Auction News Network

Rare Colonial Cabinet Leads Americana Sale

Back in 2005, the Metropolitan Museum in New York held an exhibition of the work of John Townsend, one of the highest regarded Colonial cabinetmakers. Just a few blocks away, in the townhouse of a family that had owned it since around 1770 but no longer had any sense of its value or provenance, sat one of Townsend’s rarest pieces. It was a four-shell kneehole Chippendale bureau table, discovered a visit last fall by Christie’s John Hays. One of only seven examples known to exist, it’s expected to sell for $700,000 -$900,000 at Christie’s Americana sale later this month in New York.

Noted Garden Collection Of Tiffany Glass To Sell

Until quite recently, one of the world’s premier collections of Tiffany glass was located at the Garden Museum in Japan. Over the past couple of decades Takeo Horiuchi assembled the selection of lamps, windows, art, blown glass, and ceramics from the studios of Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848-1933). Now the collection has been acquired by California-based Michaan Auctions, which will offer it on November 17^th. Among the most valuable pieces is a Cobweb Table Lamp, which has been exhibited at the Smithsonian and Metropolitan Museum in New York. No estimate was released for the lamp. although other items in the sale are expected to sell for as much as $2m.

Bonhams Herds Carousel Horses To Los Angeles

When the circus comes to Bonhams in early December, a carousel Hippocamp—part horse, part fish– will be leading the parade. The fanciful figure with a coiling, serpentine posterior, carved and painted by Daniel Carl Muller, rides into the Carousel & Circus Memorabilia auction in Los Angeles with an estimate of $35,000-$45,000.

Famed Basket Weaver’s Rare Work Offered

Datsolalee was nearly blind but recognized as Native America’s finest basket weaver whose intricate designs and precision work is expected to reap a great price when Bonham’s stages its 3-part Native American auction in San Francisco.

King’s Gift To Emperor: A ‘Fan Watch’

The Chinese aristocracy was crazy for extravagant watches so King George III had one crafted in the agate handle of a truly extravagant gold, silver, diamond, ruby, and emerald adorned fan for the 80^th birthday of Emperor Qianlong in 1792. Antiquorum is selling that “Fan Watch” at its Timepieces auction in Hong Kong, October 22.  The estimate is in the $200,000 range.

Mystery Collector’s Dolls on Sale

The mystery collector amassed a passel of rare and vintage dolls over two decades and 125 of them will be offered by Browne Auction Specialists October 23, 2010, at the American Legion Hall in Blue Springs, Mo. The collector died last year. For security reasons, the Browne people say the name of the otherwise well known doll aficionado will not be revealed until the day  before the sale.

Churchill’s False Teeth (Really)

Winston Churchill’s false teeth will be up for auction in London. Keys Auctions is selling one of three sets of dentures the former Prime Minister always had around.  They’re guessing it will go for between $6,000 and $7,5000.

Update:  Churchill’s teeth sold for $23, 723.

Second Time The Charm?

Some eighteen months ago, a valuable vintage Russian silver box caused a stir when it came to auction at William J. Jenack. The box, signed I.P Khlebnikov, carried a pre-sale estimate of only $4,000 to $6,000, which proved to be a bit conservative: the box sold to a phone bidder for merely about a hundred times more. Then the real drama started.

Hindenburg Beer Sells for $16,000

It is charred and its contents are undrinkable, but its rarity is extreme: a single bottle of Lowenbrau rescued from the wreck of the Hindenburg has sold at auction for $16,000. Fire chief Leroy Smith found the bottle.

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