On March 23rd, Stair will be offering not one, but three rare German beaded glass table tops by Johann Michael van Selow in their much anticipated auction, The Collection of Mrs. John Gutfreund, Murray House, Villanova, PA. Lot 2, Fine German Rococo Glass Beadwork Table Top, Johann Michael van Selow, Braunschweig; Estimate $8,000-$12,000 These three rare table tops were made in Braunschweig, Germany in the mid to the third quarter of the 18th century. They were created in a factory run by Johann Michael van Selow, under the Royal patronage Duke Carl I of Braunschweig. The factory was in existence less than twenty years (1755-1772) and few examples of this colorful beadwork exist. Examples of van Selow’s work can be seen in the Städtisches Museum in Braunschweig and in the Bowes Museum, Barnard Castel. Perhaps the grandest example of this be...Read More

It takes time for American coins to amount to a considerable sum these days. Pennies, nickels and dimes float around in handbags or find themselves in odd corners of kitchen drawers, and on occasion a full baggie gets dropped down a Coinstar machine with blind faith that it might return a handsome receipt. However, our relationship to pocket change wasn't always this way. In the early 20th century, corner stores welcomed round-faced children willing to drop a few chips on goods such as soda pop, chewing gum and comic books, and how one stored their coins was just as swell.  Cast iron mechanical banks have been popular collectors items for decades, and the prices they achieve at auction go well beyond the capacity of their coin chambers. Valuable and vibrant examples in their original condition are difficult to come by, and when you're looki...Read More

Florence Knoll Bassett, who passed this year at the age of 101, was a legendary designer and entrepreneur. Her work helped to define the essence of the clean, functional forms that are synonymous with Modern Design. Knoll International remains a major player in the world of modern design to this day. Florence Knoll Bassett was born Florence Shust in Saginaw, Michigan in 1917 and orphaned at the age of 12. She was enrolled by her foster guardian at the Kingswood School, a boarding school for girls that was part of the Cranbrook Educational Community, which was and is a renowned center for the study of art and architecture. Her talents were noted early on by the President of Cranbrook, Eliel Saarinan, a world-renowned Finnish designer and architect of Cranbrook’s campus. Tulip Dining Set by Eero Saarinen for Knoll International Saarinen and h...Read More

We recommend making a long list of favorites before Rago's, Unreserved sales go live on the weekend of February 23-24th. There are 1,586 opportunities to score unreserved items ranging from prints, paintings, lamps, chairs, tables, ceramics and more. As always, in an unreserved auction, the high bid, whatever it might be, wins the day! If scooping up some missing pieces for your home sounds like your cup of tea, let us get you steeping! As is the case with many of Rago's upcoming items, these 5 selections hold estimates under $500, with some starting as low as $100.  Lot 1530, George Nelson; Howard Miller, Ball wall clock, Zeeland, MI, ca. 1949; Starting at $125 We're getting the ball rolling with George Nelson's, mid-mod timekeeper from 1949. This particular design, aptly named the 'ball wall clock' was the first of more than 150 clocks de...Read More

Brazil has been a hotbed for jewelry talent in recent years: Silvia Furmanovich, Fernando Jorge, Ana Khouri, and Ara Vartanian. Not to mention that, H. Stern, one of the most famous names in jewelry, was founded in 1945 by Hans Stern in Rio de Janeiro. There is another name, still somewhat obscure in the United States but desired by jewelry connoisseurs worldwide, and that is the name of H. Burle Marx. Haroldo Burle Marx (1911-1991) was born in Rio de Janeiro and part of an illustrious lineage, his father, Wilhelm Marx was a distant relative of Karl’s and owned a tannery in Brazil. His two oldest brothers were Walter Burle Marx, the celebrated classical composer, and Roberto, the world-renowned landscape architect and Renaissance man. Roberto left an indelible mark on his beloved Brazil in many ways but most famously he designed the black a...Read More

