Talk by Collector Shirley M. Mueller, MD | Friday, October 11 Dr. Shirley Mueller will be speaking about her book, Inside the Head of a Collector: Neuropsychological Forces at Play. Join us in the Boston Gallery for the reception starting at 5:30PM, followed by the talk at 6PM. This event is held in conjunction with the October 12 European Furniture & Decorative Arts auction. REGISTER TO ATTEND Shirley M. Mueller, MD is an internationally known collector and scholar of Chinese export porcelain, as well as a physician board-certified in Neurology and Psychiatry. This latter expertise led her to explore her own intentions while collecting art, which, she discovered, are applicable to all collectors. This new understanding is the motivation for this book. Mueller not only lectures and publishes about the neuropsychology of the collector; she also was guest curator for Elegance from the East: New Insights into Old Porcelain at the Indianapolis […]
Join us for First Tuesday in Marlborough Tuesday, October 1 | 1:30PM – 4PM Specialists Robin S.R. Starr, Stuart Slavid, Kaitlin Shinnick &Adam Tober will be on hand to evaluate items and accept consignments for upcoming auctions. Robin S.R. Starr – Director of American & European Works of Art, will be on-hand to evaluate paintings, prints, sculpture, and photography for upcoming auctions. She is looking forward to seeing examples by listed, sought-after artists, as well as iconic works of fine art photography from the 19th through 21st centuries, with market interest over $1000. Post-War and Contemporary Art is particularly strong in the current market. Stuart Slavid – Director of Fine Ceramics, Fine Silver and European Furniture & Decorative Arts – A generalist, Stuart’s specialty areas are: English and Continental ceramics of the 18th through 20th centuries, Wedgwood pottery, fine silver, and so much more. This fast-paced department regularly holds three or more auctions per year and […]
BOSTON, MA – September 19, 2019. The top lot of Skinner’s September 17, 2019 Important Jewelry auction was a remarkable twin stone Kashmir sapphire ring by Cartier. Owned by one family since the 1950s, the ring soared to more than double its pre-sale estimate to $873,000. The sapphires were a classic example of the cornflower-blue stones from the famed Kashmir mines, before they closed in the 1880s. Another rare colored stone was an antique Burma ruby ring. The exceptional red color and clarity of the stone attracted bidders from all over the world. The ruby sold for $171,000, more than twenty times its conservative pre-sale estimate. Antique and Period Jewelry Antique jewelry continues to be a top category at Skinner. The cover lot of the Important Jewelry auction was a 19th century diamond sunburst brooch from the famed jewelry collector and socialite Hope Goddard Iselin. The sunburst form was popular […]
Join us! Thursday, September 26 | 5PM Enjoy wine & hors d’oeuvres as you preview the American & European Works of Art auctions. Friday, September 27 | 10:30AM The festivities continue with a petite brunch of pastries and mimosas. Free and open to the public. Register below. Skinner Boston Gallery63 Park Plaza, Boston REGISTER HERE
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 | SKINNER BOSTON Please join us for a gallery talk by Japanese prints dealer and lecturer Allison Tolman, focusing on modern Japanese prints. The reception will begin at 5PM in the Boston Gallery, followed by the talk at 5:30PM. Please register below. This event is held in conjunction with the September live Asian Works of Art auction and Japanese Prints online auction. Skinner Boston63 Park Plaza, Boston REGISTER HERE Allison Tolman represents leading Japanese artists whose principal medium is paper. A second generation dealer of contemporary Japanese prints, Ms. Tolman was raised in Tokyo where she attended the Lycee Franco-Japonais. She returned to the United States for university studies, graduating from Yale College in 1981 with a BA in Japanese Economics. Ms. Tolman is a private dealer in New York City and also participates in various art fairs across the United States. She lectures frequently on contemporary […]
BOSTON, MA – AUGUST 28, 2019 – Skinner’s Asian Works of Art auction will be held on Saturday, September 14 in Boston. Featuring over 550 lots of Chinese, Japanese, Middle Eastern, and Central Asian art and antiques. Offerings include Chinese, Japanese, and Korean ceramics; Chinese jades, Chinese textiles; Buddhist bronzes and carvings; Chinese and Korean paintings; Tibetan thangkas; Chinese scholar’s objects and furniture, and a selection of important reference books. Highlights from the sale include many excellent jades and textiles complied from several private New England collections. Outstanding examples in these two areas are the large pair of spinach green jade covered vessels (Lot 335, Estimate: $50,000-70,000) which feature finely carved archaic motifs, and an Imperial midnight blue robe (Lot 432, Estimate: $10,000-15,000), which would have been worn by one of the highest ranking members of the imperial court. An important Han pottery piece is a large prancing horse (Lot 246, Estimate: $15,000-20,000). Korean ceramics are strongly represented in the sale including an exceptional dragon jar (Lot […]
