Mike Ingham, Director of Ragos Unreserved Auction, shares some favorite lots in the upcoming August 2016 Sale. The sale includes something for everyone - lots from every department, multiple continents and four centuries. Watch now!   Browse the catalogs for Ragos upcoming Unreserved Auctions: Unreserved Jewelry, Unreserved Auction Session 1 and Unreserved Auction Session 2.

Bidders near and far will once again converge on Fairfield, Maine this month for James D. Julia’s Annual August Fine Art, Asian & Antiques sale. Running from Wednesday, August 24 to Friday, August 26, the sale features an astonishing selection of fine art, decorative art, and nautical art; antiques and Asian articles; historical items; and many remarkable, one-of-a-kind treasures. Good news for those unable to make it out to Maine - online bidding is available, look now at the full catalog! The sale’s selection of Rockport School paintings is always outstanding and this year features favorite Cape Ann artists including Gruppe, Glackens, Morrell and Gillette. Lot 1120 (above), Rockport, Mass 1936 No.3 by William Glackens, comes accompanied by a letter from the artists son Ira, where he describes to a friend just how freezing the water was th...Read More

James D. Julia is holding their annual summer Asian Art auction on August 26, 2016 as part of their three-day decorative arts sale. Comprised of 280 lots, the total number of items has been considerably pared down from previous years to enhance the quality of the art auction. Important Pair of Porcelain Plaques by Wang Dafan Highlighting the sale is lot 3660, an Important Pair of Porcelain Plaques by Wang Dafan (1888-1961).  Each panel depicts a scholar with maiden and date to the summer of the jiyi year (1929), the panels were painted by one of the eminent members of the Zhushan Bayou (Eight Friends of the ‘Pearl Hill’), a group that specialized in famille rose porcelain wares during the Republican Period. Wang Dafan is best known for his depiction of large historical figures and novel shading techniques. These panels were purchased by an ...Read More

Later this evening the eyes of the world will turn to Rio de Janeiro for the opening ceremony of the XXXI Summer Olympiad. For the next seventeen days (August 5-21), the worlds greatest athletes will compete in venues across the city in a quest to turn lifelong dreams into Olympic gold medals and lucrative endorsement contracts. Some will succeed, most will fail as history, both good and bad, is created for us all to savor. The Olympic Games is also a great source for collectibles, a fact not missed by Bidsquare. As the seconds tick down on the beginning of the Rio Games we thought what better time to highlight a selection of the Olympic memorabilia featured on the site? Below, were offering a taste - for more, look through upcoming catalogs on the square.  The Berlin Games of 1936 go down in infamy as the games Adolf Hitler tried to approp...Read More

The Coeur dAlene Art Auction cemented its place at the head of the Western Art market July 23 with a hugely successful day at the Tuscany Ballroom at Peppermill Hotel Resort in Reno. There was spirited bidding throughout, both in the ballroom and on Bidsquare, where online auction & bidding was exclusive for the second year in a row. The sale saw totals crash through the $18 million barrier, with five lots selling for over $500,000, and 40 above $100,000. Overall, Coeur dAlene produced a stunning 95% sale rate across the 313 lots on offer. The sale topper - Lot 163 - Howard Terpnings The Long Shot Topping the sale at $1,344,000 was Howard Terpnings The Long Shot, which blew the doors off its pre-sale estimate of $500,000. Terpning was strong in the sale, with Blackfoot Storyteller selling for $728,000, while four other works by the octogena...Read More

Black & white photography has always had a broad-based appeal, and in a bouyant art market is currently proving as popular as ever with collectors. Which makes it a great time to check out Hamburg Kennedy Photographs Summer Black and White Fashion Auction - 28 expertly curated photographs by inter-generational black and white photographers being sold under a "Buy Now" format, meaning the piece you love can be yours with just one casual click of your keyboard. Get busy! Marilyn Monroe has moved more black & white pictures and prints than just about anyone in history, as the worlds fascination with her continues unabated. Lot 17, by renowned documentary photographer Elliot Erwitt, captures a relaxed Marilyn reading on the couch, eternally beautiful, forever break hearts. Lot 20, Frank Horvats "Givenchy Hat B" looks to capture the drama and hi...Read More

Combine the unique flair of Latin American art with bold Japanese aesthetics and you get the work of Luis Nishizawa. In 1918, born Nishizawa-Flores, to parents of Mexican and Japanese descent - his atmospheric work frequently depicts the Mexican countryside. Yet having studied etching in Tokyo, Japan there is always a hint of the Japanese asymmetrical embellishment found in the simplicity and tranquility of his compositions. Perhaps his voice also stems from the solitude of his youth on a farm, and his further expression in many artistic mediums – music, sketch-drawing, Asian jewelry-design, Asian painting, graphic art, engraving, murals, even Asian ceramics and Asian sculpture. He continued his contributions as an influential teacher at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, and a lifetime of worldwide exhibited work – many within p...Read More

When gold was discovered at Sutters Mill in Coloma, California in January 1848, gold rush fever soon swept the nation and the greater world beyond. In what was considered the first ever world-class gold rush, over 300,000 “Forty-Niners” made their way to the Golden State fields - half by sea and half over land, in a bid to make their fortunes. Among those bitten by the bug was Edward Dickson Hicks II. The California Gold Rush proved a pivotal point in Americas expansion across its continent At his home on Devon Farm in Nashville, Tennessee, Hicks laid his plans. In a Diary beginning January 1, 1850 he wrote: “Have California Fever on high order. I am resolved to go.” Hicks kept the diary through to April 1851, describing his journey in great detail. “The amount of suffering on the road will be very great,” he wrote. “All of the emigrants st...Read More

No one can doubt the iconic status of Coney Island and its amusement parks. Launched in 1880, it reached a historical peak during the first half of the 20th Century, when, as the largest amusement area in the U.S., it contained three major players - Luna Park, Dreamland, and Steeplechase Park – all competing for the millions of patrons who visited yearly. Electric lights, roller coasters and baby incubators are among Coney Island innovations, and for a short while, from 1885 to 1896, the Coney Island Elephant was the first sight to greet immigrants arriving in New York. On Saturday, July 23, Potter & Potter Auctions offers bidders a bridge to the golden age of Coney Island when they sell Lot 443 in their Three Ring sale. A 1920 antique wooden carousel horse with carved corncob at the cantle and American flags at its sides; in a former life ...Read More

A painting by legendary artist Charles M. Russell, with an estimate of $1M, headlines the 31st annual Coeur d’Alene Art Auction, set to take place July 23 with exclusive online auction on Bidsquare. The sale of The Tenderfoot, fresh to market after spending the past 100 years in a single-family collection, should see spirited bidding at a sale that continues to be the high point of the Western auction calendar. The Coeur d’Alene Art Auction has a well-earned reputation for selling the highest quality Western paintings and sculptures. Hailed as "The Biggest and Most Successful Auction of Western Art" by The Wall Street Journal and named "One of the Top Auction Houses Worldwide" by Blouin Art+Auction, the Coeur dAlene has netted over $230,000,000 in sales over the past ten years from its perch as a clear industry leader. Lot 113 - The Tenderf...Read More