BOSTON, MA – May 17, 2019. Skinner’s Boston May 10 auction of American & European Works of Art saw a curated two-session sale of Prints, Multiples, and Photographs followed by Paintings, Sculpture, and Drawings. Participation was brisk with over 1,000 registered bidders from the U.S., Central America, United Kingdom, and Europe competing online, by telephone, in the room, and via partner platforms. Top lots in the auction included two watercolors by John Singer Sargent (American, 1856-1925). The works had long been in the possession of John S. Ames and descended through the prominent New England family. Bologna Fountain, a small watercolor and gouache, titled and dated to 1909 was purchased from the artist by the Museum of the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences, New York, (through M. Knoedler & Co.) by special subscription, deaccessioned in 1926 and purchased by John S. Ames, Boston, March 1927; where it remained with […]
Skinner is inviting consignments for upcoming 2019 auctions. Meet with Skinner experts in May for a complimentary auction evaluation and consignment of your American Antiques, Coins & Currency, Modern Design, European Antiques, and Tribal Art. See the schedule below for when each specialty department will be visiting your area. Appointments are required. Please register and a member of our team will contact you directly for an appointment time. To request an appointment, contact newyork@skinnerinc.com or 212-787-1114. American Furniture & Decorative Arts Thursday, May 9 Expert Kerry Shrives will be on hand to evaluate and accept consignments of folk art, American furniture, marine art, early ceramics, blown and historic glass, early metalwork, and early silver. Coins & Currency Tuesday, May 14 Coins & Currency Specialist Kyle Johnson will offer appraisals and evaluations as well as accept consignments of your coins and currency for upcoming auctions. 20th Century Design Thursday, May 16 20th Century Design Specialist Dan […]
Skinner, Inc. is pleased to announce the opening of their Westchester office in White Plains, NY. By creating this Westchester location, Skinner is able to expand their presences in the region while providing the same market knowledge, object passion and client commitment for which they are recognized. Katie Banser-Whittle, Regional Director, is available for in-office appointments as well as house calls in New York, Connecticut and New Jersey. Katie and Skinner’s specialists from Massachusetts are accessible to counsel private individuals, institutions and estates on appraisals, acquisition and liquidation of fine and decorative art, jewelry, wine, modern design, musical instruments and other collectible categories. Contact the Westchester office at newyork@skinnerinc.com or 212-787-1114.
Talk by Scholar and Curator Trevor Fairbrother WEDNESDAY, MAY 8 Skinner is delighted to offer two works by John Singer Sargent that have been with a local family for over ninety years. Scholar and Curator Trevor Fairbrother will give a breezy overview of the artist’s work as a watercolorist and take a close look at these splendid Italian images – Bologna Fountain and Olive Grove. RECEPTION 5:30PM, TALK 6PM REGISTER HERE Trevor Fairbrother earned both his B.A. and his M.A. from Oxford University. He completed training at Sotheby’s London and then earned his Ph.D. from Boston University. From 1996 to 2001 he was the Seattle Art Museum´s Deputy Director of Art and Curator of Modern Art. He also served as Curator of Contemporary Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. A noted Sargent scholar, he is the author of John Singer Sargent: The Sensualist (2001), which accompanied an exhibition at the […]
BOSTON, MA – April 29, 2019 – Skinner is pleased to announce the auction of The Mr. and Mrs. James Grievo Collection of Native American Art to be held in Boston on May 18th. Collectors of Native American art for over 20 years the sale is the culmination of passion and dedication for the culture and objects of Indigenous Americans. A selection of over 550 lots includes paintings, photographs, Plains Indian material, Northwest Coast artifacts, a significant collection of Navajo silver and turquoise jewelry, Southwest weavings and pottery, and an important collection of California and Western baskets. Highlights A highlight of the auction is an early Nootka mask (Lot 259, Estimate: $30,000-40,000). Probably produced for a dance or ceremony, its power comes from a combination of naturalistic and finely rendered facial characteristics, including the use of shell for the teeth and the carefully painted abstract clan designs that cover the face. The quality of […]
Join us for First Tuesday in Marlborough Tuesday, May 7 | 1:30PM – 4PM Specialists Christopher Fox, Jonathan Dowling & Kaitlin Shinnick will be on hand to evaluate items and accept consignments for upcoming auctions. Experts Available in May: Jonathan Dowling – From the multi-faceted Clocks, Watches & Scientific Instruments Department, Jonathan will be looking for wristwatches, pocket watches, clocks, and important historical and scientific material. Bring in your timepieces and related collectibles for an auction evaluation and the opportunity to consign for future live and online sales. Christopher D. Fox – Our Generalist this month is a Specialist in the Militaria department and Associate Deputy Director of American Furniture & Decorative Arts. He will be looking for folk art, ceramics, glass, early metalwork, silver, and furniture in particular to evaluate. He has a strong interest in Historic Arts & Militaria and looks forward to seeing items in this fast-growing Skinner area of specialization. Kaitlin Shinnick […]
