Property from the Estate of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Z. Wick to Highlight March Auction

LOS ANGELES, CA.- Bonhams & Butterfields is pleased to announce the March 29, 2010 auction of Fine Furniture and Decorative Arts. The 500-lot Los Angeles auction features an array European furnishings from the 16th through the 20th century, with a focus on English, French, Italian, Spanish and German works. Highlights on offer include select property from the Estate of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Z. Wick, Los Angeles, California as well as a strong array of more than 30 clocks by [...]

Sotheby’s to Sell Emperor Yongsheng’s Ceremonial Pearl Necklace

HONG KONG.- Sotheby’s announced that the Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art 2010 Spring Sale will be held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on 8 April 2010. Comprising over 330 lots with an estimated total value of approximately HK$430 million, one of the outstanding highlights of the sale is undoubtedly the Magnificent Ceremonial Pearl Necklace of Qing dynasty, 18th century. Also on offer this season is the single owner sale – Water, Pine, and Stone Retreat Collection [...]

Julien’s Auctions to Sell Furniture Lots Commissioned by Michael Jackson

LOS ANGELES, CA.- Julien’s Auctions will present “Music Icons” summer auction taking place at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino Las Vegas on Friday, June 25th. Leading this magnificent offering and unprecedented event is a selection of twenty-two exquisite furniture lots commissioned by Michael Jackson for his planned residence in Kent, England, during the “This Is It” concert series in London. Colombostile Artisans have supplied luxurious handmade Italian furnishings to countless embassies, palaces, historical homes and sumptuous hotels in every continent. [...]

A Special Service for Special W. K. Kellogg to be Sold at Christie’s South Kensington

LONDON.- Christie’s announced the single-owner collection sale Royal Worcester Porcelain – A Private Collection, to be held on Tuesday, 20 April 2010. The sale will include approximately 100 lots of fine English porcelain from the Royal Worcester factory including a vast array of beautiful and elaborate ornamental vases, as well as models of cattle, dogs, horses and historical figures. Estimates range from £200 to £35,000 and the collection as a whole is expected to realise in excess of £350,000. The [...]

Matthew Barton Ltd. to Hold Silver Auction that is Full of Surprises!

LONDON.- collection of pieces by innovative contemporary silversmith Stuart Devlin will highlight Matthew Barton Ltd’s auction of Silver, Works of Art and Objects of Vertu. The sale will take place on Wednesday, May 26, 2010 in West Kensington at 25 Blythe Road, W14. Amassed over fifteen years by a collector in Cheshire, the sale will include 55 pieces by Stuart Devlin dating from the late 1960s to the 1980s. Iconic pieces include a three branch silver candelabrum with filigree globes [...]

National Postal Museum Launches the Arago Featured Collection “Women on Stamps Parts III and IV”

WASHINGTON, DC.- The Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum presents parts three and four of its four-part online exhibit series “Women on Stamps” in celebration of Women’s History Month. Many women have left their “stamp” on history. Beginning with the first image of women on a stamp in 1893, the United States has issued hundreds of postage stamps honoring the accomplishments and achievements of women in America. “Women on Stamps: Part III” focuses on women who have made significant contributions to the [...]

Harriet Tubman Collection Unveiled by Smithsonian Museum

WASHINGTON, DC.- The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture has acquired a collection of artifacts documenting the life and work of abolitionist Harriet Tubman. Tubman, born into slavery on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, gained international acclaim as an Underground Railroad operator, Civil War spy and suffragist. Items from the Tubman collection were unveiled today at a ceremony on Capitol Hill coinciding with the anniversary of Tubman’s death March 10, 1913. The collection includes photographs, correspondence, photo-post cards, manuscripts [...]

Table by Diego Giacometti Makes Top Price at Bonhams

LONDON.- A table designed by Diego Giacometti sold for £106,000 at Bonhams, New Bond Street today (10 March 2010), as part of its Post War and Contemporary Art and Design sale. Entitled Table Torsade, and cast circa 1965, it had belonged to the late English actor James Mason (1909-1984) since the late1960s. Austrian painter Arnulf Rainier’s Der Psychiatrist likewise far surpassed its estimate of £8,000 – 12,000, selling for a remarkable £54,000. Following a fierce bidding battle, David Hockney’s “Richard [...]

