Auction News Network

Judson Ball Native American Collection At Bonhams

Over several decades Judson C. Ball and his wife assembled a distinguished collection of Native American art, concentrating on three areas: kachina dolls, Southwest baskets and weavings, and New Mexican religious art. Bonhams will offer the collection in New York on May 14^th, when the featured item will be a red and blue Navajo double saddle/child’s blanket estimated at $50,000-$70,000.

Christie’s Offers Rare 15th Century Carpet

The Mamluk Sultanate takes its name from a powerful warrior caste that ruled Egypt and Syria between 1250-1575. Mamluk carpets are mostly in museum collections, and rarely come up sale. Christie’s will offer one of the earliest, however, at its Oriental Rug and Carpet auction on October 4th in London. Dating from the second half of the 15^th century and Egyptian in origin, it’s estimated at $1.25m-1.87m.

Antique Carpets At Skinner’s

Skinner, Inc., will be auctioning more than 50 room-sized carpets, including a 26 foot Persian Bidjar from the late 1800’s, valued at $20,000 to $25,000. The sale will be at its Boston gallery May 7^th.

Bonhams’ First New York Rug Sale

Although Bonhams has been active in many categories in New York, it has never ventured into fine Oriental rugs. All that will change on February 28, when the auction house will offer 154 examples of 18^th & 19^th century carpets and rugs  from China, India, Israel, Persia, Turkey and Uzbekistan, as well as a collection of Flemish and French tapestries.

Bonhams To Sell Jennifer Jones Estate

Jennifer Jones died in 2009, after an Academy Award-winning career as an actress, and marriages to three celebrated men: actor Robert Walker, producer David O. Selznick, and industrialist Norton Simon. Much of her estate has been dispersed; the art collection she shared with Simon is the Pasadena museum that bears his name. On January 16 in Los Angeles, Bonhams will sell a variety of items that remain.

Design At Phillips de Pury

By two measures, length and price, it exceeds all other offerings at Phillips de Pury’s London Design auction on September 28^th. “Le Serpent,” a 22-foot long decorative carpet by Francois-Xavier Lalanne, will be the highlight at the sale, where it’s expected to fetch as much as $156,000.

A Rare Home Sale from Sotheby’s

It isn’t the sort of thing Sotheby’s ordinarily does, but then again this isn’t the sort of house one ordinarily encounters. For the first time in 20 years, Sotheby’s will conduct a 2-day home auction, selling the vast contents of Virginia billionaire Patricia Kluge’s 45-room Albermarle House, near Charlottesville, Virginia.

Where Royals Walked

It isn’t the most valuable carpet that Bonham’s will be offering at its April sale in Knightsbridge.  It may, however, have the most interesting pedigree, having once graced the floor of Windsor Castle.

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