There's a bright place where wild patterns play and textiles lay, and where horned tables, giltwood mirrors and paintings are all on display; where sunlight beams down on large metal doors, plants, lamps, pillows and sofas galore! Located on the outskirts of Dallas, the home of Judy Aldridge is a bohemian oasis that mixes and matches (then mixes again) a lifetime's worth of antiques, thrift-store-scores and reupholstered furniture. Aldridge's radical style has become a social media phenomenon, and those who follow her on Instagram (@atlantishome) are captured by the freedom that her bold interiors emit - they are completely mad in the most magnificent way. Named after the legendary lost city of Atlantis, Judy Aldridge has certainly amassed a treasure trove all her own. Her decorative brand is built on the fabric of her passions as a lifesty...Read More

It was designed for individuals; artists, poets, travelers, and hopeless romantics... When Ettore Sottsass proposed that Olivetti manufacture a red typewriter without lowercase letters or a bell, and make it as inexpensive as possible, by sealing it with a cheap plastic kiss - they objected. However, they did agree to a sensuous "red machine" that would transform a purely functional tool, stuck in the banality of the working world, into a portable piece of pop art. Lot 953, Ettore Sottsass; Olivetti, Valentine typewriter, Italy, ca. 1969; Estimate $400-$600 at Rago The purpose of the typewriter was companionship. Sottsass mandated that it be "used any place except in an office, so as not to remind anyone of monotonous working hours, but rather to keep amateur poets company on quiet Sundays in the country." It would be strictly marketed and ...Read More

There's lighting that blends into the background of our lives, providing simple beams from above, and then there's the bold, bulb holding statements that really POP!  If you're looking for lamps and chandeliers to shine and shout what your decor is all about, than these upcoming examples will surely get you glowing. Lot 520, Popcorn Pop Wall Sconce/Lamp; Estimate $300-$500 We're not buttering you up, we promise! This popcorn wall sconce has a starting bid of only $75. Plus, it can freshen up any room no matter what your taste is! Like the look of this lamp? Browse similar designs from Fornasetti here. Lot 831, Stilnovo (Attr.) Large twenty-four light sputnik chandelier, Italy, ca. 1950s; Estimate $1,500-$2,500 Earth to lighting lovers - this large, illumination device, aptly named 'sputnik,' after the similarly designed satellite launched b...Read More

It is a symbol of heaven on earth. The jade stone, typically thought of as a vibrant emerald-green colored gem, has been interwoven into Chinese folklore, medicine and artistry for more than 3,000 years. Although, China isn't the only culture to have discovered the strength and allure of the stone, it has clearly become their ultimate talisman. Evidence of jade jewelry and weaponry stretches back to the Stone Age as well as ancient Mesoamerican empires, and points to a heavy appreciation for the tough, yet workable material. However, the masterful carving of this spiritual stone reached unsurpassed beauty in China between the late 18th and early 19th centuries.  Lot 24, A Pair of Jade Earrings; Estimate $3,000-$5,000 | Coming up at Fortuna Auctions on February 13th 2019 The symbolic significance of jade in China is so important that Confuci...Read More

It's been made clear, from the plethora of modern design auctions we've hosted on Bidsquare, that our bidders have a knack for Nakashima - and it's an edge we keep on polishing! On the weekend of January 19-20, Rago presented a series of auctions; Early 20th Century Design, Mid-Mod, Modern Design, Lost City Arts: 36 Years of Collecting and Modern Ceramics & Glass. Between the Modern Design sale and the Lost City Arts collection, the Bidsquare platform took home 8 supreme lots by George Nakashima, including the highest price for a work by George Nakashima on offer that weekend. With that being said, it's not at all suprising that 3 out of the 5 top Bidsquare results at Rago came from the father of the American craft movement himself.  In addition to Bidsquare's furniture fiesta, online bidders also took a chomp out of the important ceramics ...Read More