MANHEIM, PA — Redware was the most common of all types of earthenware in Colonial and Revolutionary America. Made in abundance and used at most income levels of society, redware was a kitchen staple for serving, eating, and more.
Conestoga Auction Company has an 1802 slip-decorated shallow redware bowl as a key item in its Jay Moyer estate sale scheduled for Saturday, September 28. Slip is a form of ceramic decoration in which layers of art or patterns are applied to an unfired piece. Artisans throughout history have used the slip technique in innumerable ways — even the ancient Greeks used a form of slip decoration on attic urns.
The shallow bowl features a folk art-like American eagle motif, while the perimeter of the bowl contains German script and the date ‘1802’. The piece is attributed to John Leidy II of Franconia Township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, and is the Moyer collection’s highest-estimated lot, at $10,000-$20,000.
GARDENA, CA — Julien’s Auctions’ upcoming Friends – The One With the 30th Anniversary sale, taking place Monday, September 23, is all the more poignant with the recent passing of beloved Friends star Matthew Perry (1969-2023) from a drug overdose. The sale includes 110 lots from the Warner Bros. archives along with WB-licensed reproductions of iconic set pieces from the 10-season comedy series that originally aired on NBC.
The sale’s top-estimated screen-worn lot is a Chandler Bing (Perry) cashmere polo-style sweater that has been screen-matched to the episode 10, season 7 show titled “The One With The Holiday Armadillo.” Perry wears it in the scene where Monica (Courteney Cox) informs him she won’t be changing her last name to Bing. The sweater bears the original wardrobe tag and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Warner Bros. Discovery Global Archives & Preservation Services. It is estimated at $1,000-$1,500.
LONDON — Toad Escapes from Prison, a circa-1931 original pencil drawing with watercolor by Ernest Shepard for The Wind in the Willows, has an estimate of £15,000-£20,000 ($19,690-$26,250) at Forum Auctions’ sale of Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper on Thursday, September 26.
In the classic 1908 English children’s novel by Kenneth Grahame, Mr. Toad — who was arrested for stealing a motorcar — escapes from prison by disguising himself as a washerwoman, as pictured here. He finds his way to a train station, only to discover he has left all of his money and clothing in the cell. EH’s Shepherd’s version of The Wind in the Willows, published in 1931, was the most popular, although Grahame did not live to see the completed work.
BELLOWS FALLS, VT — ‘Youthquake’ was a term coined by legendary Vogue magazine editor-in-chief Diana Vreeland in 1965 to describe the tectonic shifts in fashion away from the design capitals of London and Paris and toward the emerging youthful tastes of the Baby Boom generation, aka the Boomers. Boutique designers emerged as leaders in the space, with talents such as Mary Quant making their mark (she is the reputed inventor of the mini-skirt).
Michael Mott was an American designer who began his fashion career on Seventh Avenue in New York, but veered into the boutique world as the 1960s heated up. This traffic-light mini-dress dates to the mid-1960s and is labeled ‘Designed for Youthquake by Michael Mott.’ It is one of many choice designs coming to market in the End of Summer Elegance sale slated for Wednesday, September 25 at Augusta Auctions. This icon of the height of baby boomer couture is estimated at $800-$1,200.
HONG KONG — Julien’s Auctions brings 40 Bruce Lee-related lots to market in a specialty sale titled Legends in Motion: Artistry of Champions on Friday, September 27. Many are items from his personal collection, or screen-worn or -used items from his most popular films.
The highest-estimated lot is chops personally commissioned by Lee (1940-1973). In Chinese culture, chops are used as official seals, uniquely created and often bearing the user’s name — in this case, Lee Jun Fan, his birth name. Lee used these chops extensively to sign personal correspondence, official contracts, and more, making them wholly unique to the Bruce Lee collecting universe. Julien’s has assigned an $80,000-$100,000 estimate to the chops, which will be the pinnacle of any Bruce Lee collection.