Lisa Gralnick: The Gold Standard at Bellevue Arts Museum

BELLEVUE, WA.- The Gold Standard, on view at Bellevue Arts Museum from March 18 through August 1, 2010, is Lisa Gralnick’s most recent body of work, spanning over the last six years. A metalsmith by trade, Gralnick explores the relationship between gold’s lore and history as an artistic medium and the function it serves in today’s world as a commodity. Thought-provoking and incredibly well-crafted, the artist’s jewelry and sculptural works descend deep into the psychology and perception of value. The [...]

No Time Like Springtime Collection of Fine European Clocks to Highlight Auction at Bonhams

LOS ANGELES, CA.- Bonhams & Butterfields will offer Fine European Furniture and Decorative Arts on March 29, 2010 in Los Angeles. The 500-lot sale will offer an array of works for varied tastes and collecting levels from the 16th through the 20th centuries with a focus on English, French, Italian, Spanish and German property. Highlights from the sale will include a strong selection of more than 30 clocks by prominent makers as well as property from the Estate of Mr. [...]

World’s Greatest Collection of Snuff Bottles Shows Emperor’s Personal Taste

LONDON.- Bonhams will sell 140 snuff bottles from the unique Bloch Collection in Hong Kong on May 28th. This Collection is the World’s largest and finest in private hands, comprising 1720 exceptional examples of these Chinese ‘miniature masterworks’. The auction includes an Imperial enamel-on-copper snuff bottle personally commissioned by the Qianlong Emperor for his own use in the Forbidden City in Beijing. This stunning object is estimated to sell for £250,000 and is one of the finest and rarest examples [...]

Sotheby’s to Auction The Collection of Patricia Kluge at her Virginia Home

NEW YORK, NY.- Sotheby’s announced that it will hold an auction of fine and decorative arts from the contents of Albemarle House, the magnificent home of vintner and philanthropist, Patricia Kluge. The two-day auction, which will take place on June 8 and 9, will be held on the premises, located outside of Charlottesville, Virginia. Albemarle House, a 45-room English country manor, was conceived by Mrs. Kluge and renowned designer David Easton and is regarded as one of the most important [...]

Vauxhall Motors Presents a Groundbreaking Reinterpretation of the Blueprinting Process

LONDON.- London based duo Studio Glithero present a cutting edge collection of ceramics for the Vauxhall Collective. In a contemporary take of the Blueprint, chemically infused ceramic surfaces react to ultraviolet light capturing the ghostly impression of botanical specimens, including those of weeds taken from social housing projects across the UK, bringing the theme of Reinventing British Classics right up to date. Asked to reflect on the Vauxhall Collective’s theme, the Anglo-Dutch design studio found inspiration from the Victorian period [...]

Rare Set of Ornate 19th Century Porcelain Plates Bought for Nottingham City Museums

LONDON.- Independent charity The Art Fund announced that Nottingham City Museums and Galleries in Nottinghamshire has bought a rare set of ornate 19th century porcelain plates at auction in New York, which will be displayed across three heritage sites; Newstead Abbey, Wollaton Hall and Nottingham Castle. Acquired with a grant of £2,195 from The Art Fund towards the hammer price of £3,519, the plates will now return to their former home at the Abbey. The ten plates were painted between [...]

Timothy Taylor Gallery Presents a New Work by Ron Arad

LONDON.- Timothy Taylor Gallery presents a new work by Ron Arad, created to benefit Barbican Art Gallery in conjunction with their forthcoming major survey: “Ron Arad: Restless”. In 1986, Ron Arad designed “Well Tempered Chair”, bolting sheets of steel together to form a chair full of tension. Using the archetypal club chair as its model, its design is simple – four pieces of tempered steel form the shape – two for the arms, one for the seat, and one for [...]