Ming Imperial dragon carpet set saleroom ablaze at Skinner

Ming Imperial dragon carpet, $324,500. Image courtesy of Skinner
Ming Imperial dragon carpet, $324,500. Image courtesy of Skinner
Ming Imperial dragon carpet, $324,500. Image courtesy of Skinner

MARLBOROUGH, Mass. – Skinner Auctioneers presented its initial sale from the the Jim Dixon collection, commanding widespread interest beyond the centerpiece Ming Imperial dragon carpet. The May 4 auction represented the first of several planned sales from the lifetime accruals of Jim Dixon, a passionate antiquarian and outsized figure in the world of fine woven textiles who passed away in 2020. Sales for both the live May 4 auction and a late April-early May online auction together reached $1,375,805.

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Centuries of American art featured at Skinner, May 25

Charles Courtney Curran, ‘Picnic Supper on the Sand Dunes,’ est. $50,000-$70,000. Image courtesy of Skinner
Charles Courtney Curran, ‘Picnic Supper on the Sand Dunes,’ est. $50,000-$70,000. Image courtesy of Skinner
Charles Courtney Curran, ‘Picnic Supper on the Sand Dunes,’ est. $50,000-$70,000. Image courtesy of Skinner

MARLBOROUGH, Mass. – Skinner Auctioneers will conduct a live auction of American Art on Wednesday, May 25, starting at 10 am Eastern time at Skinner’s Marlborough gallery. Ranging across centuries from the early Hudson River School to early American Modernism, the sale features masterworks by some of this country’s greatest painters and sculptors. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

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‘Luxe Living: The Bostonians’ drew worldwide bidding at Skinner

 

Left, pair of carved giltwood mirrors from the April 14 auction, $68,750; Right, Towle 365-piece sterling flatware set in the Georgian pattern, offered in the April 12 sale, $13,750
Left, pair of carved giltwood mirrors from the April 14 auction, $68,750; Right, Towle 365-piece sterling flatware set in the Georgian pattern, offered in the April 12 sale, $13,750

MARLBOROUGH, Mass. – Skinner Auctioneers presented two European auctions in April that drew competitive bidding from enthusiastic participants worldwide and generated high prices across multiple categories. On Thursday, April 14, Skinner offered a single-owner live auction titled Luxe Living: The Bostonians, showcasing a curated collection of furniture and decorative arts from the home of a prominent Boston couple. The online European Decor & Design Auction, which ran from April 12 – April 22, proved yet again that the market for silver, particularly pieces of sterling silver holloware from well-known makers such as Tiffany and Gorham, remains strong.

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Skinner rolls out red carpet for Jim Dixon textiles collection, May 4

Ming dynasty Imperial dragon carpet, est. $200,000-$300,000
Ming dynasty Imperial dragon carpet, est. $200,000-$300,000
Ming dynasty Imperial dragon carpet, est. $200,000-$300,000

MARLBOROUGH, Mass. – Skinner Auctioneers will offer the lifetime accruals of a passionate antiquarian and outsized figure in the world of fine woven textiles: The Jim Dixon collection. Dixon, a master garden designer who passed away in 2020, was considered to have one of the most important collections of carpets and rugs in the United States. His significant and expertly assembled holdings will be auctioned by Skinner across five sales, beginning with an online auction April 25 – May 5 and a live auction on Wednesday, May 4 in Boston. Absentee and Internet live bidding for the May 4 sale will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

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