy of Holabird Western Americana Collections and LiveAuctioneers

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) – A new study has found no evidence to corroborate that a beaver-skin stovepipe hat – for years a centerpiece of Illinois’ Abraham Lincoln museum – ever actually belonged to the 16th U.S. president, according to a published report.

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Celebrate New Year’s Eve bidding on big colorful gemstones

GIA certified step-cut aquamarine, 36.48 carats, 21.91 x 18.27 x 12.56 mm, very minor inclusions visible under 10x magnification. Estimate: $17,000-$20,000. Jasper52 image

NEW YORK – From certified emeralds to glowing sapphires, tourmalines and rubies, a diverse loose gemstones auction presented by Jasper52 showcases a variety of cuts, stones and a and kaleidoscope of colors. The 486-lot online auction will take place Tuesday, Dec. 31, beginning at 11 a.m. Eastern time. Bid absentee or live online through LiveAuctioneers.

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Jasper52 auction delves into midcentury modern Dec. 31

Pair of etched glass Waterfall Tables by Angelo Cortesi for FIAM of Italy, 1970s, larger table is 18 x 18 x 16½in. Estimate: $2,000-$2,500. Jasper52 image

NEW YORK – A Jasper52 online auction on Tuesday, Dec. 31, will present fine items that embody the sleek mid-century modern style, a design era that produced some of the most desirable decorative items in the market today. Clean lines, organic contours and stylish functionality are all offered in this specially curated sale. Bid absentee or live online through LiveAuctioneers.

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