According to Buddhist tradition, The Four Guardian Kings are gods, each of whom watches over one cardinal direction of the universe. Virapaksa is the Guardian of the West and “The One with Broad Perception.” In addition to observing the world and protecting the people within it, he also encourages others to find safety in Buddhism. This gilt bronze figure of Virapaksa, or Guang Mu Tian Wang is one of the highlights of the Asian Works of Art sale at Leslie Hindman Auctioneers on March 23-24. The figure, possibly dating to the Ming dynasty, is one of the Four Guardian Kings, or lokapala. This particular figure is depicted standing in full armor with flowing scarves around the shoulders, wearing a peaked crown and high chignon, his right hand holding a serpent, or dragon, and the other holding a precious pearl, while his face bears a ferocious...Read More

San Francisco’s Asian Art Museum is running a particularly interesting show right now called Seduction: Japan’s Floating World. Running till May 10, this dazzling collection explores "The Floating World,” a term taken from Japan’s Edo Period (1615-1868) that referred to both the pleasure quarters in major cities and a pleasure-seeking way of life. The most famous of these – the Las Vegas of its time - was the Yoshiwara, a walled and moated district in Edo (Tokyo) where one could abandon the rigors of daily life in pursuit of sensual delights. Like Vegas or its friend the Playboy Mansion, it traded in sex, excess and fantasy, and its reputation as such brought it economic success and a hold on the popular imagination.  Those looking to tap into the art of  “The Floating World” won’t need to hop a plane to SF. With Asia Week New York ramping ...Read More

Ever since Marco Polo brought its wonders back to Europe in the 13th Century, westerners have been fascinated by the Far East and its cultural charms. The Chinese brought a fresh perspective to the art world, not only with their techniques but also with the materials they employed, and collectors were soon scrambling to snap up pieces of their finest. All this comes to light from March 13 to 21 with the staging of Asia Week New York, a collaboration of Asian art specialists, auction houses, museums, and Asian cultural institutions in NYC. Bidsquare will feature a number of Asia-focused sales during Asia Week, starting off with Waterford’s Art & Antiques Auctioneers’ Fine Asian & Western Works of Art Auction on Friday, March 13. Made in the Jade Jade has a special significance in Chinese history, comparable to gold or diamonds in the West, a...Read More

2015 sees us living in an age when a great bottle of wine can come from just about anywhere. New Zealand Chardonnays, Argentinian Malbecs, Spanish Riojas… it seems these days that the expertise that goes into concocting a superior drop has a very dog-eared passport. Still, for most people, French wines remain the benchmark for excellence. The place people look when they want something a little special. Good thing then, that Skinner is holding its Fine Wine sale on Wednesday, March 3, at 6:00pm. Whether it’s a case you’re after or individual bottles, Skinner is auctioning off choice offerings from many of the most esteemed French vineyards. What better place to start than 10 bottles of the Chateau Mouton Rothschild 2000. This exquisitely packaged wine comes from the vineyard established in 1853 by Baron Nathaniel de Rothschild. 2000 was a gr...Read More

Collecting indigenous art can be a tricky affair. Whether it’s Aboriginal paintings from Australia, Native American artifacts or tribal masks from New Guinea, dipping you toe in the pool for the first time and making sound purchases isnt always easy. And rest assured, there are pit falls. Unscrupulous dealers, questions of authenticity, what’s good or bad…it’s enough to give even the most stoic of potential collectors cause for concern. Yet with a little guidance and some good ole fashioned common sense you can soon put together a collection that tells its own unique story without getting you burned along the way. 1. Do your homework When it comes to less expensive pieces, what the heck, go for it! However, when considering work valued over $5,000 it’s important you do your homework. Read about crafts areas you’re interested in and don’t be...Read More

Auctionata’s upcoming sale of Post-War & Contemporary Art is jam-packed with big names. Works by Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Motherwell, Joan Miró, David Hockney and others decorate the catalogue pages; suffice to say that this auction includes many of the most influential and progressive artists from the past 65 years. More than holding it’s own with the celebrated names above is Lot 48, Mel Bochner’s Blah Blah Blah. This 2014 monoprint with collage, engraving and embossment is an iconic work, containing the artist’s most well known text. Bochner, whose paintings were recently the subject of a retrospective at the Jewish Museum, has always been interested in systems involving language or numbers, and incorporates these into brightly colored paintings with provocative language taken from popular culture. “Many artists have used th...Read More

Buyers looking to nab the top lot at Cowan’s auction sale of American and European Paintings, Sculpture and Asian Art had better get there early. With an estimated value of $20-30,000, Lot 1, an exceptionally rare Tambola Panel from the Cincinnati Art Club, is expected to claim the highest price at the online auction. So what exactly is a Tambola? Well, it’s a term taken from the Italian, where the word means “raffle.” The Cincinnati Arts Club, founded in 1890 to promote “knowledge and appreciation of art," organized annual tambolas to raise money and help achieve its goals. This particular piece, produced in 1894, is a painters palette decorated with miniature paintings by twelve prominent 19th Century Cincinnati artists, and is one of only two known to still be in existence. As local lore has it, the panel would have been passed around am...Read More

A host of happy Valentine’s Day memories will be born tomorrow when the West Palm Beach salesroom of Leslie Hindman Auctioneers sells a cherished collection from the estate of Adele Bloom. Mrs. Bloom, who split her time between Palm Beach and Montreal, was a renowned patron of the arts with a real passion for fine porcelain. Her interest in English and Chinese export ceramics prevails here, accompanied by an array of fine and decorative arts, including paintings by Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita, Moïse Kisling and others. Decorative delights - paintings by Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita  (left) and Moïse Kisling Don’t miss Lot 131 (below), the Chamberlains Worcester Porcelain Dinner Service. From the first half of the 19th Century, this extensive set comprises a pair of soup tureens with stands, a large platter, four oval vegetable dishes, a set of f...Read More

Things will get plenty busy for the Rago Arts and Auction Center this weekend when it holds its sale of Early 20th Century Decorative Arts and Modern Design. It’s enough to make the mouth water of every interior design junkie from here to Honolulu! Nearly a thousand original pieces up for grabs, many from the biggest names in the industry, all available to the bidder who bids boldest. Mid-Mod Part of a new series dealing with mid-priced 20th Century furniture and decorative objects, the Mid-Mod kicks off Friday with 286 lots featuring pieces from industry icons such as Vladimir Kagan, Edward Wormley, Karl Springer, Charles & Ray Eames, Frank Lloyd Wright and more. The Kagan piece (above), Lot 601, is a real eye catcher! Kagan, the German born son of a master Russian cabinetmaker, revolutionized home furnishing design in 1950 with the introd...Read More

Buyers get the chance this weekend to create their very own Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame when a host of rare music memorabilia goes under the hammer during Ahlers & Ogletree’s Winter Estates Auction. Headed by three pieces from Elvis Aaron Presley, the auction offers a stunning array of material from a list of musicians that reads like a veritable industry who’s who. Got an empty space behind your bar screaming to be filled? Might be time to bid on the framed gold record of the King’s classic “Aloha From Hawaii.” There’s also sheet music and a framed theater promo for Elvis’ “G.I. Blues.” A framed gold record of the King’s classic “Aloha From Hawaii,” framed sheet music and a framed theater promo for Elvis’ “G.I. Blues” Other highlights among the music offerings include rare guitars from Gibson, Fender and Gretsch, signed by the likes of Jame...Read More