In its essence, Art Noveau was a reaction to the academic art of the 19th Century. Named for Siegfried Bings Maison de lArt Nouveau gallery and shop in Paris, it was inspired by natural forms and structures, particularly the curved lines of plants and flowers. It shaped art, architecture and applied art, and was big till around 1910, when it was gazumped by Art Deco. Among the leading proponents of Art Noveau furniture was the Catalan Joan Busquets. Trained in Barcelona at the Llotja School and in his familys upholstery and decorating workshop, Busquets took up the international Art Nouveau style just before 1900. For ten years he was one of the most prolific cabinetmakers of Catalan Art Nouveau, before abandoning it to reproduce styles from the past. On Friday, December 2, Rago will offer 11 lots by or attributed to the great Spanish craft...Read More

There is a likely chance that in the attic of every home a box has been laying in dust for a generation or two, or three. Think of your attic door like a regularly ignored gateway. Now, take a moment to picture yourself staring at it, what’s up there again? a subconscious voice inquires. Simply gazing at the cutout in the ceiling won’t give an inch of a hint but we might have time for a look, curiosity responds. Lets unhitch the portal, drag down those foldable stairs and stretch ourselves upwards into the attic of our childhood. Shapes begin to materialize out of shadows; tupperware bins, blanketed furniture, foggy mirrors, obsolete electronics and half opened containers. In between delicate photographs and 1980’s video cassettes, you notice a fimiliar, plastic hand reaching out and immediately unearth it, alas! an old friend has been resc...Read More

Humans are biologically programmed to react to color. Red stimulates us. Blue and green sooth and calm us. The language of color is both conscious and subliminal, communicated readily and understood intrinsically. As a means of self-expression or affiliation, color is used and worn with intent. Throughout history, men and women have sought for the most vibrant gemstones, and donned them to create and communicate status and meaning. These stones, both rare and fine, have been reserved for royalty. They have been used to heal and to protect. They have incited lust, caused conflict, brought death and inspired love. Beholden to the power of color, humanity has been, and continues to be, obsessed by gemstones and the intrepid search to find them. Ragos December 4th Fine Jewelry Auction offers the opportunity to own some of the finest gemstones e...Read More

Jackson’s International Auctioneers in Cedar Falls, Iowa will be holding their two-day sale of World Treasures Featuring Important Russian, European Asian & American Works November 29th and 30th. The second day features over 200 lots of Asian antiques from China, Japan, the Himalayan Region and India. Despite a lull in the Japanese art market, Jackson’s is featuring two top quality items crafted during the peak of the Meiji Period (1868-1913). The first is lot 1258, a Very Fine Namikawa Yasuyuki Workshop Japanese Cloisonné Enameled Vase. The Namikawa studio is probably the most renowned workshop for crafting cloisonné enamel wares in Japan. Their vases typically have very detailed and complex designs, and were extremely limited in their production.  Very Fine Namikawa Yasuyuki Workshop Japanese Cloisonné Enameled Vase This vase is decorated...Read More

What’s not to love about good old Thanksgiving? Mountains of great food, quality moments with friends and family, and enough time off to watch football, wrestle the kids, argue with in-laws, crash on the couch and then… get stuck back into the food. No wonder then, that for so many Americans, it continues to be the favorite holiday on the calendar. Here at Bidsquare we’re taking a healthy swig of the holiday spirit by offering a host of collectibles that carry strong Thanksgiving themes. Take a break from the family festivities and check out the lots on offer – good news is, you won’t even have to put down that drumstick youre nursing!  Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade is one of the truely iconic events on the New York City calendar, and this stunning etching, selling as Lot 6 in Marlborough Graphics sale of Prints by Red Grooms, captures all ...Read More

