For over 30 years the Smithsonian Craft Show has welcomed admirers of all things handmade to gather and celebrate the finest American contemporary craft and design. The annual craft show in Washington D.C. is steeped in excellence and highlights a variety of disciplines: wearable art, basketry, ceramics, decorative fibers, furniture, glass, jewelry, leather, metal, mixed-media, paper and wood. Through the dedication of the Smithsonian Women's Committee, a core group of volunteer advocates who've helped fundraise for research grants and specialty programs for the past 50 years - the craft show continues to connect highly-skilled artisans with enthusiastic patrons. Each year, the Smithsonian Craft Show is buzzing with people weaving their way around 100+ tents to mingle, purchase artworks and marvel over the refined ingenuity that is American...Read More

It's October 2020 and most people are currently thinking that life is pretty crazy. Even outside of the pandemic, there's endless political unrest, natural disasters, financial uncertainty, and let us not forget about murder hornets. However, outside of these happenings, the Pop Culture collectible marketplace is hotter than ever before. Comics, toys, trading cards, video games (you name it) have been selling for record prices the past eight months. In my opinion, many collectors are home and the expendable income they might have spent on vacations, movies, etc. has ceased! Simply put, there's more money in the kitty to spend on Pop Culture goodness. My quick synopsis: the Pop Culture market is roaring through the current chaos and the auction scene has been quite the spectacle to watch. On October 17, Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers will host a ...Read More

After a successful Asia Week in New York late September, the Asian Art market once again proved its resiliency despite the global pandemic and economic uncertainty. Major artworks were sold in the categories of Japanese woodblock prints, Chinese archaic bronzes, Chinese imperial porcelain, Chinese jade carvings, and Hindu and Buddhist sculptures. The strong market signifies that Asian art collectors around the world are still seeking high quality objects, especially those that are rare and have substantial provenance. Following in the footsteps of Asia Week, Skinner in Boston will be showcasing their Asian Works of Art auction on October 9. This 327 lot sale features objects from China, Japan, Korea, the Himalayan region, and the Islamic world. Lot 100, Blue and White Lotus-mouth Bottle Vase; Estimate $600,000-$1,200,000 The top piece of th...Read More

We made it to the autumn season! That means the start of another round of Asian Art sales at both the international and regional level. Despite the ongoing crisis with the global pandemic the Asian Art market has proved to be resilient with strong results throughout the summer months. On September 24, Hindman in Chicago will be featuring their Chinese and Southeast Asian Works of art auction. This 379 lot sale focuses mostly on objects from China including paintings, porcelain, jade carvings, furniture and scholar art. However, there are also highlights in a vast selection of reference books, Buddhist sculptures from the Himalayan regions, and Indian works of art. Lot 80, A Rare and Fine Imperial Folding Fan; Estimate $30,000-$50,000 One of the highlights from the Hindman sale is lot 80, a Chinese Imperial folding fan crafted during the Qia...Read More

Pictures speak; wide children's eyes, a master painter lost in thought, posing models, disturbed feminists, people from a long lost China or dancing priests - a photo usually tells more with its visual language than any word could.  The upcoming, OstLicht Photo Auction catalog, live on October 2, at 11am EDT, displays an impressive roster of photographers from Helmut Newton and Henri-Cartier Bresson to Josef Sudek, William Eggleston, Moriz Nähr, and many others. Lot 4, Moriz Nähr, Gustav Klimt, Vienna 1909, Vintage silver print in OstLicht Photo Auction Moriz Nähr knew exactly how to portray the Art Nouveau master Gustav Klimt in profile, conveying dignity and spirituality. The important piece of Austrian photo history was made on 8 July 1909 at the International Art Exhibition in Vienna. This early large-format print, offered at the auctio...Read More

Being an antiquarian is no easy task. They are eternally at the mercy of luck, waiting impatiently for that desired item to surface so they can rush out in search of it and, if they're lucky enough, to find and catch it. The feeling of triumph that comes from this experience is akin to a special new friendship, or the thrill of conquering a long-awaited love. For collectors, the acquisition of a treasured piece implies being responsible for its safekeeping and caring for it for it for an indefinite period of time, until it finds its way to another person, thus beginning a brand new story.  Lot 38, Chucho Reyes, Biombo, aves y flores, Unsigned, Oil on canvas on wooden support, 4 panels At Morton Subastas, the 'Auction of Works and Items Belonging to Chucho Reyes from the Collection of Rodrigo Rivero Lake', reveals an impassioned relationship...Read More

"What can we do to help the world with maps?"  This was the question moving through the mind of Farhad Vladi, a discerning collector of maps and the foremost international island broker (a delightfully kismet combination of interests). Over the course of his near five-decade career, Vladi has sold more than 2,000 private islands and amassed an extraordinary selection of antique maps - a passion which started out as a generous gesture. Whenever Farhad Vladi represented an island, he would seek out antique maps of said islands to give as a gift to his clients, and it was this thoughtful quest that would burgeon into a world-class collection of his own. As a member of the International Map Collectors Society, Vladi has traveled the world in his quest to amass a collection of the finest, rarest, and most beautiful maps he could find. The collec...Read More

When one looks at interior environments associated with Lee Stanton, the immediate gravity and delight of earthbound objects begin to proliferate - tree trunk sculptures, English book boxes, haunting marble busts, urns, miniature spiral staircases, sundials, charcoal nudes - all placed, just so, to remind the senses of exactly how rich this plane of existence can be.  Lee Stanton, a noted antiquarian, and thirty-year collector of 17th, 18th and 19th century British and European antiques has filled three of his own homes - as well as the homes of many others - with a plethora of timeless designs that emphasize an eclectic mix of traditional, modern, and industrial influences.   Lee Stanton at his home in Los Angeles, Photograph by Bjorn Wallander for Elle Decor   His Instagram [@leestantonla] is a trove of styled vignettes where you can find...Read More

On August 26th, Rago in Lambertville NJ will be hosting their inaugural Asian Art sale. This 303 lot auction is represented by objects from China, Korea, Japan and India, and comes from various private collections including a prestigious Madison Avenue antique store. All categories are considered for this auction such as export porcelain, ceramics, jade and jadeite carvings, Buddhist sculptures, furniture, and scholar objects. Lot 152, Chinese, Rare and Large Guanyin, c.1600; Estimate $20,000-$30,000 The highlight of the sale is lot 152, an extremely rare Chinese gilt and lacquered bronze figure of Guanyin. Dated to circa 1600 of the late Ming Dynasty, this superbly cast figure of the Buddhist Boddhisatva (enlightened being) of Compassion is one of the best examples to recently hit the Asian Art market. Guanyin is also known as Avalokiteshv...Read More

The ever-present series of adjustments that have detoured so much of our daily lives and altered a range of anticipated events have compelled those caught in the crosshairs to push forward with a rebounding grit. Although, uncertainty is top of mind, there remains unexpected strokes of enthusiasm and verve that breakthrough the marsh to provide us with clear moments of excitement. Bidsquare, the exclusive online bidding platform for the Coeur d'Alene Art Auction for the fifth consecutive year, readied itself for an increase in online participation in light of pandemic restrictions and limited, in-person auction attendance. The event on July 25, 2020, was held at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno Nevada and marked the 35th year of the Coeur d'Alene Art Auction's annual sale - where, typically, a fleet of private jets would've touched down on “...Read More