MIAMI – Probably the most bizarre and controversial item to ever bear the Gucci name comes to market Tuesday, February 20 at Pandora Auctions.
Maurizio Gucci (1948-1995) was the scion and heir to the Gucci fortune created by his grandfather Guccio Gucci (1881-1953). In 1970, Maurizio met Patrizia Martinelli at a party and the couple soon wed, with Patrizia becoming a socialite in New York City thereafter. Eventually the couple returned to Milan, with Maurizio straying from the bonds of marriage. In 1985, he announced their marriage was coming to an end. Patrizia divorced Maurizio in 1994 and was awarded annual alimony of $1.47 million. But when she discovered her ex-husband was planning to remarry – which would have halved her court-ordered alimony under Italian law – she engaged a broke and desperate pizzeria owner to murder Maurizio, which the man carried out in 1995.
She was arrested and convicted in 1998, receiving a 29-year sentence for her role in Maurizio’s death. As a macabre nod to these events, Gucci – under the creative direction of designer Tom Ford – released a solid sterling silver pair of handcuffs, marked GUCCI and MADE IN ITALY. Clearly a nod to Patrizia’s conviction, the handcuffs were displayed in Gucci boutiques worldwide. It is unclear how many sets were made, but when they come to auction, they perform admirably. Pandora estimates this pair at $25,000-$50,000.
LINCOLN PARK, N.J. – The animal-themed jewels that proved so popular in the Victorian era enjoyed several revivals in the 20th century. The Art Nouveau movement found much of its inspiration in the forms and lines of nature, while the Art Deco period ushered in Cartier’s famous big cats. And in the post-war era, there was a much more whimsical menagerie, inspired by the cartoons of Warner Brothers’ Looney Tunes and Walt Disney. If jewelry had hitherto sought to impress, imply status, and convey meaning, these were simply worn to bring a smile.
After falling from fashion, 1960s animal pins and other related novelties are, like so much retro chic, now back on point. This signed Cartier owl pin in 18K gold with a turquoise body, diamond-festooned feet, and sapphire eyes will be offered at Willow Auction House on Thursday, February 22 with an estimate of $3,000-$4,000. It is part a sale featuring more than 400 lots from the estate of New Jersey collector Angela Gross Folk.
NEW ORLEANS – Huey P. Long (1893-1935) was and remains a controversial figure in American politics, a political power story unlike any other. His fiery brand of Southern populism led to his election as governor of Louisiana, and ultimately to the United States Senate, before dying from internal bleeding after being shot by a disgruntled relative of a local judge gerrymandered out of his reelection chances.
Born impoverished in the hinterlands of northern Louisiana, Long passed the bar and practiced law largely on behalf of the poor before running for office. His meteoric rise to power remains unparalleled in American politics, characterized by his impassioned speeches on behalf of the disempowered and destitute. Long helped secure Franklin Roosevelt’s 1932 presidential victory by building a coalition of Southern Democrats, but was snubbed by the Roosevelt Administration, perhaps in recognition of Long’s potential as a political opponent in future elections.
Following Long meant believing in Longism – his radical populism that relied on the government to provide assistance to the downtrodden in society. Louisiana politics splintered into two factions: Longism and Anti-Longism. Many pro-Long candidates were well-supported by his political machine, as seen in this mid-1930s political poster coming up for bid at Neal Auction Company on Tuesday, February 20. Long had been assassinated in 1935, some months before the poster was printed, and Oscar K. Allen had died of a brain hemorrhage shortly after winning the special election to replace Long in the U.S. Senate. Other Long-aligned figures appear on the poster, including his brother Earl Long (then the state lieutenant governor). In rough but presentable shape and framed, the poster carries an estimate of $600-$800.
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Legendary naturalist and ornithologist John James Audubon (1785-1851) had an affinity for birds even as a boy, and as a young man declared that he would illustrate every bird in North America – no mean feat. He developed a system of wires to pose deceased bird specimens as he painted them, then worked with assistants to add background vegetation imagery for the completed work.
The Birds of America was first published as a series in sections between 1827 and 1838, in Edinburgh and London, and was sold by subscription. It was printed by Robert Havell Sr. and Robert Havell Jr., resulting in this first set being known as the Havell Edition. It was oversized and printed on handmade paper.
As Audubon’s work became more widely known, later editions emerged, such as one coming up for sale at Brunk Auctions on Wednesday, February 21. Published By J.J. Audubon and J.B. Chevalier between 1840 and 1844, its seven volumes hold 500 lithographs, and each volume includes Audubon’s list of subscribers. They are bound in three-quarter dark green leather over marbled boards, with gilt lettering and spine decoration. Coming from the North Carolina estate of Barbara Chatham, the seven-volume set is estimated at $20,000-$30,000.
AUSTIN, Texas – A United States 50-star flag that had been flying on the morning of September 11, 2001 when two commercial airliners struck both World Trade Center towers will be offered at Austin Auction Gallery on Sunday, February 25.
Discovered by an unknown first responder, the flag was recovered at the World Trade Center complex in the rubble near WTC Building 3, then known as The Marriott World Trade Center and originally the Vista Hotel. The flag was then signed by numerous first responders, many including their unit names and badge numbers, along with then-Mayor of New York City Rudy Giuliani, who signed during an inspection tour of the carnage.
The flag is clearly tattered and retains gray matter from the debris plume created by the collapsing skyscrapers. Measuring 44 by 73.25in, the flag carries an estimate of $10,000-$20,000.
