The Navajo Tribes of North America have a long and rich tradition as skilled weavers, with their craftsmanship on display in private collections and leading museums worldwide. Two auctions running live on Bidsquare in the next few weeks will offer prized examples of their work, and with the Smithsonian New York currently running a successful Navajo exhibit, what better time to invest in artistry from these proud and noble people? John Moran Auctioneers’ HQ American West sale, set down for Saturday, May 30, offers a host of great options for those looking to invest in Navajo weaving. Lots 66 (below), 136 & 137 come from the Teec Nos Pos, a Navajo community in Arizona famed for their intricate detailing. These classic designs, dating back to mid-20th Century, are typical of the community’s signature style. During the Navajo regional rug perio...Read More

Are diamonds really a girls best friend? Hard to say really but youd hope not - lets face it, you cant talk to a rock and for that you might be better off joining a book club or a latte appreciation society or better still, getting a French bulldog. Still, this doesnt change the fact that diamonds are indeed wonderful, and as any guy with half a brain knows, the road out of the doghouse is that much smoother when its paved with glittering diamonds. That road may well lead to Clars Auction Gallerys May 31st Fine Art & Antique auction, where a host of great diamond encrusted pieces willl be on offer. Leading the way is Lot 6815 (above), a stunning eight-carat yellow diamond and near colorless diamond ring. This is an exquisite piece, expected by many to top the sale, with an estimated sale price of $80,000 - $100,000. Guys shopping for a wedd...Read More

Those with a penchant for abstract expressionism will be counting the minutes till Agnes Martin’s Blue Flower goes under the hammer at Skinner’s American & European Paintings sale, set down for Thursday, May 29. Selling as Lot 397, this 1962 creation is a rare offering from Ms. Martin’s catalog and is expected to fetch close to $2 Million dollars. Agnes Martins Blue Flower Martin’s work has long been a source of debate. Often referred to as a minimalist, she always considered herself an abstract expressionist, although her works were often more contemplative than that of her colleagues. Growing up in Vancouver, Agnes Martin moved to the United States in 1931, becoming an American citizen in 1940. In 1957 she moved to New York, and had her first show at Parsons a year later. It was shortly after this that she began to develop the square, gri...Read More

Picasso’s career as a ceramicist started in 1946, after attending a pottery exhibition in the town of Vallauris in Southeastern France. There, he met Suzanne Douly Ramié and Georges Ramié, the owners of a pottery workshop called Madoura founded in 1938. The Ramiés invited Picasso to visit their workshop, which soon prompted him to create a variety of ceramic pieces including plates, vases, and pitchers. Approaching pottery from an artistic standpoint, Picasso became fascinated with the malleability and texture of clay, allowing him to shape objects in the manner of a sculptor. The collaboration between Picasso and the Ramiés was a long-lasting and fruitful one, as it extended from the mid 1940s until 1971 and yielded a little over 600 works. Finding inspiration from his own drawings and sketches, Picasso supervised the manufacture of each p...Read More

Sculptor Michele Oka Doner may be best known these days for her large scale outdoor productions, but it is her smaller, earlier work that will command attention at Cowan’s Auctions Modern Ceramics sale on Thursday, May 28. Lot 67, a set of eleven porcelain sculptures of varying heights, created when the artist was freshly graduated from the University of Michigan, offers a rare opportunity for collectors to access this much-lauded international artist. Early work by Michele Oka Doner is sure to be in hot demand! Born and raised in Miami Beach, Oka Doner’s prolific career has spanned over four decades. Her work had been acquired by museums the world over, including the MoMA, the Musée des Arts Dècoratifs at the Louvre, the Cooper-Hewitt, the National Design Museum, the Art Institute of Chicago, and many others. Her most famous work however, ...Read More

On February 3, 1908, eight artists, disillusioned with the prevailing status quo, launched an exhibition at New York’s Macbeth Galleries that would change the face of American art. Lot 17, Bridget Lavelle (left) by Robert Henri (right) Previously, artists submitted their works to academic juries and experts before they were showed to the public. The group, who came to be known as The Eight, sidestepped the strict rules laid down by the National Academy of Design, relying instead on press and the public to promote their exhibition. The show was a sensation, with thousands of people crammed inside the gallery and lined up outside, desperate for a glimpse of the paintings. When the show closed on February 19, the way artists exhibited their work was changed forever. Lot 25, Ernest Lawsons Reflections The significance of The Eight and their gro...Read More

Ivan Aivazovsky is anything but a household name in modern-day America, yet in the world of seascape painting his reputation is unsurpassed. A graduate of Russia’s Imperial Academy of Arts in 1835, he went on to become one of the greatest marine artists in history. Aivazovskys "Survivors in a Stormy Sea" Born of an Armenian family, Aivazovsky had close ties with the military and political elite of the Russian Empire and often attended military maneuvers. He was sponsored by the Imperial Family and was well regarded during his lifetime both at home and abroad. Aivazovsky liked to keep busy, creating approximately 6,000 painting during his 60-year career. The vast majority are seascapes, but he also depicted battle scenes, Armenian themes, and portraiture. Most of Aivazovskys works are kept in Russian, Ukrainian and Armenian museums. Ivan Aiv...Read More

A 260-year-old writing desk once belonging to Virginias Royal Governor is set to steal the show on Day Two of Brunk Auctions’ Fine Art and Decorative Works sale, set down for Saturday, May 16. Selling as Lot 420, the Mahogany Ceremonial Desk, attributed to Scottish émigré cabinetmaker Robert Walker, is among the most significant discoveries in Southern furniture in recent decades. The mahogany desk remarkable iconography — including hairy paw feet, knees carved with lion heads, and the bust of a Roman statesman raised in relief on its prospect door — is exceptional for colonial America. Evidence suggests that Thomas Lee, one time Royal Governor of Virginia, once owned this fine piece of furniture.   Lot 491 has a rich history of its own. Two North Carolina card tables descended from John Haywood, North Carolina’s first treasurer and Raleigh...Read More

In 1941, 23-year-old Jacob Lawrence completed a series of 60 small tempera paintings on the Great Migration, the mass movement of African Americans from the rural South to the urban North that started around 1915. Lawrence, who would go on to become one of the best known African-American painters of the 20th century, gained national recognition from the series. He described his style as "dynamic cubism," though by his own account his primary influence was the shapes and colors of Harlem. One-Way Ticket: Jacob Lawrence’s Migration Series and Other Visions of the Great Movement North reunites all 60 panels for the first time at MoMA in 20 years. The exhibition runs from April 3 to September 7. Along with Lawrences series, the exhibition includes other accounts of the Migration, including writings, music, photography, paintings, and sociologic...Read More

A few days ago we looked at some fantastic vintage watches coming up in this Sunday’s Antiquorum auction of Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces, and now we’ll take a look at some great dressier pieces from that sale. Generally speaking a dress watch is something you can wear to the office or when you dress up in a suit, naturally. In practice, this normally means the watch has a gold case and might only tell time and have a rather conservative design if it has any other functions. Left: Lot 18 OMEGA REF. 14355 SC GRAND LUXE CONSTELLATION YELLOW GOLD Omega, "Chronomètre Officially Certified, Constellation," No. 14921630, case No. 11402490, Ref. 14355 SC. Made circa 1954. Middle: Lot 106 ROLEX REF. 1646 PRINCE IMPERIAL OBSERVATORY RARE BLACK DIAL YELLOW GOLD Rolex, "Prince Imperial", No. 1003236, Ref. 1646. Made circa 1940. Right: Lot 285 C...Read More