The Hot Bid: apothecary sign lighted the way to drug store

The apothecary trade sign glowing with its light turned on. Image courtesy of Cowan’s

What you see: A lighted apothecary trade sign, covered with colored pieces of glass and dating to the 1920s. Cowan’s Auctions estimates it at $1,000 to $2,000.

The expert: Ben Fisher, director of Americana for Hindman. [Hindman and Cowan’s merged in 2019.]

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Finely carved meerschaum pipes to sell in online auction March 10

Sultan, hand-carved meerschaum pipe, 4.9in long. Estimate: $50-$60. LiveAuctioneers image

NEW YORK – Fifty-six collectible meerschaum pipes comprise an online auction to be conducted by Jasper52 on March 10 at 4 p.m. These prized smoking pipes are made of a mineral commonly known as meerschaum. Found in deposits in the city of Anatolia in present-day Turkey, the hard white clay has been hand-carved into pipes since the 18th century. Bid absentee or live online through LiveAuctioneers.

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Miller & Miller strikes up the band at March 20 auction

Wurlitzer Model 147 military band organ from 1916, housed in a beautiful oak case, 87in tall, fully functioning, with an assortment of Style 150 music rolls. Estimate: CA$6,000-$9,000. Miller & Miller Auctions image

NEW HAMBURG, Ontario – A Wurlitzer Model 147 military band organ from 1916, rare and beautiful 18th century Dutch clocks and gorgeous painted pine furniture pieces made in Ontario in the mid-19th century are a few expected top lots in Miller & Miller Auctions Ltd.’s online-only Music Machines, Clocks & Canadiana auction slated for Saturday, March 20. Bid absentee or live online through LiveAuctioneers.

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Pierre Jeanneret brought modern design to India

A pair of Pierre Jeanneret lounge chairs from Punjab University, Chandigarh, 1952-56, sold for $145,000 + the buyer’s premium in October 2018 at Wright. Photo courtesy of Wright and LiveAuctioneers

NEW YORK – Swiss-born architect and furniture designer Pierre Jeanneret (1896-1967) is well known for his work, even though he was somewhat overshadowed by his cousin and lifelong mentor, Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, who worked under the pseudonym of Le Corbusier.

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Arctic, urban artworks showcased in Kensington sale March 15

Hebru Brantley (African American, b. 1981) urban graffiti painting, two-part panel, acrylic on plywood, each panel 41½ x 57½ in. Estimate: $6,000-$12,000. Kensington Estate Auctions image

CLINTONDALE, N.Y. – Kensington Estate Auctions’ March 15 on-line sale is neither for the armchair explorer nor the casual collector. This extraordinary auction is for the seeker and capacious collector. From the nautical prowess of Rear Adm. Parry’s journal to the Afro-Cobra graffiti of Hebru Brantley, these are just the beginnings of this exciting sale. Bid absentee or live online through LiveAuctioneers.

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Champlain first edition sails past $200K at Freeman’s

A page from Samuel de Champlain’s ‘Les Voyages du Sieur de Champlain …,’ first edition. Sold for $201,600. Freeman’s image

PHILADELPHIA – Freeman’s Books and Manuscripts auction on Feb. 18 realized over $445,000. With spirited bidding throughout the sale from bidders both online and on the telephone, the 166-lot auction achieved an impressive 91% sell-through rate and surpassed its presale high estimate. Absentee and Internet live bidding was available through LiveAuctioneers.

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Cliff House’s celebrity photos starring in Turner sale March 13

Hedy Lamarr original autographed and inscribed photograph. Estimate $80-$120. Turner Auctions image

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Turner Auctions + Appraisals will present the Cliff House Collection of Celebrity Photos at its online auction on Saturday, March 13, featuring movie stars, sports figures and other noted personalities. The framed photographs, most with autographs and inscriptions, graced the walls of the iconic San Francisco restaurant through many decades, from the 1930s to the present. Bid absentee or live online through LiveAuctioneers.

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Swann Galleries’ poster auction achieves record prices

Manuel Orazi, ‘La Maison Moderne,’ 1900. Sold for $37,500. Swann Galleries image

NEW YORK – Swann Galleries’ winter offering of Vintage Posters saw the highest recent sell-through rate of the house’s large biannual sale in the category. The Feb. 18 sale covered a variety of different collecting areas – Art Nouveau, ski, travel, food and beverage, and set records on a number of different posters across the genres offered. Absentee and Internet live bidding was available through LiveAuctioneers.

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Handbags, jewelry kick off Crescent City auction March 12-14

Up for bid in the Friday, March 12, session will be dazzling estate jewelry items, including emeralds, rubies, diamonds, tanzanite and sapphires. Crescent City image

NEW ORLEANS – Crescent City Auction Gallery’s three-day Important Spring Estates Auction will begin Friday, March 12, at 1 p.m. Central time, with a collection of couture purses from names like Prada, Gucci, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Celine, Judith Lieber and Chanel, plus fine jewelry items that include emeralds, rubies, diamonds, tanzanite and sapphires. Bid absentee or live online through LiveAuctioneers.

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