There was a time, back before jets started circling the globe, when the romance of travel was delivered via sea voyages and trans-continental train journeys. And doing it well, in a style that brought the comforts of home along for the ride, meant travelers needed quality high-end luggage they could truly depend on. Sturdy, hand-crafted designs that could stand the rigors of being dragged over long distances for extended periods of time. On Friday, January 13, Skinner offers bidders a chance to do some luggage time travel when they stage Session II of their January European Furniture & Decorative Arts sale. Nestled in amongst 394 expertly curated lots on offer is a stunning range of vintage luggage sure to catch the eye of anyone with even the smallest travel bug. Talk of high-end luggage always begins with Louis Vuitton. Lewis Vuitton foun...Read More

I turned the windy corner onto Lexington Avenue, anchoring my hat down and redirecting my scarf that blew itself straight out in front of me. Deciding to challenge the crosswalk signals, I shuffled to the other side at the 10 second mark and skipped onto the curb; I don’t want to be a minute late for my appointment with Robert Newman, the President of The Old Print Shop! Jutting out like a cast iron limb, the carved, black and white sign hanging from the facade of the building, filled me with the comforting thought that I would soon be sheltered from the cold and surrounded by the home and hearth of antiquities and rich conversation. Although the current location opened in 1925, The Old Print Shop was founded in 1898, by Edward Gottschalk, where it ran in the back of Wanamaker’s between 9th and 10th streets on Fourth Avenue. It was eventual...Read More

When it comes to the golden age of Hollywood, no film stands taller than the historical epic, Ben Hur. Made with a record budget on the largest sets ever seen with thousands of extras, it went on to claim a record 11 Academy Awards and become, behind Gone With the Wind, the second highest grossing film to that time. On Friday, December 16, DuMouchelles takes a trip down Hollywoods memory lane when they offer props from the 1959 production of Ben Hur in their Antique Furniture & Fine Arts sale. And, with the less than enthusiastic response greeting this year’s high-tech remake, we thought it a good time to fill you in on few interesting facts concernng the groundbreaking MGM blockbuster. Lot 3 - a Roman style chariot - a great way to pick up your coffee of a morning... Fact 1: Charlton Heston was no where near director William Wylers first c...Read More

Isador Kauffman is considered the most important Jewish artist of the 19th Century. Born in Hungary, he studied in Budapest and at Vienna’s imperial Academy of Imperial Arts. Kauffman was devoted to his art, with an especial fascination with his Jewish roots, and in 1894 began taking annual summer trips through Eastern Europe, attracted by regions where Jewish life and Jewish feeling vibrated most strongly. The life and work of Isador Kauffman comes under notice on Saturday, December 10 when Shapiro Auctions sell Lot 250 in their Important Fine Art & Antiques sale. Titled A Business Secret, it shows the artist’s mastery of line and color, and his keen eye for costume, interiors and architectural details. Note the painting will be sold at end of auction, no earlier than 5:25 PM NY Time, in order to sell after Shabbos ends in New York.  The s...Read More

In its essence, Art Noveau was a reaction to the academic art of the 19th Century. Named for Siegfried Bings Maison de lArt Nouveau gallery and shop in Paris, it was inspired by natural forms and structures, particularly the curved lines of plants and flowers. It shaped art, architecture and applied art, and was big till around 1910, when it was gazumped by Art Deco. Among the leading proponents of Art Noveau furniture was the Catalan Joan Busquets. Trained in Barcelona at the Llotja School and in his familys upholstery and decorating workshop, Busquets took up the international Art Nouveau style just before 1900. For ten years he was one of the most prolific cabinetmakers of Catalan Art Nouveau, before abandoning it to reproduce styles from the past. On Friday, December 2, Rago will offer 11 lots by or attributed to the great Spanish craft...Read More

There is a likely chance that in the attic of every home a box has been laying in dust for a generation or two, or three. Think of your attic door like a regularly ignored gateway. Now, take a moment to picture yourself staring at it, what’s up there again? a subconscious voice inquires. Simply gazing at the cutout in the ceiling won’t give an inch of a hint but we might have time for a look, curiosity responds. Lets unhitch the portal, drag down those foldable stairs and stretch ourselves upwards into the attic of our childhood. Shapes begin to materialize out of shadows; tupperware bins, blanketed furniture, foggy mirrors, obsolete electronics and half opened containers. In between delicate photographs and 1980’s video cassettes, you notice a fimiliar, plastic hand reaching out and immediately unearth it, alas! an old friend has been resc...Read More

Humans are biologically programmed to react to color. Red stimulates us. Blue and green sooth and calm us. The language of color is both conscious and subliminal, communicated readily and understood intrinsically. As a means of self-expression or affiliation, color is used and worn with intent. Throughout history, men and women have sought for the most vibrant gemstones, and donned them to create and communicate status and meaning. These stones, both rare and fine, have been reserved for royalty. They have been used to heal and to protect. They have incited lust, caused conflict, brought death and inspired love. Beholden to the power of color, humanity has been, and continues to be, obsessed by gemstones and the intrepid search to find them. Ragos December 4th Fine Jewelry Auction offers the opportunity to own some of the finest gemstones e...Read More

Jackson’s International Auctioneers in Cedar Falls, Iowa will be holding their two-day sale of World Treasures Featuring Important Russian, European Asian & American Works November 29th and 30th. The second day features over 200 lots of Asian antiques from China, Japan, the Himalayan Region and India. Despite a lull in the Japanese art market, Jackson’s is featuring two top quality items crafted during the peak of the Meiji Period (1868-1913). The first is lot 1258, a Very Fine Namikawa Yasuyuki Workshop Japanese Cloisonné Enameled Vase. The Namikawa studio is probably the most renowned workshop for crafting cloisonné enamel wares in Japan. Their vases typically have very detailed and complex designs, and were extremely limited in their production.  Very Fine Namikawa Yasuyuki Workshop Japanese Cloisonné Enameled Vase This vase is decorated...Read More

What’s not to love about good old Thanksgiving? Mountains of great food, quality moments with friends and family, and enough time off to watch football, wrestle the kids, argue with in-laws, crash on the couch and then… get stuck back into the food. No wonder then, that for so many Americans, it continues to be the favorite holiday on the calendar. Here at Bidsquare we’re taking a healthy swig of the holiday spirit by offering a host of collectibles that carry strong Thanksgiving themes. Take a break from the family festivities and check out the lots on offer – good news is, you won’t even have to put down that drumstick youre nursing!  Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade is one of the truely iconic events on the New York City calendar, and this stunning etching, selling as Lot 6 in Marlborough Graphics sale of Prints by Red Grooms, captures all ...Read More

Pook & Pook joins forces with Stuart Kingston Galleries on Saturday, November 19th to present a tax-free jewelry and fine art auction. The sale features estate and contemporary jewelry pieces and fine art. With items offered in a variety of price ranges, the auction also includes several show-stoppers. We’ve picked out a few eye catchers from the sale... 18K white gold, sapphire, and diamond earrings, each set with twenty-six sapphires, and twenty diamonds [Lot 38] These cascading, 18K white gold, sapphire and diamond earrings fall like the plume of a peacocks tail. The slight, inward curve and sparkling composition could easily be envisioned hugging the ears of classic Hollywood stars like Elizabeth Taylor, Ava Gardner and Grace Kelly.  14K yellow gold belt form cuff bracelet, with buckle and engraved floral details [Lot 45] Buckled elegan...Read More