It is virtually impossible to imagine modern furniture design without the prolific achievements of Charles and Ray Eames. The basic sentiment that evolved during the mid-20th-century, that strong design should be made simply and affordably, spawned an exciting and infinitely fertile ground for many of the iconic solutions still being manufactured today. The joy and influence that practical architecture and furniture could have on ones life resonated with Charles and Ray Eames and became an integral part of their process. They improved upon and discovered all aspects of the effects that design had on the individual, and through their creative partnership and marriage, Charles and Ray Eames eclipsed their vows – in many more ways than one.  In this week's 'Bidsquare Picks' we're sharing essential designs by Charles and Ray Eames coming up at ...Read More

In an unexpected roll of the dice, the playful side of Americana moved ahead several spaces during Skinner's American Furniture & Decorative Arts sale on March 3rd. Amongst the fine art selection that one expects to see in catalog such as this (nautical scenes, family portraits and appetizing still lifes) the delicate art of game board painting was equally admired during the sale that cleared $1.3 million in sales.  Actively jumping across the auction block, Bidsquare crowned a few kings of its own during the course of the auction. The top lot on Bidsquare was lot 72, a Polychrome Paint-decorated Double-sided Game Board from the late 19th Century selling for a total of $10,455 against an estimate of $6,000 - $8,000. The kaleidoscopic precision of lot 72 can be admired for its geometric complexity alone, however its history and past function...Read More

As part of their Asian Works of Art auction on March 26th, Leslie Hindman Auctioneers will be featuring one of the most exciting Chinese painting collections to be offered for sale in North America.  The painting collection of Ms. Yuan Jiayin 袁家英 and Mr. Li Guoyin 李國元  was assembled over the past fifty years and consists of fan paintings, calligraphy, album pages and scrolls. Ms. Yuan is the granddaughter of Yuan Shikai 袁世凱, the renowned general of the late Qing Dynasty who, amongst many things, became the first formal President of the Republic of China (1914) and later attempted to revive the monarchy by declaring himself the Hongxian Emperor. Her grandmother, known as Lady Yang, was the fifth and favorite concubine of Yuan Shikai. Together with her husband, Li Guoyin, an English-speaking secretary to the Kuomintang Nationalist Party, Ms. ...Read More

The first week of March ushered in a massive haul of modern designs by way of Palm Beach Modern Auctions, Modern Art & Design, Urban Culture, Jewelry sale on March 3rd, which offered over 550 desirables. Quintessential names represented the scope of 20th Century artisans and furniture makers, including Pablo Picasso, Karl Springer, Harry Bertoia, George Nakashima, Paul Evans, and Lynn Chadwick amongst many others. The Bidsquare platform, familiar with running neck and neck with the floor and other online channels, made sure to secure a number of glamorous items that epitomize the convenience of online collecting. Here are six pieces, won on Bidsquare, that we wish would get rerouted to our front door. Lot 79, Jean Royere, Val D'or Coffee Table, France; Sold for $15,360 This coffee table stirs up a cool and curvy mood. Designed by the French...Read More

How exciting it must be to reimagine every day objects! For instance, consider the task of designing your own chair. How would you grapple with proportion, material, posture and style? Would it be important to get anything done in this chair? Or, is it best to knock down studious conventions for outlandish play? Remember, this is your chair, and in the cannon of furniture design it can become your legacy. In this week's 'Bidsquare Picks' We're pulling together an assortment of all kinds of chairs like French chairs and India chairs and all those that deliver unsung achievements and equally recognized reinventions! Lot 106, Jean Prouvé, 'Semi-Metal' chair, No. 305, France, 1950; Estimate $7,000 - $9,000 Finding useful solutions by creative means was destiny for French designer Jean Prouvé. In the early 20th century, Victor Prouvé, Jean's fat...Read More

Stephen Fletcher at Skinner shares his insights on beginning to collect antiques and how beneficial it can be for those starting their first homes. While I’ve heard some say “the golden age of antiques collecting is over,” in fact, it’s not over, and for some, it’s just beginning. There’s so much opportunity out there, especially for twenty- or thirty-somethings just starting out and setting up homes. Many members of this generation remain unaware of the antiques world, and often head straight to Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware, or IKEA for copies of original items we see here at Skinner every day. Things don’t need to be this way. With a little information and effort, younger collectors can acquire affordable antique furnishings, and enjoy living with distinctive works of art and antiques instead of cookie-cutter, mass-produced furnitur...Read More

There was a time, not so long ago, when basic commodities such as coffee and sugar were exceptionally expensive. In the late 18th century and early 19th century, one could tell they were rubbing elbows with the right crowd if a stout, box-like chest with legs and a lock, was seen on display in an entertainers' home. Found primarily in Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina, the case piece that has gone from a functional symbol of wealth to a charming collectible is the wonderfully sweet, American sugar chest.  Lot 222, Kentucky Cherry Sugar Chest, 19th Century; Estimate $3,000 - $5,000 Due to the high cost of sugar, only distinguished homes had the means to acquire it. This brought fourth a wave of smartly designed chests made of fine woods such as cherry and walnut, complete with bottom drawers and a flat top. Antique Sugar chests could al...Read More

It's not everyday that the 'unreserved' gods shine down upon the auction block. This past weekend, on February 23rd-25th, Bidsquare users jumped at the opportunity to acquire affordable goods during Rago's Unreserved Session 1, Session 2 and Session 3 sales. The sprinkle of activity coming in from the platform quickly developed into a gleeful downpour, drenching lovers of modern design in their favorite makers from Gio Pointi to Harvery Prober and Verner Panton! Here are some of our favorite finds that were scooped up on Bidsquare: Lot 1420, George Nelson; Howard Miller, "Spike" electric wall clock, Zeeland, MI, 1950s; Sold for $544 We had our eyes on both of the George Nelson; Howard Miller "Spike" clocks featured in Rago's catalog, and this one was handed to the Bidsquare platform right in the nick of time!  Lot 1782, Style of Sam Maloof,...Read More

After a short winter break, the Asian Art auction market resumes in full-force during the month of March. Bidsquare will showcase many Asian-themed auctions, including the highly anticipated Asian Works of Art sale on March 16th at Skinner.  This sale contains over 540 lots from the various regions of Asia including China, Japan, Korea, the Himalayas, India and the Islamic World. All of the essential categories are covered from ceramics, furniture, porcelain, jade carvings, paintings, textiles, woodblock prints and metalwork.  Lot 237, Nephrite Jade Openwork Carving, China; Estimate $10,000 - $12,000 In the Chinese section of the sale, one of the most impressive pieces is lot 237, a Nephrite Openwork Carving. This endearing scene of two ladies on a heavenly river raft is expertly carved from a fine piece of pale celadon jade. The carving co...Read More

When the Museum of Modern Art purchased William de Kooning's Woman, I in 1953, the collection committee is said to have admitted that it was "quite frightening" - many of de Kooning's peers also sensed a violent, even misogynistic handling of the female figure. Despite its seemingly insensitive execution, the painting was, no doubt, a modern masterwork. Standing at an unignorable six-feet- high by five-feet-wide, the deranged, gopher-toothed female presence was demanding, riveting and well…somewhat expected. The painted female figure had been making rebels out of men for over a century by the time William de Kooning took a stab at her; Edouard Manet's 1863 Olympia being one of many influential examples. Oddly, it seems a subject that will never be exhausted. The treatment of "woman as art," remains the perfect vessel for portraying a spectr...Read More