Gold is the commodity on everyone’s minds these days, and bidders could very well strike pay dirt over Labor Day weekend, Sept. 3-4, 2011 when southern California auctioneer Don Presley offers nuggets and other specimens from the private collection of a retired professional prospector. Read More +
An auction Aug. 13, 2011 includes three breathtaking pieces of antiquity that were displayed in the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Egyptian Jewel Room for more than 25 years. Two necklaces dating back to the Armana Period 1130 B.C., were crafted during the New Kingdom, which was a time when art and design was at its height. Colors were vibrant, which can be seen in the reds, yellow and greens used in the glazed composition pendants on two of the three necklaces up for auction. The third necklace is a beautiful example of an amulet necklace with the female protector, Bastet.
An antique discovery clock auction, Aug. 27, 2011 is loaded with more than 500 rare and vintage clocks from a single-owner collection. Included in the sale are American large wall clocks and case clocks, grandfather clocks and examples from England, France and Germany. This more than just a clock action. Tucked inside the sale are pendulums, weights, watchmakers’ benches and multi-drawer cabinets, watch and clock ephemera and advertising signs.
Read More +
Hundreds of quality lots of fine porcelain, original artwork and estate jewelry will cross the block in a multi-estate sale planned for Saturday, Aug. 27, 2011 by Elite Decorative Arts. One lot is expected to bring $80,000-$100,000 or more. It is a pair of large bronze and ivory Continental figures, one depicting a warrior wearing a crown with a sword to the hip and the other depicting a warrior wearing a bearskin headdress and scaled armor. The figures, each one 18 inches in height on a 3 ¼ inch round wooden base, were made circa 18th or 19th century. Read More +
Dealers at the 12th Annual Elegant and Depression Glass Show packed the Tennessee State Fairgrounds with elegant and depression glass, July 16-17, 2011 including some rare pieces. Two of the rarer pieces at the show included a Fostoria American soap dish and a Cambridge glass owl lamp. The Fostoria soap dish was complete with lid and was priced at $3,500. The owl lamp was priced at $2,100.
Read More +
Antique Trader shows one reader that his attic find of a vintage View-Master and Junior Merchant tin bank, while colorful and interesting, have more value as display items than big-ticket collectibles. View-Masters have been in continuous production since 1939, when Sawyer’s of Portland, Ore., first introduced the View-Master at the New York World’s Fair. The earliest viewers (known as the Model A viewer) are marked "PAT.APPLD.FOR"; they are made from lightweight Kodak Tenite plastic and are prone to warping.
Read More +
Glasshouse whimsies – whether they are entirely free-form or created from production glass pieces – are items made by glassworkers to show off their skills. Whimsies, often given the misnomers "end-of-day" or "lunch-hour" pieces, are known as "friggers" in England. They are non-production pieces; other than the use of factory glass, the whimsies have no connection to the glass factory.
Read More +
WILLIAMSTOWN, W. Va. – After 106 years of continual production, the Fenton Art Glass Company announced Wednesday it is ending production of its collectible and giftware glass products and is exploring the sale of its equipment and other assets. The … Read More +
Skinner, Inc.’s bi-annual 20th Century Furniture and Decorative Arts auction taking place takes place in the Boston gallery on June 25, 2011, has 810 lots of material grouped primarily by designer or maker. The auction features assembled collections of Dedham Pottery famous for its crackle glaze with blue decorative borders of bunnies, elephants, fish, fowl and flowers. The offerings are highlighted by a special plate, lot 110, made in the period from 1896-1929. This work depicts the moon over the Golden Gate in San Francisco and predates the Golden Gate Bridge, which was built in 1937. The plate is estimated at $1,500 to $1,800.
Read More +
A monumental circa-1890 R.J. Horner figural carved mahogany 12-piece dining room set soared to $100,300 at a cataloged auction held May 21, 2011 by Fontaine’s Auction Gallery. The set was the top lot in the sale, which attracted a large amount of Tiffany lamps and decorative objects. An unusual Tiffany Studios bronze crab inkwell with an exceptional brown and deep red patina with green highlights went for $23,600.
Read More +