Pook & Pook joins forces with Stuart Kingston Galleries on Saturday, November 19th to present a tax-free jewelry and fine art auction. The sale features estate and contemporary jewelry pieces and fine art. With items offered in a variety of price ranges, the auction also includes several show-stoppers. We’ve picked out a few eye catchers from the sale... 18K white gold, sapphire, and diamond earrings, each set with twenty-six sapphires, and twenty diamonds [Lot 38] These cascading, 18K white gold, sapphire and diamond earrings fall like the plume of a peacocks tail. The slight, inward curve and sparkling composition could easily be envisioned hugging the ears of classic Hollywood stars like Elizabeth Taylor, Ava Gardner and Grace Kelly.  14K yellow gold belt form cuff bracelet, with buckle and engraved floral details [Lot 45] Buckled elegan...Read More

Before everyone heads off to their American Thanksgiving break, remember that there are still some very exciting Asian Art auctions on Bidsquare! On November 15, Concierge Estate Sale Services will feature their auction of South East Asian Paintings and Art Glass. This sale features stunning artworks by renowned South East Asian modernist painters Antonio Blanco (1911-1999), Vu Cao Dam (1908-2000) and Le Pho (1907-2001). Of particular note are two Le Pho paintings, lots 39 and 40. Both display one of the Vietnamese artist’s trademark scenes of young women depicted in a verdant garden. Le Pho, Le Femme en Jaune, 1992 in Concierge Estate Sale Services November 15 Auction Born and trained as a painter in Hanoi, Le Pho later won a scholarship to further his studies in Paris. Here, he was able to combine traditional Eastern aesthetics into a sen...Read More

Think of Santa Monica and you tend to picture things like convertibles, sunscreen and surfboards. Yet nestled in the heart of this affluent Californian seaside town youll find Santa Monica Auctions, the longest running independently owned boutique fine art auction house in the country. Santa Monica Auctions has been championing modern and contemporary art for over 30 years now, all the time coupled with a passionate desire to bring accessibility and transparency to the world of art collecting.  On Sunday, November 20, Santa Monica Auctions will hold their Annual Fall sale. Among the 234 expertly curated lots on offer are works ranging from paintings and prints to sculptures, photographs, and artist multiples. Featured artists include Raymond Pettibon, Patrick Nagel, Annie Leibovitz, Dorothea Lange, Jasper Johns, Kenny Scharf, Catherine Opie...Read More

Ragos Remix auction is premised on a belief that the most livable and interesting rooms can’t be pinned to a decade or design period. They are composed of pieces, skillfully mixed, that create the impression of having been collected over time. Often, they really shouldnt communicate well, but they do, like a diverse group of wildly interesting people brought together for a party. Rago has filled the sale with sexy, stylish pieces of modern design, urbane antiques, heirlooms, contemporary and classical art. Highlights include: Malcolm Bray, Picture This, painted Louis XV style circa 1855 over-mantel mirror, USA, 2014; Set of twelve midcentury dining chairs, France; Pair of Eames Screens, mid 20th c., Desk and chair after Antonio Gaudi, wood and hand-wrought steel; Pair of Italian lounge chairs and ottomans, mid 20th c.  Join Rago in disregar...Read More

A compact figure dressed in black, halved by a geometric sterling silver belt, crosses the desert with confident strides. Loose pieces of white hair, otherwise neatly gathered, wisp away from her sun wrinkled face. This bone gathering desert dweller isn’t just some nameless nomad, she is America's most cherished mother of modernist painting - Georgia O’Keeffe. Georgia OKeeffe, From the Faraway, Nearby, Oil on Canvas, 1937, The Metropolitan Museum of Art To mark the legendary artist's 128th birthday, Bidsquare took a brief look back at Georgia O’Keeffe’s ceremonious New Mexican home and studio on the famed Ghost Ranch. The prehistoric landscape of the eastern end of the Colorado Plateau, where the 21,000-acre ranch resides, inspired some of O’Keeffe’s most potent compositions. Expansive blue skies, erratic windstorms and carousels of light a...Read More