Specialists from auction houses around the country tell us about choice lots in their upcoming sales
Arms and the Man
We spoke with Joel Bohy, a specialist in historic arms and militaria for Skinner Auctioneers and Appraisers, about his vast and varied knowledge of military history and material culture, his expeditions to archaeological digs at battlefields, and his talent for making reproduction arms and uniforms.
Rare Kentucky Derby trophy to be auctioned
Skinner, Inc. announced this week that on June 7 it will auction a rare Kentucky Derby winner’s trophy and commemorative mint julip cup (estimate $60,000-80,000), previously believed to have been lost. Both pieces, made from 14 karat gold, were presented to Elizabeth Arden, the cosmetics heiress, whose horse, Jet Pilot, won the prestigious race in 1947. The race, then it …
This Week’s Top Lots: April 11 – 17
* The European furniture and decorative arts sale at Skinner in Boston on Saturday included nearly 1000 lots—the top lot was a 16th-century Flemish tapestry that brought $237,000, well above its estimate of $30,000-50,0000. Another remarkable lot was a Russian gold-washed silver and enamel kovsh from the early 20th century that was sold for $78,210 (estimate $7,000-9,000), while a large …
This Week’s Top Lots: March 16 – 20
* Despite having to remove a portrait by Johann Zoffany of Major George Maule, due to questions over its title, the sale of property from the Lake Como villa of Gianni Versace well exceeded expectations. It brought in over £7.4 million ($10,390,769) at Sotheby’s on Wednesday, doubling the presale high estimate. Indicating the market strength of decorative arts, the top …
Washington alive and well
Despite the ongoing difficulties in the United States economy, to judge by a President’s Day weekend sale at Skinner Auction in Boston, Americans continue to place a lot of faith in the Founding Fathers. In lively bidding in the room and on the phone, a portrait miniature of George Washington brought $336,000-the second highest price ever paid for an American …
Skinner, Inc. to Go Live
Signaling the expanding presence of regional and specialty auction houses on the web, Skinner, Inc. recently announced that it would bring its auctions online in spring 2009. Skinner-Live!, a live online bidding applet, will make it possible for bidders to compete in Skinner auctions in real time from the company’s own website. While other auction houses have partnered with …