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

Martin Lewis is considered one of the greatest American printmakers of the first half of the twentieth century.  He used his superb sense of composition and his technical skill as a master printmaker to create images of New York City and rural Connecticut that are as captivating today as they were in the late 1920’s when he was first recognized as an important artist.  He was one of the first printmakers to sell out an edition of a print during an exhibition, and many of his etchings and drypoints sold out in a few months.  Martin Lewis spent most of his life living in New York City after arriving from Australia.  However, he did travel to Europe and lived briefly in Japan and rural Connecticut.   Lot 1, Martin Lewis, Little Penthouse, Drypoint, 1931; Estimate $9,000-$22,000 Martin Lewis was born in Castlemaine, Australia, on July 9, 1880, ...Read More

He only painted what he felt like painting - truly and honestly. For decades, from the 1960s through the early 2000s, a man by the name of Purvis Young could be found painting assemblies of angles, hoards of wild horses, floating versions of both, and stacked boxy buildings onto pieces of scrap wood, metal and/or completely asymmetrical cuts of paper. His squiggling curves and feverish figures rode up edges going right-ways, back-ways and down-ways; like the problems of the world he depicted, sometimes no direction is the direction being observed.  Lot 1336, Purvis Young, Untitled (Riders on Horses), Paint on canvas affixed to board; Buy Now $1,024 An African American artist, now popularly belonging to the outsider artist genre, Purvis Young knew his paintings were different from other artists. He liked it that way. Young didn't want to be ...Read More

On December 11, Leslie Hindman Auctioneers from Chicago will be selling the Estate of William Lipton. Over the past 25 years Lipton had one of the most recognizable Manhattan art galleries.  Lipton’s diverse collecting taste is evident in this auction. Comprising of 457 decorative works of art and paintings from the Americas, Europe and East Asia, the sale features numerous highlights including an early 20th Century Dagobert Peche Austrian silver footed bowl (lot 245) and a circa 1955 rocking armchair by the Brazilian modernist Joaquim Tenreiro (lot 393). However, most of the star pieces can be found in the Chinese section of the sale with its wide assortment of scholar objects, furniture, textiles, Buddhist sculptures, ceramics, and reference books.  Lot 103, Liu Dan, Green Parrot and Red Parrot, ink and color on paper; Estimate $80,000-$1...Read More

Though many things on earth are considered rare, natural blue diamonds are truly among the rarest of the rare. Leading Fortuna’s upcoming December 6th Magnificent Jewels Auction, is a spectacular 3.05 carat Fancy Intense Blue diamond ring. Offered for sale from a private Asian collection, this exceptionally rare diamond is a pear-shaped cut, with even color saturation, and a clarity grade of SI2. It is accompanied by a 2018 certificate from the Gemological Institute of America. As with all natural fancy colored diamonds, color hue and intensity are the top priorities when it comes to determining value. While the clarity grade is still an important factor, it is the color that makes these diamonds the most rare and valuable of all gemstones. Occurring in less than 0.02% of diamonds mined, blue diamonds gain their color from the presence of t...Read More

It's official. Television commercials for The Grinch (the new animated movie and the Broadway musical) are circulating during prime time, flights are being delayed, Michael Bublé is back to serenading everyone and their mother, and Black Friday has just tripped the gift buying alarm. If you’re one of the many people just realizing that December is only a few days away, don’t panic – we tailored this gift guide just for you. Here are 15 wearable wonders coming up for auction starting at or below $500. 1. Louis Vuitton, Monogram Canvas Tote Bag; Starting at $100 2. Hermes Bamboo/Rouge Epsom Leather and Gold H Belt; Starting at $75 3. A Yellow Gold 'Circe' Ring, Georges Braque for Heber de Lowenfeld,1960s; Starting at $500 4. A Pair of Gucci Tortoiseshell Sunglasses; Starting at $40 5. Hermés "Brise De Charme" Silk Scarf; Starting at $125 6. O...Read More

Automaton – 1. (n) a machine that performs a function according to a predetermined set of coded instructions, especially one capable of a range of programmed responses to different circumstances. 2. (n) moving mechanical device made in imitation of a human being. A seemingly modern invention, automatons have in fact been around since the time of the ancient Greeks. These first devices served a variety of functions from the practical, such as alarm clocks and automatic doors, to the purely entertaining, as the case with “The Automatic Servant of Philo” - a humanoid automaton that would pour wine into any glass placed in its “hand”. ”The Automatic Servant of Philo,” widely considered to be the first ‘robot’ – currently on display at the Museum of Ancient Greek Technology in Athens, Greece Overtime, these relatively simple mechanisms evolved, ...Read More

There are the things we buy ourselves during the year that give us a little jolt of excitement - we casually add life's luxuries to our closets, foyers and kitchen cabinets with glee. However, nothing quite compares to the objects we desire during the holidays. It's not just that gifts are a tiny-bit (or a lot-a-bit) more lavish, but they hold the memories attached to our seasonal festivities and render back to a specific sentiment. Holiday gifts, given or received, have a way of capturing who we were and what was happening during that special time of year.  So, whether you are eagerly waiting for your turkey to come out of the oven, or if you're already comatose from a cranberry sauce overload, you can enjoy the leisurely activity of clicking and scrolling through our auctions in search of your next glorious gift! For those of you who are ...Read More

New to Bidsquare is Stunning Arts Gallery and Auction from Toronto, Canada. On November 24th, they will feature their Estate Asian Art Auction. This sale will showcase over 200 lots of Chinese Art including paintings, jade carvings, porcelain, furniture, jewelry, and Buddhist sculptures.  Lot 194, Li Keran, Waterfall, Watercolor on paper; Estimate $50,000-$80,000 The top item from this auction is lot 194, a depiction of waterfall by Chinese modernist master Li Keran (1907-1989). Trained by the renowned Lin Fengmian (1900-1991), Li was an instructor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing where he taught traditional Chinese painting fused with Western techniques. Li was mostly known for his depictions of buffalos and boats, but his landscapes also caught the attention of Chinese art institutions and collectors during the mid 20th Cent...Read More

There is an unmistakable buzz that begins to ripple through the city once dawn sets over the Park Avenue Armory, hours before the opening of The Salon Art and Design show. Those of us who roam the exhibition early (while vacuums collect last-minute crumbs and spotlights are tightened just a touch) can taste the fantasia of anticipation emanating off of the exquisite assembly of objects waiting to be admired. Representing the world's finest galleries in historical, modern, emerging, and contemporary furniture, as well as late 19th through 21st-century art, the Salon Art and Design retains a level of refinement and invention that leaves something for every taste, mood, and style. It is filled to the brim with unexpected "aha moments" and familiar favorites; a superb Warhol soup box hangs adjacent from an ancient marble statue of Hercules whil...Read More