Playing with temperatures that reach 2000°F is a game that takes a lot of practice, especially when you're the one responsible for telling the flames what to do. Similarly, in both the ceramic and glass discipline, a great deal of success depends on the makers ability to take aim at a desired form and know exactly how much stress their creation can withstand. Though unpredictable at times, those who are able to master the fury of the flame have access to an endless gamut of fascinating outcomes. It's no secret that ceramic and glass art is one of Bidsquare's strongest categories, and over the years we've seen our bidders turn up the heat to capture exceptional works of art. Here are some of our favorite wins: Lot 1094, Yoichi Ohira, Massive Nostaldia Vase, Murano, Italy, 2004; Sold for $57,600 Originally estimated $15,000 - $20,000, this la...Read More

Amid the return of summers' humid haze and oppressive drought, a wind as sharp as an arrowhead punctures through with a familiar, howling signal - turning every Western art lovers attention toward the same place. On July 28th, The Coeur d'Alene Art Auction will hold their 33rd annual Fine Western & American Art auction from the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno. The catalog will include 315 selections of unparalleled quality that represent the most revered names the genre has to offer. Online bidding will only be available exclusively through Bidsquare.  Panoramic depictions of canyons, golden prairies and majestic mountainsides are met with an assortment of characters that navigate the classic American landscape through a variety of candid narratives. Masterfully painted night scenes, depicting moonlit ancestral teachings, are saturated in the s...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, bright color palettes and wild sculptural feats spanning hundreds of years in the making. It is the vivid imagination and meticulous detail of Wedgwood (no matter which century it was produced) that makes ...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 $31,980 You can't tell by looking at it, but even something as refined as Lot 170, Judy Kensley McKie, Studio Furniture Antelope Sofa, recently sold to a bidder through the Bidsquare platform in Skinner's 20...Read More

We don't normally suggest that our audience booze and bid at the same time, but in this instance, we think it might go rather well. Our newfound thirst is a delightful side effect after browsing Skinner Auctions, Fine Wines & Rare Spirits sale coming up on June 26th. With First Growth Bordeaux, including a case of 1990 Margaux, two bottles of  Domaine de la Romanee Conti Romanee Conti 2010 and the Rhone, Piedmont, Tuscany and California vintages fully outfitted, the only thing that seems to be missing is a plate of rosemary crackers and stinky cheese.   Lot 137, Domaine de la Romanee Conti La Tache 1985, 3 bottles; Estimate $11,000 - $15,000 Here to give us three quick tips while we sip and search this upcoming catalog is Marie Keep, the founder and Director of the Fine Wines department at Skinner: BSQ: What advice would you offer to someon...Read More

This all started with a loving wife reminding her husband to drive carefully.  Firstly, the Rolex Daytona watch wasn't particularly desirable in the late 1960s - its large graphic typeface and cream on black dial was flashy, in an Art Deco sort of way, and not many customers gravitated toward it. Realizing that it was a tough sell, Rolex limited production for the model and unknowingly created a crackerjack that would come to mystify vintage watch collectors decades later. Lot 2104, A Rare and Highly-Desirable Rolex "Paul Newman" Daytona, 1968; Estimate $150,000 - $300,000 It wasn't until Joanne Woodward - actress and wife of the mega movie star Paul Newman - selected this little worn Rolex Daytona, as a cautionary gift for her husband at the onset of his race-car driving career, that it would begin to gain traction. On the backside of her ...Read More

Much like São Paulo, their city of residence, Humberto and Fernando Campana (popularly known as The Campana Brothers) have found a way to freely merge flashes of flamboyance with outlandish baroque opulence. For the design worlds favorite family duet, providing functional objects that also bring "joy" and "fun" into peoples lives remains a key aspect when approaching their brand of furniture design.  Lot 646, The Campana Brothers, Anemone Chair, 2001; Estimate €2,000-€2,000 Based out of their studio in Sãn Paulo, Brazil, The Campana Brothers have gained acclaim for assembling materials such as recycled cloth, pipes, hoses and stuffed animals into and onto intriguing forms. As seen above in Lot 646 of Quittenbaum Art Auctions upcoming sale, the ancient art of weaving was given a much needed muscle relaxant. Steering away from the rigidity of...Read More

As the equinox makes its way toward midsummers' tilt, to provide us with optimal sunshine, the Bidsquare platform has been busy luring in several radiant rocks of its own.  Plucked from Grogan & Company, The Spring Auction catalog on June 3rd as well as Rago, Fine Jewelry catalog on June 10th, these five pieces have set an optimistic tone for the beginning of the month:  Lot 251, Platinum, Sapphire, and Diamond Ring; Sold for $31,250 - Grogan & Company Classic glamour - weighing in at an impressive 20.05 cts., this oval-cut sapphire and diamond ring was ablaze with online bidding activity! The sheer weight of the stone, in combination with a completely custom made setting, makes this bright blue sapphire a supreme example of a Princess Diana style ring.  Lot 224, Platinum and Diamond Ring; Sold for $31,250 - Grogan & Company This European-c...Read More

Have you ever spotted an unusual chair and wondered what it would be like to sit on? At first, it appears like a foreign object curiously offering up a new experience; you imagine lowering yourself into its uncharted contours, wiggling to and fro and proclaiming "how comfortable!" or "how odd!" - an unpredictable yet familiar analysis.  It takes a bold designer to resuscitate the brilliance of everyday objects in this way, and the upcoming 20th Century Design auction at Skinner is loaded with looping lounges and pristine pairs.  For this week’s Bidsquare Picks, we’re showing off our chair flair:  Lot 286, Mark Newson for Cappellini Beech Bentwood Chair; Estimate $1,000 - $1,500 Tightly curled and locked into place like a rebellious rake, this Italian made seat by Australian born designer, Mark Newson, is a stunning silhouette. Don't let its...Read More

Marie Zimmermann (1879 – 1972) is considered the most versatile and skilled craftswoman of the 20th century with an oeuvre that spanned movements, styles, and mediums. A female pioneer in metallurgy, a field dominated almost exclusively by men, she dedicated the first 25 years of her career to learning the techniques she would later employ in artworks produced in her own atelier from the 1910s through the 1930s. The result was a rich outpouring of work as varied as it is impressive. She produced jewelry, candelabra, vessels, garden gates, and more, in a dizzying array of materials--gold, silver, bronze, copper and iron. She was also a painter, sculptor and furniture maker. It is nearly impossible to ascribe Zimmermann’s creations to a single artistic movement or period. In nearly every piece she created, aesthetic inspirations drawn from an...Read More