NEW YORK — What began as a therapeutic pottery-making program for women diagnosed with nervous disorders grew into one of the great brands in American art pottery: Marblehead pottery.
NEW YORK — Growing up in London in an upper middle class family, Beatrix Potter (English, 1866–1943) had a privileged but sheltered childhood with few girls her age who she could call friends. While her family was said to be strict, she was allowed to have many pets and her nursery was home to a variety of animals, from frogs, mice and guinea pigs to birds, a turtle, and of course, rabbits.
NEW YORK — Upcycling goes far beyond recycling; it takes something that is no longer wanted or has outlived its original purpose and makes it into something fresh and new. The upcycling movement represents a growing segment within the antiques field, led by those who have the imagination to see the hidden potential lurking within an object. Search Instagram or the wider web on the terms “upcycling” and “furniture flipping” and thousands of images and how-to tips will bubble up and tempt you to devote a weekend or two to this modern form of alchemy.
NEW YORK — Few cultures are immune to fascination with “the other,” and Europeans were definitely “the other” in the minds of generations of Chinese artists. They were keenly interested in foreigners and Western art styles and motifs, and created gorgeous enameled objects – some copper, some porcelain – featuring European scenes and portraits. Chinese artists made canvases out of snuff bottles, teapots, vases, plates, ewers, goblets and more, polychrome-enameling them with images of Europeans clad in fancy dress and shown performing everyday activities or starring in whimsical scenes. Unsurprisingly, such pieces were dubbed “European subject” or “European portrait” wares. They were made for the imperial court as well as domestic and export markets.
SOUTHAMPTON, Pa. – Cindy Stephenson initially resisted joining the family business of auctioneering, but once she signed on and realized how fun and satisfying it is, she never looked back. As a licensed Pennsylvania auctioneer for more than 25 years, she has managed the family business, Stephenson’s Auctioneers & Appraisers, for two decades. The full-service auction company, which also conducts estate sales, has earned a strong reputation and loyal following in the appraisal and sale of estates, collections and real estate in the greater Philadelphia area and throughout the mid-Atlantic region.
NEW YORK – When holy persons depart for their heavenly reward, the grieving faithful feel compelled to retain what they left behind. Clothes, tools, and other personal effects, as well as body parts, were placed in opulent caskets, boxes, and other glorified displays to keep the memory of the saint alive. Objects designed to hold sacred objects go by many names, but they are often called reliquaries in recognition of the relics they contain.
NEW YORK — While toy lines come and go, those for superheroes tend to have a long shelf life. Of all of them, Batman, aka the Caped Crusader or the Dark Knight, is one that holds the attention of all ages.
NEW YORK – Few are immune to the charms of animals. From medieval times, European royalty often maintained private menageries featuring lions, tigers, bears, monkeys, elephants, camels, and tropical birds. In time, wealthy Londoners, in addition to personal menageries, collected pieces of jewelry that depicted birds, beasts, and everything in between.
NEW YORK — While Japanese and Chinese ceramics and porcelain have risen to unprecedented heights at auction, achieving multi-million dollar prices, other worthy Asian wares have been overshadowed. Though they haven’t yet soared to the level of the Chinese phoenix vase that attained $41 million in June 2021, Korean ceramics and porcelain have held their own and long delighted ceramics aficionados. A white moon jar made in the Joseon dynasty (circa 1390-1910) set an auction record when it fetched more than $2.5 million in June 2019. The elegant appeal of celadon-glaze wares, Joseon whiteware, and the signature moon jar form continue to bewitch collectors with their craftsmanship and beauty.
MONROVIA, Calif. – Maranda Moran grew up in a family of collectors, being pulled out of bed in the wee hours at a young age to accompany her parents to garage and estate sales, flea markets and auctions. At age 16, she was operating her own antiques booth in an antiques mall, specializing in fine and decorative arts from the turn of the century to the 1950s. Apt at sussing out choice, hard to find objects d’art for clients and armed with a degree in art history and history from UCLA, she turned her expertise into a career. In 1994 she joined her husband’s firm, John Moran Auctioneers, as a fine and decorative specialist with a concentration in Western and Native American art, a booming market genre.