When automobiles first appeared, no one believed they had staying power, actually, the vast majority of people saw them as a fad. However, as the technology and use for the motorcar grew, nostalgia and fascination for its transformative history grew along with it. Well over a century later, automobiles have not only continued to be used but they have drastically impacted our lives.  Making their Bidsquare debut, l'art et l’automobile (arteautoauction) hosts Automobile Memorabilia, Timed Auction, available now through June 27th, offering a collection that includes historical auto-memorabilia by some of the best automotive artists in the world, from factory sales literature, to race programs, autographed photos, vintage posters, prints & paintings, and automobile hood ornament & sculptures.  Left to Right: Lot 30, Grand Prix Automobile et Mot...Read More

Russia is a land rich in artistic traditions. From the great men of letters such as Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy and Pushkin, to artists like Kandinsky, Chagall and Goncharova, it is a country that has always paid great respect to creative pursuits. Artisans too have played a significant roll, none more so than the craftsmen who took to enameling at the end of the 19th Century. Enameling had been around for thousands of years - the Russians just brought the process to an entirely new level of creativity, complexity and beauty.  And while this came to an abrupt end with the arrival of the Russian Revolution, the pieces live on in all their glory in collections the world over. Demand for this work has never been stronger, which brings us to the World Treasures: Russian, European, Asian & American Fine Art sale, where a stunning array of enameled Russ...Read More

Imagine crossing a dark living room, your arm blindly oscillating in search of the nearest light source...click!...you’ve switched on a marvelous patch of bending iridescent-gold tulips or perhaps you’ve ignited a flurry of cream colored dogwood flowers! What a marvelous surprise it would be to absorb the celebrated ambience of Louis Comfort Tiffany’s bronze and blown glass lamps. Louis Comfort Tiffany, the famed early 20th-century designer, known for his impressive impact on Art Nouveau, continues to shed light on master craftsmanship as the man behind some of the most desired decorative artworks in the world.  Lot 1108, Tiffany Studios Dogwood Floor Lamp, From an Unreserved Texas Estate; Image detail; Estimate $100,000 - $150,000  On June 16th, James D. Julia will present its highly anticipated, annual early summer, Extraordinary Rare Vin...Read More

The history of maps is the history of mans efforts to conquer the earth. With fleets of boats at the ready, nations commissioned thousands of expeditions in their efforts to chart the globe and to plunder whatever riches they could find at the other end. Men whose names would go down in the annals of history - James Cook, Ferdinand Magellan, Christopher Columbus, Vasco Da Garma, became the heroes of their age, fearless in the face of uncertainty, or so the story goes. They were under immense pressure to succeed; to succeed they needed maps, and they needed them to be accurate.  Always exquisitely crafted in the greatest detail, its no wonder these maps are now in such demand from a posse of passionate collectors. Which brings us to The Old Print Shops, Cartographic Wonders sale, a timed auction that runs through to Monday, June 19, where fi...Read More

As pixels continue to expand within our pocket sized devices, the potential for photographic opportunity has doubtlessly peeked. Gone are the days when people can be heard exclaiming "Oh, nobody brought a camera!" a sentiment lost when sacred, fleeting moments used to dance away from us in the form of epic sunrises and cake-faced birthday moments. The rapid consumption of personalized cinema is even more apparent in portraiture, where sitter and artist are now often one in the same.  On June 11th, Grogan & Company, Fine Art and Jewelry Auctioneers, will present their June Auction. The sale will open with a selection of fine artworks to highlight 19th and early 20th-century painters within the marine genre, portraiture, still life and landscape. Followed by nearly 200 lots of jewelry as well as silver goods, modern sculptures, ceramics, work...Read More

The name Hermès has long been synonymous with the very best in high end luxury items. Established in 1837 by Thierry Hermès, the company has progressed from making high-quality wrought harnesses and bridles for the carriage trade, to its current status as a world leading luxury manufacturer specializing in leather, lifestyle accessories, home furnishings, perfumery, jewellery, watches, ready-to-wear, and more. Scarves sit snuggky among the quality goods produced by Hermès, and on Tuesday, June 13 Leslie Hindman Auctioneers offers bidders the chance to grab them by the handful, when they stage their online only Hermès Scarves sale. Over 150 items are set to go under the hammer, predominantly in silk, with such a vivid array of colors that all are sure to find a scarf in a design to their liking. Demand is sure to be strong, so dont be shy! T...Read More

Buying a used car can be a real headache. Traipsing across miles and miles of bitumined lots trying to find that gem in the rough, hounded by sales people filling your head with over-the-top diatribe about the wonder of each and every vehicle your eyes happen to pass over. The whole thing can quickly become a nightmare, leaving you exhausted and bewilded - soon enough, youre trading in your drivers licence for a bus pass... On Sunday, June 4 Thomaston Place Auction Galleries offers bidders the chance to give that typical used car experience a great big miss when they offer six unique vehichles in their 20th Century Decorative Arts sale. Consisting of four cars, a motor home and a motor bike, this streamlined selection is yours for the taking, all without having to leave the comforts of your own living room. Now thats the way to go car hunti...Read More

"Going up?" asks the cherry lipped girl in the elevator, her powdered face is crowned by a beehive hair style which oddly personifies the question. You step in and notice another occupant whose substantial mustache, blue-toned sunglasses and a pungent scent of aftershave enhances the developing confusion. As the elevator climbs, you watch the buttons light up (ting, ting, ting) and silently wonder how much caffeine the barista injected into your latte this morning.  The doors open...your office computers have been replaced by metal boxes with springing keys and metal hammers, wildly dragging papers to and fro! Earth toned optical illusions pop off the walls - stacked folders swallow up wooden desks and globed lights hang from the ceiling - according to The New York Times, its May, 1963! Hot dog! Youve rewound to retro! Bidsquare is excited ...Read More

Thomaston Place Auction Galleries will be holding their sale of Asian and Indo-Persian Arts on June 2. This sale features 270 works from the Asian continent including China, Japan, India, the Himalayan region, and the Middle East. A particularly stunning aspect is a collection of 20 paintings by the Chinese modernist painter Wang Chi-Yuan (Wang Jiyuan) 王濟遠 (1893-1975). Born in Anhui (or Anhwei) Province in China, he studied at the Shanghai College of Art during the 1910’s where he learned both traditional Chinese and Western painting techniques. After trips to Europe and Japan, he heavily promoted Western-style painting techniques to students and colleagues. He was able to combine traditional Chinese aesthetics with modernist ideas of perspective, brushstrokes, lighting and sensuality. Wang was proficient with various mediums including ink,...Read More

Kara Mann is the founder and creative director of KARA MANN, the design firm she established in Chicago in 2005. In 2011, she expanded her firm to Manhattan, where she continues to work with an international roster of discerning clients and industry leaders on both residential and commercial projects. The New York Times describes her signature style, a balance of sophistication and edge, as “interiors with a subversive side.” In addition to numerous residential projects, Mann is currently working on a major renovation and re-imaging of the boutique Talbott Hotel in Chicago. In addition, she recently launched a new line of furniture for the venerable American brand, Baker Furniture. Follow Kara Mann: @karamanndesign Kara Mann got her start in Chicago after studying fine art, with a focus on ceramics, at Tulane University. She received a degr...Read More