On the Square

With the start of another highly anticipated autumn art auction season, Skinner in Boston is showcasing 588 lots for their Asian Works of Art sale on September 14. This auction includes objects from China, Japan, Korea, India, the Himalayan region and the Islamic World. Many different categories are represented including furniture, religious objects, textiles, porcelains, paintings, jade carvings and earthenwares. Lot 25, Jamini Roy, Bride and Two Companions, India, Gouache on paper; Estimate $15,000 - $25,000 One of the highlights of the Skinner sale is lot 25, a painting of a Bride and Two Companions by Indian modernist master Jamini Roy (1... Read More

Revolutionary craftsmanship should never be taken for granted, even after 250 years of practice.  What happens when artistic achievements appear so effortless that they set a new industry standard? In the case of Josiah Wedgwood, the founder and pioneer of the renowned English manufacturer known as Wedgwood, it was exactly this keen sense of precision and progress that exposed the modern world to the exquisite mastery and industrial expansion of both decorative and fuctional ceramics.  When grouped together, the extent of Wedgwood's accomplishments quickly come to life; one can appreciate ancient poetic narratives, everyday functionality, bri... Read More

When Judy Kensley McKie starts planning her next furniture piece, she begins by loosely drawing on a "lousy" piece of paper, knowing that it will surely be thrown away. A meditative state is required, something that she achieves through studious contemplation, sitting and sketching fast. She can sense when the marks are getting her somewhere and eventually, she settles on a direction in the midst of her remedial scraps. McKie's process is not only unconventional, it is as unplanned and humble as her furniture-making career - but why question a good thing when it works? Lot 170, Judy Kensley McKie Studio Furniture Antelope Sofa; Sold for $31,9... Read More