There's lighting that blends into the background of our lives, providing simple beams from above, and then there's the bold, bulb holding statements that really POP!  If you're looking for lamps and chandeliers to shine and shout what your decor is all about, than these upcoming examples will surely get you glowing. Lot 520, Popcorn Pop Wall Sconce/Lamp; Estimate $300-$500 We're not buttering you up, we promise! This popcorn wall sconce has a starting bid of only $75. Plus, it can freshen up any room no matter what your taste is! Like the look of this lamp? Browse similar designs from Fornasetti here. Lot 831, Stilnovo (Attr.) Large twenty-four light sputnik chandelier, Italy, ca. 1950s; Estimate $1,500-$2,500 Earth to lighting lovers - this large, illumination device, aptly named 'sputnik,' after the similarly designed satellite launched b...Read More

It is a symbol of heaven on earth. The jade stone, typically thought of as a vibrant emerald-green colored gem, has been interwoven into Chinese folklore, medicine and artistry for more than 3,000 years. Although, China isn't the only culture to have discovered the strength and allure of the stone, it has clearly become their ultimate talisman. Evidence of jade jewelry and weaponry stretches back to the Stone Age as well as ancient Mesoamerican empires, and points to a heavy appreciation for the tough, yet workable material. However, the masterful carving of this spiritual stone reached unsurpassed beauty in China between the late 18th and early 19th centuries.  Lot 24, A Pair of Jade Earrings; Estimate $3,000-$5,000 | Coming up at Fortuna Auctions on February 13th 2019 The symbolic significance of jade in China is so important that Confuci...Read More

It's been made clear, from the plethora of modern design auctions we've hosted on Bidsquare, that our bidders have a knack for Nakashima - and it's an edge we keep on polishing! On the weekend of January 19-20, Rago presented a series of auctions; Early 20th Century Design, Mid-Mod, Modern Design, Lost City Arts: 36 Years of Collecting and Modern Ceramics & Glass. Between the Modern Design sale and the Lost City Arts collection, the Bidsquare platform took home 8 supreme lots by George Nakashima, including the highest price for a work by George Nakashima on offer that weekend. With that being said, it's not at all suprising that 3 out of the 5 top Bidsquare results at Rago came from the father of the American craft movement himself.  In addition to Bidsquare's furniture fiesta, online bidders also took a chomp out of the important ceramics ...Read More

On January 30, Dallas Auction Gallery will be selling ‘The John W. Lolley Art Glass Collection’. This is the first part of a series of sales pertaining to important American and continental glass from the estate of banker John W. Lolley (1937-2018) from Monroe, Louisiana. (Part 2 will be offered on March 20, 2019). With over 400 lots, this auction also contains numerous European decorative arts, silver, furniture and Asian art. Lot 340, Chinese Qing Yong Zheng Imperial Blue & White Plate; Estimate $50,000-$70,000 Of the Asian art objects, the most impressive is lot 340, a Chinese blue and white plate from the Yongzheng Period (1723-1735) of the Qing Dynasty. With a diameter of 10.8 inches, this plate is of a reasonably large size. It features a pleasant design of five large floral clusters surrounded by scrolling vines. The base is marked ‘...Read More

Who would have thought that a budding Abstract Expressionist in the 1940s would become one of the most famous sculptors of the American West just a decade later? That is the story of Harry Jackson, whose bronzes are beloved by collectors and enthusiasts of Western art. Lot 278, Harry Jackson, Stampede; Estimate $80,000-$120,000 As a young man, Harry Jackson served as a combat artist in the Marine Corps during World War II. He returned from the war seeking an outlet through his art for the intense experiences he had undergone, finding in color a way to express emotional content. When he encountered She Wolf, a 1943 painting by Jackson Pollock, the power of abstraction to express force and tension greatly moved him. As young painter opening a New York Studio in 1946, Harry Jackson found inspiration in works by Pollock, Robert Motherwell, and ...Read More

New to Bidsquare is MNP Auctioneers from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. On January 26, they will be holding their sale of Straits Chinese Antique Auction. This auction consists of 63 carefully selected objects that include porcelain, textiles, and jewelry. Straits Chinese, also known as Peranakan Chinese, are descendants from Chinese immigrants who moved to the Malaysia region during the 15th to 17th Century of the Ming Dynasty. Over the years, they adopted their own distinctive customs and culture that incorporates local traditions.  The Chinese porcelain featured in the MNP sale was produced during the Late 19th Century specifically for the Straits Chinese. These objects tend to feature much brighter colors than Chinese domestic ware, and can be distinguished by a mostly pink, turquoise and yellow palette. The designs also tend to feature more p...Read More

Pook & Pook’s, Online Only Decorative Arts sale took place on January 14th and featured over 700 objects. This Bidsquare exclusive auction showcased a diverse range of categories including furniture, decorative arts, carpets, prints, old books, folk art and Asian art. Lot 1222, Chinese Cloisonné Urn; Sold for $126,000 on Bidsquare By far the highlight of this auction was Lot 1222, a simply titled ‘Chinese Cloisonné Urn’. The description was concise as it only listed the height (22 inches), condition (one side with 1 ¾ inch dent) and estimate ($100-$200).   However, after a competitive bidding battle taking place over 403 bids, the urn realized a final price of $126,000 from Bidsquare - 1,260 times the original estimate! So, what made this urn so enticing to the bidders? Chinese cloisonné enamel vessels were produced as early as the Yuan Dyn...Read More

Established in 1982 in Lower Manhattan’s now upscale SOHO neighborhood sits the glass-encased mecca of mid-century design known as Lost City Arts. Owner James Elkind has built a reputation as an authority on mid-century decorative arts and furniture and is widely regarded as a leading expert on the work of sculptor and designer Harry Bertoia. On Sunday, January 20, Rago Auctions in Lambertville, New Jersey is delighted to offer mid-century and contemporary design and sculpture from the collection of James Elkind and Lost City Arts. Included in this 106 lot, single-owner collection are fine and rare works by George Nakashima, Harry Bertoia, Paul Evans, Phil Powell, Serge Mouille, Pedro Friedeberg, Charles and Ray Eames, Duayne Hatchett, and more. As Jim told The Magazine Antiques in 2009, “What looks like prescience has also involved a lot o...Read More

The time is now. Abstract artist, Sam Gilliam, best known for his draped, frame-free canvases, seems to be attracting more attention than usual. His experimental approach to paint has been influencing the course of art history since the '60s and ‘70s  - however, collectors and museums are just now emphasizing the liberating beauty and lyrical approach that the African American artist has been underscoring for decades.  Sam Gilliam completed his Masters of Arts degree in Fine Arts at the University of Louisville in 1961. After moving to Washington D.C. in 1962, where he has remained ever since, a movement known as the the Washington Color School began taking shape. As with most movements, the artists included weren't fully aware of the developing definition - they just went on bending the rules. Other artists identified with this movement in...Read More

When a potter opens their glaze kiln, after several days of waiting, a great many findings can occur. Color combinations that should have gone one way can easily go another, hairline cracks can split into the width of a peace sign "V" and runny glazes may seal the fate of a beloved vessel by bonding it to the kiln's shelf. That is why, when pots are unloaded, many makers go silent with anixious optimism, having already come to terms with the hoops and hurdles that their process can present.  This month, Bidsquare has the pleasure of hosting Rago's, Modern Ceramics & Glass sale on January 20th. This sensational catalog is a feast of forms, textures and techniques. In the clay category, one can enjoy all levels of refinement, from heavenly Celadon Pottery to earthenware 'Frog cream puff' conceptions. The following five selections were most li...Read More