On Friday, October 16, Rago offers bidders the finest collection of Lalique glass seen in years. Highlights among the 81 lots up for grabs include a Cluny vase, red and butterscotch Poissons, teal and electric blue Perruches, a Caravelle centerpiece, a Normandie lamp, an Eléphants bowl, and a Thomery cocktail-shaker. Lot 1 - The Cluny vase, and Lot 20 - the red Perruches vase René Lalique began his artistic career at the ripe old age of 12, when he entered the Collège Turgot and began drawing and sketching. By thirty, he was recognized as one of Frances foremost Art Nouveau jewelry designers, yet it was his creations in glass that held the greatest sway. Lot 46 - The Caravelle centerpiece Lalique lent his talents to glass art, perfume bottles, vases, candle sticks, chandeliers, clocks, and even automobile hood ornaments. His was a naturalis...Read More

Paul Evans was a man well ahead of his time. By combining handcraft and technology, he anticipated the limited edition art furniture that flourishes today. Evans’ relationship with influential manufacturer Directional Furniture set new standards by demanding each piece be made by hand, finished by hand, and supervised by the artist at each step of production. That groundbreaking attention to detail will be on display Monday, October 12, when Leslie Hindman Auctioneers hold their sale of the Gerard L. Cafesjian Collection. Seven pieces by the American-born designer, sculptor, and artist will go under the hammer, showcasing not only Evans innovative briiliance but his everlasting contribution to American furniture design. Lot 478 is one of the real standouts of the auction - a Paul Evans sculpture front cabinet produced by the artist in 1973....Read More

Back in the days of Victorian England they had a saying when dealing with those with a penchant for lauding their own goodness. It went: “The more he talked up his honesty, the quicker we counted the silverware.” An accurate proverb to be sure, but also a reflection on just how important the household silver was to people of that era. On Friday, October 9, Skinner gives bidders a chance to count some extra silverware of their own when they offer some two hundred pieces on Day 1 of their European Furniture & Decorative Arts sale. Included is a stunning array of finely crafted silver pieces – everything from chess sets to tea services to candlelabras. Below, we’re featuring a handful of our favorites – but to see the full catalog, head over to Bidsquare’s Upcoming Auction page and get comfortable. You’re sure to be impressed! Lot 28 – a twelv...Read More

From his earliest days, Alexander Ney knew what it was like to struggle. Born in Leningrad in 1939, he was a two-year-old when Hitler’s Germany launched their siege on his city, a battle that would prove to be the second most lethal of World War II. The city’s rail lines were cut, severing all access to food and power supplies. In the winter that ensued, between two and three million civilians, including 400,000 children, perished. Yet Alexander Ney survived. After gaining private art lessons from influential Russian sculptor V.V. Lishev, he studied at the Leningrad Academy of Arts, and then at the Surikov Moscow Art Institute. After graduating, he taught sculpture to children at the House of Young Pioneers in Leningrad. Ney defected to France in 1974, before moving on to New York City. On Wednesday, October 7, Kodner Galleries offer bidder...Read More

Ms. Sue Blair broke into the fashion industry in Paris when John Fairchild of Women’s Wear Daily introduced her to Jules Francois Crahay, the then head designer for Nina Ricci and later Lanvin. Ms. Blair went on to rub elbows with some of fashion’s biggest names throughout her career. The October 7 Luxury Accessories and Vintage Fashion auction at Leslie Hindman Auctioneers will feature a special session of couture garments from the collection of Ms. Sue Blair, an international model and associate for important designers. Sue Blair with designer Jules Francois Crahay, Sue Blair with Bill Blass Ms. Blair moved to both Paris and Jerusalem with her husband who had worked as the foreign correspondent and bureau chief for The New York Times. In Paris she became the “muse” of Jules Francois Crahay and so began a great friendship that lasted until...Read More

One of the most interesting pieces on offer in The Cobbs Auctioneers’ Fine Art, Jewelry, Rugs, Collectibles, and Americana sale has to be the "Don’t Give Up The Ship" Eagle banner by John Haley Bellamy. Selling as Lot 89 on Saturday, October 3, this finely carved original is an impressive piece of Americana descending from the heart of New England’s rich nautical tradition. Bellamy has been variously described as a disciplined laborer, a helpless drunkard, a manic inventor, an aloof poet, an irresponsible pleasure-seeker, and a devoted kinsman. A 19th Century folk artist from Maine known for his stylishly carved wooden eagles, conceived for display on ships and homes, he was a confidant of Twain’s who kept mostly to himself. Bellamy never considered himself an artist, and is not known to have signed any of his pieces. Yet today, the demand ...Read More

Man’s relationship with sapphires goes back to earliest civilization. A sapphire was one of the twelve precious stones set in the Israelite High Priest’s breastplate, while in ancient Greece and Rome, kings and queens wore sapphires to protect them from envy and harm. In modern times the sapphire has maintained its place at the epicenter of the precious stones market. So much so that in 1981, when Prince Charles was looking to pop the question to the beautiful Diana Spencer, he sealed the deal with a stunning blue sapphire engagement ring. On Tuesday, September 29, Skinner gives you the chance to feel like royalty when they offer Lot 647 of their Fine Jewelry sale. Produced by the iconic jewelry house of Cartier, this gorgeous necklace features a pendant set with a 30 karat cushion-cut sapphire, framed by full-cut diamonds, suspended from a...Read More

Thomas Moran was an English-born American painter of the Hudson River School with a penchant for painting the Rocky Mountains. Residing in NYC, he was chief illustrator at Scribners Monthly, a position that helped launch him as one of the premier painters of the American landscape. Lot 262 - Thomas Morans Feudal Castle Morans vision of the West was critical to the creation of Yellowstone National Park. Commissioned by the United States Geological Survey to travel to the unknown region, he produced a series of paintings and sketches that captured the nations attention and helped inspire Congress to establish Yellowstone as the first national park in 1872. Today, his work is held in the collection of the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, and is exhibited as part of the White House Collection. Barack Obama and Shimon Peres meet under the ...Read More

Over a twenty-year period, Cleveland’s Bob and Ann Friedman assembled a spectacular collection of contemporary art glass. With keen eyes, they travelled the country, amassing a beautifully curated 300-piece collection, with artists represented including David Bennett, Latchezar Boyadjiev, Emily Brock, Jose Chardiet, Dale Chihuly, William Morris, Dan Dailey, Richard Jolley, Hitoshi Kakizaki, and other category leaders. The Friedmans were true art lovers - they enjoyed the company of the artists whose work they collected, often entertaining them at their stylish Lyndhurst home. Lot 81 - William Morris Rhyton Bull On Saturday, September 26, Wolfs Gallery offers bidders the chance to savor the legacy of these inspired collectors when they offer the Friedman Collection of Contemporary Glass and Artwork for auction. Also included are a grouping o...Read More

There’s sure to be a memory or two sparked on Sunday, September 20 when Lot 6476 in Clars Auction Gallery’s September Fine Art & Antique sale goes under the hammer. A photo taken by American professional Art Rogers, it was once the center of a seminal copyright case that saw one of America’s leading artists come away with the proverbial black eye. Where it all began - eight adorable puppies wade into the cutthroat world of art The story begins in 1988, when artist Jeff Koons, deciding to create a sculpture called "String of Puppies," sent a greeting card bought in an airport gift shop to his workers in Italy. The photograph, which featured a couple holding eight German Shepherd puppies, became the model for four Koons sculptures, three of which sold for a total of $367,000 at SoHo’s Sonnabend Gallery. "String of Puppies" by Jeff Koons Upon ...Read More