Portrait paintings are prevalent in Korea, especially during the Joseon period (1392-1897). Kings, sadaebu intellectuals, loyal vassals, elders and ancestors, monks, and even notable women were portrayed often with representative belongings to characterize the depicted. The Joseon society treated such portraits as persons incarnate; works enshrined in sacred places such as ancestral shrines and temple halls to worship, pay respect, or reminisce. In painting the portraits, a strong emphasis was given to the depiction of faces, particularly to eyes. The facial features were considered critical not only for the physical resemblances of the subjects but also for expressing their immaterial inner qualities, such as sincerity, intelligence, elegance, etc. First defined by Gu Kaizhi (345-406) of China, this concept of jeon-shin-sa-jo (mental resemblance conveyed through pictorial realism) was the ruling canon to the portrait painters of Joseon. To achieve mental realism, all the physical features of the subjects, such as pockmarks from a […]
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 | 10AM-3PM | PORTLAND, ME Skinner is inviting consignments for upcoming 2019 auctions. Meet with Skinner experts in Portland, ME on September 11 for a complimentary auction evaluation and consignment of your Jewelry, Fine Art, Fine Silver, European Antiques, American Antiques, and Coins & Currency. Appointments required. Please register and a member of our team will contact you directly for an appointment time. High-quality photos are recommended for large or particularly fragile items. To make an appointment, please email info@skinnerinc.com, phone 508-970-3000, or click the button below. REQUEST APPOINTMENT
The Early Americana Collection of Marilyn & Don Forke | Featured in August Americana The symbol of LOVE, the HEART, became the symbol of Don and Marilyn Forke’s life together and their antiques collection. They loved each other, their children, family, friends, and God! Their love of learning, history, and New England inspired them to design and build an authentic New England home in Nebraska. For over 60 years, their shared passion for antiques allowed them to fill their home with an awe-inspiring collection. They collected everything! Their knowledge grew as they traveled to forums, antique shows, and historical areas. Their zest for life, learning, and collecting enabled them to build their collection as well as develop many lasting friendships with the dealers, historians, and curators who shared their passion. LOVE remained the driving force throughout their life! The heart motif features heavily in their collection, and a keen eye […]
BOSTON, MA – July 22, 2019. Skinner held an auction of European Furniture & Decorative Arts, with ceramics and fine silver in Boston on July 13, 2019. The sale saw active participation from bidders in the U.S., the United Kingdom, Europe, and Australia competing for items online, by telephone, in the room, and via partner platforms. Wedgwood ceramics ruled the day, comprising seven of the top ten achieving lots. The highest-priced Wedgwood piece was a Fairyland Lustre Temple on a Rock (Lot 373) vase which sold to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston for $61,500. A John Northwood model of a Portland vase (Lot 351) reached $18,450 to a private buyer in Australia. Many of the Wedgwood lots in the auction were from the Spak Collection of Wedgwood with the sale proceeds going to Florida International University. Items fresh to the market and with interesting provenance fared well with many […]
BOSTON, MA – Skinner, Inc. will hold an auction on July 13, 2019, of European Furniture & Decorative Arts. With over 500 lots in the sale encompassing fine silver, ceramics as well as furniture and decorative arts there is an item for both discerning collectors and novice buyers. Styles range from classic Georgian silver and early oak furnishings to elegant Belle Epoque tables and mantel clocks. Explore works from the 17th to the 20th century and see how you can mix periods and styles to create individual design-schemes in your own home. The Furniture of Paul Sormani Regarded as one of the most elite Parisian ébenistes of the 19th century, Sormani was born in 1817 in the Kingdom of Lombardy-Venice. Inspired by the work of the Royal maitres menuisiers et bronziers of the 18th century, he is best known for his pieces in the Louis XV and XVI style of […]
Four centuries of music-making tradition cross the auction block at Skinner, with works of Hendrik Jacobs, Giovanni Battista Gabrielli, Charles François Gand, and Eugenio Praga. With approximately 360 lots on offer, including a broad selection of violins, violas, violoncellos, and their bows, the June 2 auction will also feature a collection of contemporary classical and flamenco guitars, in addition to vintage fretted instruments by Gibson and C.F. Martin. The son of a wealthy engineer and educated as an engineer himself, Eugenio Praga’s apparently charmed life afforded him the luxury of pursuing a career in lutherie out of intellectual curiosity rather than financial necessity. All of which circumstances allowing the 19th-century Italian violin maker to indulge his interests at his own pace – as violin restorer, bow maker, medal winner, and caretaker to one of the world’s most famous violins: Nicolò Paganini’s Guarneri del Gesù, the “Cannon.” The lattermost experience may […]
