Early 16th-century Benin Kingdom (now Nigeria) bronze bust of a king mother’s iyoba, photographed on display at the Ethnological Museum in Berlin, Germany in November 2014. On July 1, representatives from Germany and Nigeria were set to sign an agreement to return the Benin bronzes to Nigeria. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, photo credit Daderot. Shared under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.

Germany, Nigeria sign accord on return of Benin Bronzes

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Early 16th-century Benin Kingdom (now Nigeria) bronze bust of a king mother’s iyoba, photographed on display at the Ethnological Museum in Berlin, Germany in November 2014. On July 1, representatives from Germany and Nigeria were set to sign an agreement to return the Benin bronzes to Nigeria. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, photo credit Daderot. Shared under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.

Early 16th-century Benin Kingdom (now Nigeria) bronze bust of a king mother’s iyoba, photographed on display at the Ethnological Museum in Berlin, Germany in November 2014. On July 1, representatives from Germany and Nigeria signed an agreement to return the Benin bronzes to Nigeria. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, photo credit Daderot. Shared under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.

BERLIN (AP) – Germany and Nigeria on July 1 signed an agreement paving the way for the return of hundreds of artifacts known as the Benin Bronzes that were taken from Africa more than 120 years ago – an accord that Nigerian officials hope will prompt other countries to follow suit.

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18K white gold ring showcasing an unheated 19.02-carat Ceylon sapphire, est. $182,000-$218,000

Unheated 19.02-carat Ceylon sapphire ring adds flash to July 12 jewelry sale

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18K white gold ring showcasing an unheated 19.02-carat Ceylon sapphire, est. $182,000-$218,000

18K white gold ring showcasing an unheated 19.02-carat Ceylon sapphire, est. $182,000-$218,000

NEW YORK – An Art Deco-era diamond and platinum riviere necklace, a pair of Harry Winston pearl, diamond and platinum earrings, and an 18K white gold ring centered on an unheated 19.02-carat Ceylon sapphire should all find enthusiastic new owners at Jasper52’s Exclusive Estate & Designer Jewelry auction, which will take place on Tuesday, July 12 at 3 pm Eastern time. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

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Sparton Bluebird radio (Model 566), 1934, wood, glass and metal. Walter Dorwin Teague, designer, American, 1883-1960. Sparks-Withington Company, manufacturer, Jackson, Michigan, founded 1900. 14 3/4 by 14 5/8 by 6in. Collection Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art, Denver, 2004.1850. Courtesy of Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art, Denver. Photo by Wes Magyar

American Art Deco explored at Nelson-Atkins Museum starting July 9

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Sparton Bluebird radio (Model 566), 1934, wood, glass and metal. Walter Dorwin Teague, designer, American, 1883-1960. Sparks-Withington Company, manufacturer, Jackson, Michigan, founded 1900. 14 3/4 by 14 5/8 by 6in. Collection Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art, Denver, 2004.1850. Courtesy of Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art, Denver. Photo by Wes Magyar

Sparton Bluebird radio (Model 566), 1934, wood, glass and metal. Walter Dorwin Teague, designer, American, 1883-1960. Sparks-Withington Company, manufacturer, Jackson, Michigan, founded 1900. 14 3/4 by 14 5/8 by 6in. Collection Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art, Denver, 2004.1850. Courtesy of Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art, Denver. Photo by Wes Magyar

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – American Art Deco: Designing for the People, 1918-1939 traces the trajectory of the Art Deco design movement, which represents modernity, glamour and exuberance, while exploring the socio-economic impact of these advancements during the Interwar period. The exhibition will be on view at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City July 9 through January 8, 2023.

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Aptly illustrating Richard Zane Smith’s distinctive corrugated coil forms is The Glory of God, a 1998 vessel that achieved $7,000 plus the buyer’s premium in May 2022. Image courtesy of Hindman and LiveAuctioneers.

Richard Zane Smith ceramics unite past and present

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Aptly illustrating Richard Zane Smith’s distinctive corrugated coil forms is The Glory of God, a 1998 vessel that achieved $7,000 plus the buyer’s premium in May 2022. Image courtesy of Hindman and LiveAuctioneers.

Aptly illustrating Richard Zane Smith’s distinctive corrugated coil forms is The Glory of God, a 1998 vessel that achieved $7,000 plus the buyer’s premium in May 2022. Image courtesy of Hindman and LiveAuctioneers.

NEW YORK — Contemporary Native American ceramicist Richard Zane Smith (American, b. 1955-) hails from the Wyandotte nation, based in Oklahoma, which has a strong cultural heritage and artistic tradition. Smith sets a high bar for any artist working in clay today and is celebrated for his technique and imagination.

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Ross Bleckner, ‘Throbbing Hearts (Small),’ est. $800-$1,200

Art, guitars and a Mercedes-Benz join July 19 auction lineup at John Moran

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Ross Bleckner, ‘Throbbing Hearts (Small),’ est. $800-$1,200

Ross Bleckner, ‘Throbbing Hearts (Small),’ est. $800-$1,200

LOS ANGELES — On Tuesday, July 19, John Moran Auctioneers will open its ReDesigned auction at noon Pacific time. The sale will present fine art, decorative art and furniture that will refurnish your house or simply refresh your home. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

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Photograph of John Constable’s 1821 masterpiece, ‘The Hay Wain,’ which was the target of a climate change protest at the National Gallery in London on July 4. Two protesters covered it with printouts of apocalyptic scenes and touched its frame before security could escort them out. The painting and its frame reportedly suffered minor damage. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, photo credit National Gallery, London via gallerix.ru. Wikimedia Commons states that the photographic reproduction of the work is regarded as being in the public doman in the United States.

