Copley Fine Art Auctions returns to Charleston on Friday, February 17 for the staging of their much-anticipated Winter Sale. Held in conjunction with the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition, the sale contains over 450 lots covering a wide range of American, sporting, wildlife, and western art. In Charleston, bidders will get a rare opportunity to take home world-class paintings, bird carvings, and antique hunting and fishing collectibles. Decoys are always popular with collectors, and this year’s Copley’s Winter Sale boasts a lineup any catalog would be proud of. Highlights include a stellar selection of works by A.E. Crowell, such as a rare “dust jacket” plover in original paint and emerging plumage. Also set to cross the block is a rare Charles Birch swan (pictured above), one of only a handful of swan decoys by the artist known to exist. Th...Read More

Stick um' up! Don't move a muscle! You might have been making a bank deposit, traveling atop your stagecoach or riding the train to El Paso when you heard those famous words. Either way, the Western frontier in the 19th Century was no place for the fainthearted. States like Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Kansas, Montana and many others were terrorized by bandit gangs, outlaws and lone-wolves looking to take the money and run. Cowan's Auctions will be auctioning off (lot 282) A Rare & Important Album Containing CDVs and Cabinet Cards of Wells Fargo Highway Men, Train Robbers & Other Criminals; in their Property of N.Flayderman & Co., Plus Selected Additions Sale on Feburary 21st. I sure hope whoever used this index flipped through it like lightning in a bottle, before their card was drawn. Lot 282, Rare and Important Album Containing CDVs & Cabi...Read More

Ahh, the early days! The sweet, creative, optimism of America's rebellious beginnings based on the principles of freedom, liberty and justice for all. That is what comes to mind when browsing Thomaston Place Auction Galleries; upcoming 2-Day, Winter Feature Auction on February 11th and 12th. The distinctive spirit which rests in the patina of American antiques is that of innocence, nostalgia and revolution. One has to wonder if these early artisans were self-aware of their monumental significance in history or if they were simply noodling around, enjoying the tides of their times. Both catalogs feature important American Furniture, Decorative Arts, Fine Art and Folk Art, amongst other genres and specialty items. Weve selected some exciting pieces that ought to get your imaginations whirling back to a time when Americas explorations also inc...Read More

The February blues are fimiliar to most of us. Christmas and New Year celebrations have been and gone and those sunkissed days of August, lounging by the sea sucking on margaritas seem a million years away. Its time to plan a fightback! Time to wrestle Jack Frost to the ground and put the fun back into life. And what better way to beat the winter doldrums than to get busy adding to your stash of prized collectibles? James D. Julia presents bidders with a golden opportunity to do just that when they stage their 2-Day Winter Fine Art, Asian & Antiques sale on February 9th and 10th. Over 1100 lots are set to go under the hammer, covering a broad range of popular categories including bronzes, fine art, photography, furniture, weathervanes, folk art, historical pieces, fine silver, rugs, Asian art and more. As a great man once said, theres somet...Read More

We may not have gotten much snow in New York City this weekend but there certainly was a flurry of exciting art fair openings and seasonal auctions! The Outsider Art Fair, The Winter Antiques Show, as well as the start of Americana week arrived in annual style. After a marathon of openings, Bidsquare decided to cool off its "art world jets" by strolling through two floors of the Bohemian National Hall to admire 30 top-tier Galleries, Private Dealers and Artists from around the world at The New York Ceramics & Glass Fairs 18th anniversary exhibition.  The elevator doors opened up to a village of vendors, all shining under an immense white ceiling, flanked by crystal chandeliers. The exposed terrace, wrapping completely around the space, beamed brightly from above like a microcosmic slice of the Galeries Lafayette mall in Paris. Spotlights hi...Read More

Whether it rotates around a metal axis or hangs heavily on a wire, is made up of thousands of painted dots or only a handful of gestural strokes; this selection of artworks all exist in their individual glory, as well as a dynamic group of diverse styles, time periods and artistic introspection.  Skinner Auctions upcoming Fine Paintings & Sculpture sale on January 27 includes important Russian paintings, 17th and 18th Century Dutch works, 19th-Century American Landscapes, 20th-Century as well as Modern and Contemporary art. The following selection reflects the spirit of this catalog and its spectrum of distinguished artists.  Henri-Jean Guillaume Martin, Tour de Collioure, Oil on canvas, C. 1920 A mass of small, visible brush strokes dance around the landscape like a harmonious school of swimming sardines; Henri-Jean Guillaume depicts a mid...Read More

The Delaware River Valley, with its lush rolling hills and verdant forests, has long attracted artists and designers of the highest caliber. Situated along the Delaware River, Rago Auctions has enjoyed the privilege of seeing hundreds of exemplary works by these artists and craftsmen pass through their auction house. Rago’s Modern Design auction on January 22 continues this tradition, offering for sale over 50 works by Delaware Valley Modernists including George Nakashima, Phil Powell, Paul Evans and Wharton Esherick. Rago Auctions sat down with their 20th/21st Century Design Specialist, Jad Attal, to discuss a few of his favorite pieces. Lot 1012 – George Nakashima, Fine Minguren Coffee Table, Nakashima Studio, New Hope PA, 1987 Lot 1012 exhibits nearly every feature of a great George Nakashima creation. Made of rare and desirable English ...Read More

Say what you like about Picasso, but you could never deny he was prolific. Widely regarded as one of the most influencial artists of the 20th Century, the diminutive Spaniard tried his hand at pretty much everything, from painting to sculpture, to printmaking and ceramics, even stage design and poetry. He co-founded the Cubist movement, invented constructed sculpture, co-invented collage, and produced a wide variety of styles that he continued to develop and explore throughout his life. Which all makes him infinitely collectible, for with so much inventory covering such a broad range of genres, Picasso remains attainable for fans at all price points. And that brings us to Friday, January 27, when Skinner Auctions stage their Fine Prints & Photographs sale, where a stunning array of Picasso pieces, including tiles, plaques, plates and vases ...Read More

The first piece of advice I’ll give you is, you should probably move out of his way. The broad shouldered man hammering down the street with a wheelbarrow full of clay, rocking a marvelous 18-inch mustache, is none other than George Ohr - the self proclaimed “Mad Potter of Biloxi.” Should you wish to see where this strange, determined fellow is going, simply follow the river soaked tire tracks through the dusty streets of Biloxi, Mississippi into the year 1900. George Ohr, Wedging Clay in his Studio, Biloxi, MS; Wiki Tree.com He'll lead you to a five-story, hot pink, pagoda covered in haphazard signs, shouting out, “Get a Biloxi Souvenir, Before the Potter Dies, or Gets a Reputation!” or “Unequaled unrivaled—undisputed— Greatest Art Potter on the Earth!” Inside is George Ohr, America’s first studio potter, laboriously refining, shaping and ...Read More

Aahhh gold. Everybody loves gold. Its bright and shiny, feels good in the hand, and is worth lots and lots of money. When paper wealth crumbles, as its likely to do every so often, theres gold standing tall, anchoring the economy, propping us up until the powers that be sort out their mess. No wonder its so beloved by Libertarian types, who fill backyard trenches and hidden compartments with as much of the stuff as they can get their hands on. Gold rules - gold is forever. On Thursday, January 19, bidders get the chance to build a cache of their own when Morphy Auctions stage their Premier Gold Rush sale. Sprinkled in amongst the 472 lots on offer is a mouth-watering array of gold bars and nuggets sure to dazzle. Whether you’re a wily investor, an Ayn Rand desciple or just looking for expensive paperweights, what a great place to go for gol...Read More