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

For those collectors of a more literary bent Leslie Hindman Auctioneers’ Fine Books and Manuscripts sale offers a plethora of mouthwatering options. Set down for Thursday, May 7, this auction offers over 400 lots and includes letters, sheet music, first editions, manuscripts and more by history’s leading lights in literature, music, politics and beyond. Lot 304 is sure to cause a stir – a first American edition, first issue binding of Herman Melville’s iconic Moby Dick; or, the Whale. This book is a true literary classic, a work to which every English Lit Major in the country seems indelibly bound. They love it or hate, idolize or loathe it, want to bow to it or burn it. Whatever your take is, there’s no questioning its place in the annals of literature. Historical architectural works are always popular with bidders and Lot 215 should prove...Read More

Buying a watch can be an incredibly intimidating task. Watch geeks love using technical jargon for things that we know by other words, we worry about troubles with authenticity in a complicated piece that has so many components, the movement of the watch—the part that makes it tick—is hidden from view and entirely mysterious. The auction of Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces coming up this Sunday at Antiquorum, however, is a great venue to find some fantastic watches that are not too expensive and have a great look. First things first, it can be somewhat daunting to bid in an auction abroad in a foreign currency. Don’t worry about this. Antiquorum is in the business of selling watches globally and will make this part of the process painless. You can easily make payment by wire transfer in Swiss Francs (or any other currency if you’re buy...Read More

Ahlers & Ogletree Auction Gallery has long been renowned for the quality of their curation. Building catalogues that please consigners and bidders alike, they leave no stone unturned in their efforts to bring a quality auction together. The May Salon sale, set down for Saturday, May 2 and Sunday, May 3, is yet another example of the companys discerning eye. This sale is overflowing with pieces of interest, none more so than Lot 241 - Willem de Kooning’s “Woman” (above left). Created in the summer of 1952 when de Kooning (above right) took refuge at his summer home in Easthampton, this pastel on paper, with its color palette and form, probably served as a study for his later piece, "Marilyn Monroe." Lot 263 (above) is sure to have its share of admirers. Produced by the legendary Russian designers Faberge in 1890, this gold mounted nephrite j...Read More

In 1922 sculptor Malvina Hoffman completed three bronze portrait busts of legendary pianist and statesman Ignacy Jan Paderewski. She titled these "Paderewski the Man," "Paderewski the Artist," and "Paderewski the Statesman." The three sculptures were first exhibited at New York’s Knoedler Gallery in 1923, an opening attended by Paderewski himself. These days, Paderewski the Man resides in the collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, while Paderewski the Artist holds court at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In his later years, Ignacy Jan Paderewski gave concerts in support of the Polish Relief Fund Paderewski the Statesman sells as Lot 101 in Leslie Hindman Auctioneers’ 20th Century Decorative Arts sale. The piece stands 76 inches tall, is signed and dated on the back, and is expected to bring between $10,000-15,000. Paderewski and...Read More

Mimi Favre knows more than a thing or two about jewelry. A fine jeweler who has worked the benches of some of NYC’s pre-eminent jewelry houses, Mimi won AGTA Spectrum 2015 platinum honors in the classical category for an elegant pair of tourmaline earrings. So when Bidsquare offered a Jewelry Hunt at the Metropolitan Museum with lunch for four, as part of its Bidsquare Cares program, Mimi didn’t hesitate. Securing the prize with a winning bid, she lined up friends Holly Bauer and Kathleen Davidson and headed for The MET. Mimi Favre and (left) her award-winning tourmaline earrings For Mimi the day couldn’t have worked out better. Sarah Churgin, Director of Silver and Jewelry at Rago Arts and Auction, was their guide for the day. To Mimis great delight, Sarah brought along author and jewelry historian Janet Zapata as a surprise guest. The gir...Read More

Sore feet and satisfied smiles were in abundance last weekend as the hammer fell on the final lot of Rago Arts and Auction Centers mammoth Estates, Fine Jewelry, Unreserved Jewelry, Coins and Currency sale. With a healthy crowd both in attendance and online, the three-day auction realized $1,806,126 in sales for the auction house and its consignors. “We are extremely pleased with the results,” said David Rago. “In particular, with the strength and geographical breadth of the online bidders. We had participation from all points of the globe – Australia, India, Spain…it speaks volumes to the efforts made by Rago & Bidsquare to globalize our business.” Topping the sale was Lot 1168 (above), a Japanese Myochin School Iron Articulated Snake that brought a final bid of $118,750. Sold on day three as part of the Great Estates sale, the snake is co...Read More

It isn’t every day one gets the chance to buy pieces that once showed in admired collections at the MET. Yet in the Spring Couture and Textiles from Museum Collections sale, set down for April 24 & 25, bidders get that opportunity and so much more. Lot 530 (left) - a Silk Brocade Robe a L’Anglaise; Lot 566 (right) - Moire Silk and Velvet Gown with Embroidery This sale is an absolute must for anyone with a passion for the history of couture. Featuring over 175 lots of historical 18th & 19th Century costumes from collections that include The MET, The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, FIT, and various Historical Societies, the two-day event offers price points for every buyer or enthusiast. Property from private collectors and estates will also be sold, including works by two of the nation’s most celebrated African American fashion designers: ...Read More