UK climate change protesters glue themselves to Constable frame

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Photograph of John Constable’s 1821 masterpiece, ‘The Hay Wain,’ which was the target of a climate change protest at the National Gallery in London on July 4. Two protesters covered it with printouts of apocalyptic scenes and touched its frame before security could escort them out. The painting and its frame reportedly suffered minor damage. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, photo credit National Gallery, London via gallerix.ru. Wikimedia Commons states that the photographic reproduction of the work is regarded as being in the public doman in the United States.

Photograph of John Constable’s 1821 masterpiece, ‘The Hay Wain,’ which was the target of a climate change protest at the National Gallery in London on July 4. Two protesters covered it with printouts of apocalyptic scenes and touched its frame. The painting and its frame reportedly suffered minor damage. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, photo credit National Gallery, London via gallerix.ru. Wikimedia Commons states that the photographic reproduction of the work is regarded as being in the public doman in the United States.

LONDON (AP) – Two climate change protesters were arrested after they glued themselves to the frame of a famous John Constable painting hanging in Britain’s National Gallery, the central London museum and police said.

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Russian ormolu mounted Egyptian Revival marble-top mahogany center table, est. $1,500-$2,500

European furniture, American art on offer at Crescent City, July 15-16

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Russian ormolu mounted Egyptian Revival marble-top mahogany center table, est. $1,500-$2,500

Russian ormolu mounted Egyptian Revival marble-top mahogany center table, est. $1,500-$2,500

NEW ORLEANS – Crescent City’s two-day Important Summer Estates Auction, slated for Friday and Saturday, July 15 and 16, will be packed with nearly 900 lots of French, English and American furniture, original paintings by noted regional artists, French clocks, bronzes and porcelain. The sessions will start at 10 am Central time both days. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

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Cover of ‘James Fitzgerald: The Watercolors, Volume II Catalogue Raisonne,’ which was released July 5.

James Fitzgerald catalogue raisonne of watercolors released

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Cover of ‘James Fitzgerald: The Watercolors, Volume II Catalogue Raisonne,’ which was released July 5.

Cover of ‘James Fitzgerald: The Watercolors, Volume II Catalogue Raisonne,’ which was released July 5.

MONHEGAN ISLAND, Maine — James Fitzgerald: The Watercolors, Volume II Catalogue Raisonne, released on Tuesday, July 5, is an in-depth study of painter James Fitzgerald’s creative output in watercolor from his early days in Boston to his final journey to Ireland. In the interim, Fitzgerald lived in California, where he garnered considerable critical acclaim before settling on Monhegan Island, Maine, where he gradually withdrew from the commercial art world. Maintaining that self-promotion only served as a distraction, he focused his energies solely on painting, following a philosophical approach based on Eastern thought. Immersed in nature, Fitzgerald created artwork that sought to capture what he called the “spirit and beauty” of his wide range of subjects. More than 400 full-color reproductions are featured in this volume, including work created on travels to New Mexico, Vermont, Tennessee, Katahdin in northern Maine, Alaska, Nova Scotia and Ireland. The hardcover publication is priced at $70.

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The Berlin auction house Jeschke van Vliet has appointed Gabriella Rochberg as head of its department of Modern and Contemporary art. Rochberg will assume the post on July 15. Image courtesy of Jeschke van Vliet

Gabriella Rochberg to head Modern and contemporary art at Jeschke van Vliet

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The Berlin auction house Jeschke van Vliet has appointed Gabriella Rochberg as head of its department of Modern and Contemporary art. Rochberg will assume the post on July 15. Image courtesy of Jeschke van Vliet

The Berlin auction house Jeschke van Vliet has appointed Gabriella Rochberg as head of its department of Modern and Contemporary art. Rochberg will assume the post on July 15. Image courtesy of Jeschke van Vliet

BERLIN, Germany – The Jeschke van Vliet auction house has appointed art historian Gabriella Rochberg as head of its department of Modern and contemporary art. She brings many years of experience in the art trade and in auction houses as well as extensive networking within the art market to the position. The appointment takes effect on July 15.

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Antique Colts reigned at Milestone’s $2M Premier Collectible Firearms Auction

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Colt Model 1861 Navy Revolver, manufactured 1863, 7½in barrel, caliber .36 percussion. One of fewer than 39,000 produced. Compartmented, velvet-lined case with powder flask, bullet mold, cartridges and tin of percussion caps. Sold for $18,600 against an estimate of $10,000-$15,000

WILLOUGHBY, Ohio – On June 17-18, 2022, Milestone Auctions held a 1,450-lot live webcast sale of rare military, police, Old West, Civil War, NFA and other collectible and historical firearms, closing the books at $2 million. Online bidding was facilitated by LiveAuctioneers.

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