The history of the Japanese block prints traces back to 764 when the Empress Kōken commissioned small scrolls of woodblock print. These contained the Buddhist text and were circulated to temples across Japan. Circa 1570 – 1640, a designer-painter, Tawaraya Sōtatsu was known for using wood stamps to print on silk and paper. However, until the eighteenth century, woodblock printing was only a method of reproducing texts. The advent of Edo period changed it all. Lot 387, Japanese, Ukiyo-e color woodblock prints, collection of three, 19th century | Rago Ukiyo-e – Pictures from the Pleasure Districts of Japan Edo is the erstwhile name of Tokyo, before it was made the capital of Japan. The Edo period holds a place of extraordinary significance in the bygone era. Tokugawa Ieyasu and his descendants emerged as the unchallenged rulers during this er...Read More

One of the reasons I love living in New England is the way our daily, seasonal weather acts as a natural calendar. Snow is beginning to fall, the sun is set by 4:30 and the drive-through line at Dunkin’ is at an all-time high! All signs that we are headed into the New Year bringing on resolutions and new trends to track in the collectibles market. If you refer back to our previous Top Pick’s articles, I’m happy to report it was a phenomenal year for Pop Culture. While it certainly contained a lot of quick-changing peaks and valleys, overall, it's ending significantly in the black. Comic books, trading cards, toys, and related collectibles on average are trading at an all time high. We've experienced some market correction with Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and modern era sports cards and comic books though. Prices have slightly softened for the more ...Read More

Sworders auction of Fine Jewellery and Watches on Tuesday, November 30th includes items of Roman, Byzantine and Russian interest from the residual stock of Iconastas. The Piccadilly Arcade Gallery was established by Chris Martin-Zakheim and John Gaze in 1974, specialising in Russian Icons, works of art, and antiquities, until it closed its doors in 2018, having cemented a reputation as one of the industry’s leading specialists. Ancient Rome is steeped in a history famed for its complex jewellery designs, inspired by the marrying of cultures and created from the natural resources that were available across the conquered Mediterranean territories and an extensive trade network of imported materials. Despite the sheer scale of the Roman civilisation, archaeological finds of Roman jewellery are relatively rare, and pieces in excellent condition...Read More

Traditional Scottish jewellery has captivated collectors for centuries, though recognition soared in the 19th century after it became a popular souvenir of Queen Victoria following her much loved trips to the Highlands. In the autumn of 1842, two and a half years after her marriage to Prince Albert, Queen Victoria took her first trip north of the border. They were both completely enamoured by the landscape and returned many times, culminating in the purchase of Balmoral Castle in 1852 (leased from 1847). Lot 80, A Scottish gold hardstone brooch - Sworders, Fine Jewellery and Watches - Live Online | November 30, 5am EST The story goes that during one of their early visits, Prince Albert found some pebbles on the banks of the River Dee in Aberdeenshire and had them polished and set into jewellery for his Queen. The aristocracy was a major inf...Read More

For the second year in a row, Bidsquare is pleased to virtually present the Smithsonian Craft Show, an event steeped in excellence - showcasing America's finest craftspeople across multiple disciplines: Ceramics, Glass, Mixed Media and Paper, Decorative Fiber and Basketry, Jewelry, Wearable Art, Furniture, Leather and Metal, and Wood. The event, typically an in-person affair, has attracted enthusiastic patrons for over 30 years. Through the dedication of the Smithsonian Women's Committee, a core group of volunteer advocates who help fundraise for research grants and specialty programs to benefit the Smithsonian, the craft show continues to connect highly-skilled artisans with a devoted audience. This year, the Artist Shops feature 98 individuals who highlight all of the triumphs and expressive kudos that contemporary craft has to offer. The...Read More

Two classic cars, a 1958 Jaguar XK150 drop-head coupe and a 1970 Mk 2 Morris Mini Cooper S - are to be auctioned in Sworders' October 19-20 Design sale. The two cars come for sale in Essex from the executors of the late Cedric Gillson and are both in exceptional condition. Cedric ‘Gilly’ Gillson, the owner of Haworth quarry, was as proud a Yorkshire gentleman as you could find. He was seldom parted from his tweed flat cap for long (the auctioneers even found one under the seat in the Jaguar) and kept his vehicles in a heated double garage, arguably enjoying more luxury than Gillson permitted in his own home. Lot 1, a 1958 Jaguar XK150 drop-head coupe. Coming up in Sworders' Design sale on October 19. He purchased the XK150 drop-head in 1989 in parts as a restoration project (it had been garaged for almost its entire ownership) and famously ...Read More

An autograph book with a story so evocative of the British music scene in the early 1960s comes for sale in Sworders' Design auction this month. The notebook includes the signatures of three of The Beatles, together with those of Gerry & The Pacemakers, The Dave Clark Five, Cliff Richard, and Helen Shapiro. The notebook includes the signatures of three of The Beatles, together with those of Gerry & The Pacemakers, The Dave Clark Five, Cliff Richard, and Helen Shapiro. It is expected to make £800-1,200 as part of the Design auction on 19-20 October. The vendor, ‘Sue’, was one of three classmates at a North London grammar school, all born in the summer of 1949. She was aged between 13 and 15 when these autographs were collected. Lot 531, A 1960s autograph book, The Beatles, c. 1963 “Originally I was a mad keen Cliff Richard fan. I had a life-...Read More

'The ideal chair does not exist’, Hans J. Wegner, one of the most iconic names in Design history once said. Perhaps he was right? Wegner spent his entire life in pursuit of the unattainable ideal, which would see him reinventing the chair again and again for almost half a century in over 500 different ways. Throughout life we are told to sit up straight and not to slouch on sofas and armchairs – Wegner turned this notion on its head and was often seen with his legs swung over the armrests of some of his most iconic designs. At the centre of Wegner’s design philosophy was always universal comfort - the ability to always sit in whichever way is most comfortable and shift effortlessly between various positions. Lot 607 | Design, Wednesday 20 October. An 'AP-19 Papa Bear' chair, designed by Hans Wegner for A P Stolen, Denmark, reupholstered in ...Read More

PHILADELPHIA, PA - Freeman’s is honored to present The Alexander Hamilton Collection of John E. Herzog, a single-owner sale of Alexander Hamilton material, in an October 25 auction. Collectors of documents of American history, particularly items related to Hamilton and the US Federalist Era, will find objects of deep significance—including rare documents, autograph letters, checks, and broadsides—from a critical and fascinating moment in American history, presented by the specialists in Freeman’s Books and Manuscripts department. Lot 10, [Hamilton, Alexander] [Public Credit] Report of the Secretary of the Treasury to the House of Representatives, Relative to a Provision for the Support of the Public Credit of the United States...the 14th Day of January, 1790. First edition of Alexander Hamilton's fundamental report that ushered in the finan...Read More

We hope everyone had a fun and successful New York Asia Week! As many of you know, New York Asia Week has grown into a major two-week event held every September and March. It marks the beginning of the Asian art season, and prior to the pandemic, it was an essential destination for both experienced Asian art connoisseurs and beginners alike. Asia Week New York features a plethora of Asian themed auctions, exhibitions, gallery openings, and has even launched satellite events in Boston, Chicago and Washington D. C. Despite Asia week wrapping up last week, Asian art themed auctions are still ongoing throughout October, notably at Freeman’s in Philadelphia. Founded in 1805, Freeman’s is known as America’s oldest auction house and they have been putting together important Asian art sales over the past 15 years. Freemans will be offering their As...Read More