The art of silversmithing as practiced by the Navajo, Zuni, and other Pueblo Indians is a relatively recent cultural development. It was not until sometime between 1850 and 1870 that the Navajos acquired the skill of working in silver from the Mexican plateros (silversmiths) they encountered. From the Navajos, the art spread to the Zunis, and to a lesser degree to the other smaller tribes of the Pueblo groups. Although many tribes eventually learned the craft of silversmithing, none have developed it to the level of the Navajo, Zuni and later the Hopi. Eventually, each tribe evolved designs and styles of its own. In these early years, however, Indian jewelry designs were all heavily influenced by the fashions of the Spanish colonizers. Early examples of classic jewelry produced by the Navajo were the squash blossom necklace with its crescent-shaped pendant (naja) at the lower extremity, this was copied from the […]
Join us for First Tuesday in Marlborough Tuesday, May 7 | 1:30PM – 4PM Specialists Christopher Fox, Jonathan Dowling & Kaitlin Shinnick will be on hand to evaluate items and accept consignments for upcoming auctions. Experts Available in May: Jonathan Dowling – From the multi-faceted Clocks, Watches & Scientific Instruments Department, Jonathan will be looking for wristwatches, pocket watches, clocks, and important historical and scientific material. Bring in your timepieces and related collectibles for an auction evaluation and the opportunity to consign for future live and online sales. Christopher D. Fox – Our Generalist this month is a Specialist in the Militaria department and Associate Deputy Director of American Furniture & Decorative Arts. He will be looking for folk art, ceramics, glass, early metalwork, silver, and furniture in particular to evaluate. He has a strong interest in Historic Arts & Militaria and looks forward to seeing items in this fast-growing Skinner area of specialization. Kaitlin Shinnick […]
After a childhood in Denver, Colorado, Don Cadle attended Yale University in 1946, and after graduation, went on to Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar, earning a doctorate in History in 1953. Then followed three years in the Army in West Germany, where he worked in military intelligence, and where he met and married Ingebord, his life partner and co-collector of rugs. Following his Army service, Don and Inge moved back to the U.S., where Don worked for a number of Federal Agencies, including the Bureau of the Budget and the Department of Commerce, ending up as the CFO for NASA. Finally, after 25 years of public service, in 1978 Don started his own highly successful investment firm. Don and Inge were the consummate partners when it came to rug collecting: Don contributed enthusiasm, a terrific eye, and financial wherewithal, while Inge, partly because of her expertise in needlework, did […]
As a lifelong historian of the events of April 19th, 1775, I have been searching for related objects ever since I was quite young. One of those relics was the powder horn owned by Willard Buttrick, a member of Captain David Brown’s Concord Minute Company. I had read about the horn in a book published by the Town of Concord for the centennial celebration in 1875, although the printer had misspelled the name “William.” As a very important object from the fight that took place 100 years earlier, it was on display in the dinner tent for event visitors, the most distinguished being President Ulysses S. Grant. In more recent times, other objects listed in the commemorative book bore recorded locations in various historical societies and museums across the county. The Willard Buttrick horn was nowhere to be found. Last summer I received an email from a ranger at Minute […]
Wedgwood is ripe for collecting with examples manufactured in a variety of bodies, colors and subject matter over 260 years of production. To the novice, Wedgwood is often light blue jasper or perhaps a familiar dinner service from childhood. What they might not realize is the breadth of production or the fact that Wedgwood collectors span the globe. Follow these pointers to learn how to identify Wedgwood and what to look for in this collecting area. 1. Quality: Look for especially high relief with good undercutting and fine details. This factor is a crucial indicator. Use the pointers below to hone your knowledge and your eye. 2. Marks: 18th-century marks include an all lower case mark, a Wedgwood & Bentley mark, and an upper-lower case mark. 19th-century marks were pretty standard variations of all upper-case lettering, the second half of the century including a three letter date code in many cases. […]
A recent Instagram post of vintage wristwatches elicited a great response “goes to show you that a watch doesn’t have to have cost six figures to look like six figures. Love it.” Collecting of any kind is fueled by a passion for design, quality, history, or by some unquantified pulse, and mechanical watches have a beauty, history, and utility that their owners can relate to on many different levels. To start collecting, focus on what speaks to you, what you appreciate visually, mechanically, or for the history that these pieces offer. I strongly suggest doing your research, investigating, learning the signs of authenticity, and speaking with other watch enthusiasts about the ins and outs of each model and maker—for example, Omega Speedmaster reference 2915s—there were three versions, but the differences between them could break the bank! When tracking sales and researching online purchases, remember that what may seem an easy prize is often just the […]
