Rare maps, douments in PBA Galleries auction Feb. 20

Unrecorded issue of Melish’s 1818 U.S. map. PBA Galleries image

BERKELEY, Calif. – PBA Galleries invites bidders to join them on Thursday, Feb. 20, at 11 a.m. Pacific time, for a sale of Rare Americana & Cartography, with the Robert M. Ebiner Zamorano 80 Collection. The auction will feature over 500 lots of rare and historically significant material on the Americas, ranging from cornerstones of California history to cartographic delineation of 20th-century development, with books, manuscripts, photographs, ephemera, maps and atlases. Absentee and Internet live bidding is available through LiveAuctioneers.

Continue reading

Morphy’s March 10-11 auction boasts pristine toys, dolls, banks & automata

Large (14in long x 11in high) and rare J. Chein ‘Felix Frolic’ toy with central Felix figure, two smaller Felix figures, and two red mice. Circa 1926. One of only four known examples. Ex Jeff Landes collection. Estimate $20,000-$40,000. Morphy Auctions image

DENVER, Pa. – Pristine toys from some of the world’s finest collections will cross the auction block at Morphy’s on March 10-11. More than 1,260 lots will be offered, including 150+ American tin toys, 100+ still and mechanical banks, a fleet of more than 150 cast-iron cars, trains, and hundreds of coveted character and Disney toys. The lineup continues with more than 1,000 fine German tin toys, as well as robots, a sensational array of antique European automata, and a broad selection of horse-drawn cast-iron, Japanese, and pressed steel toys. Bid absentee or live online through LiveAuctioneers.  Continue reading

Morton Bartlett created a sculptural family

Morton Bartlett’s ‘Daydreaming Girl’ was on exhibition last year at the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore. Photo courtesy of Rago Arts & Auction Center and LiveAuctioneers

NEW YORK – Morton Bartlett (1909-1992) was perhaps one of the best examples of what an Outsider artist is. The lifetime bachelor was remembered by his neighbors and friends in Boston as a kind, sweet man but perhaps lonely also.

Continue reading

Gallé vase among standouts at Woody’s March 14 sale

Galle marquetry vase, 17¾in, boasting a multiple carved crocus design and exquisite color and quality. Estimate: $15,000-$30,000. Woody Auction image

DOUGLASS, Kan. – Woody Auction’s first live auction of 2020 has rapidly developed into a major event for collectors. Nearly 500 quality lots, including furniture items, will be offered to the highest bidder without reserve on Saturday, March 14. The auction will begin at 9:30 a.m. Central time, 10:30 p.m. Eastern. Bid absentee or live online through LiveAuctioneers.  Continue reading

Turner Auctions selling Hermès scarves Feb. 29

Hermès silk scarf, 35in x 35in, excellent condition, shows very minor evidence of handling. Estimate: $150-$250. Turner Auctions + Appraisals image

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Turner Auctions + Appraisals will sell the Nancy Glenn Collection of Hermès Scarves & Shawls on Saturday, Feb. 29. This online auction, exclusively devoted to items from the world-renowned Parisian fashion house, features over 200 lots of scarves and shawls plus some pocket squares, cummerbunds and bow ties for men. Bid absentee or live online through LiveAuctioneers.

Continue reading

Paintings featured at Charleston Estate Auctions Feb. 23

Unsigned oil on canvas portrait of George Washington after Gilbert Charles Stuart (American 1755-1828). Estimate: $5,000-$7,000. Charleston Estate Auctions image

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. – Charleston Estate Auctions’ February Fine Art and Southern Estates sale is packed with exceptional fine art. Also offered in the Feb. 23 auction are fine Iranian hand-knotted Persian carpets in all sizes and colors, Baccarat and Waterford crystal, a rare midcentury sterling silver and robin’s-egg blue champleve enamel “Papyrus” necklace that was hand wrought in Taxco, Mexico, by Margot Van Voorhies Carr of Margot de Taxco,  Bakelite and vintage Jewelry, Carnival glass and much more. Bid absentee or live online through LiveAuctioneers.

Continue reading

Antique rugs ideal for hanging comprise Feb. 21 sale

Antique Caucasian Karagashli rug, 3ft 8in x 4ft 11in, mid to late 19th century. Estimate: $3,000-$3,500. Jasper52 image

NEW YORK – One-hundred handwoven rugs from the Antique Knot Collection will be offered in an online auction hosted by Jasper52 on Friday, Feb. 21. All pieces are antique, ranging from the 19th century to the early 20th century. The Antique Knot’s passion for exemplary rugs and Kilims and tribal weaving has yielded a vast trove of tribal treasures. Bid absentee or live online through LiveAuctioneers.

Continue reading

RR Auction steps out with McQueen fashions Feb. 22  

A suit of Chinese silk brocade comprised of jacket and trousers. The fabric for these pieces were sourced by Ruti Danan from Brick Lane in London during the show preparation and come with the original patterns. RR Auction image

BOSTON – Lee Alexander McQueen, the famed designer and creator whose boundless vision propelled fashion-forward from the mid-’90s with a game-changing dropped waistline, historically referenced clothing and a cinematic sense of showmanship. Spanning from 1994 to 1996 and beyond, the archive that RR Auction will sell Feb. 22 includes some of McQueen’s most impactful and critically acclaimed early collections in a self-contained complete diary of his creations. An impeccable collection of rare early work – including garments hand-sewn by McQueen, original patterns and sketches – has been carefully conserved by his friend Ruti Danan, the former head of McQueen studio. View the fully illustrated catalog on LiveAuctioneers.

Continue reading

Sailors valentines: from the sea with love

A double sailors valentine from Barbados, late 19th century, having shells arranged in radiating patterns, 14 inches each, sold at Freeman’s in November 2019 for $5,000. Photo courtesy of Freeman’s and LiveAuctioneers

NEW YORK – A Valentine’s Day gift often consists of chocolates and flowers but in the 19th century, the tradition of sailors valentines was born. While the name conjures up visions of sailors making these during downtime while aboard ships, the reality is they were made by islanders, mostly in Barbados, starting in the mid-1800s. Barbados was a major port of call along trading routes and sailors would buy these valentines as gifts for loved ones back home, whether sweetheart, mother or sister, hence their name.

Continue reading

Nye & Co. to auction Judith Applegate estate Feb. 26

1-cent Caille ‘Shake with Uncle Sam’ grip tester. Nye & Co. image

BLOOMFIELD, N.J. – Following the success of its recent January auction and Americana Week in New York, the resurgence of traditional collecting categories continues to excite collectors and serve as the foundation for Nye & Company’s Estate Treasures auction planned for Wednesday, Feb. 26. Bid absentee or live online through LiveAuctioneers.

Continue reading