BOSTON, MA – November 18, 2018 – An attic discovery of the rare 1845 first edition of Poe’s Tales (Lot 224, Estimate: $60,000-80,000) in paper wrappers surpassed all expectations to sell for $315,000 after fierce competition from internet and telephone bidders. Based on the context of the discovery of this copy of Poe’s Tales, the original owner presumably bought this and other similar contemporaneous books to be read for amusement in the 1840s. Once read, the Poe and its companions were bundled and stored away in a trunk in the attic until they were found during an in-home auction evaluation by Skinner specialists. In the rare book trade, it was thought that all copies of Poe’s Tales in wrappers were known. Department director, Devon Eastland notes that the annual November Fine Books & Manuscripts Auction is timed to coincide with the long-running Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair, a venue that guarantees that serious American and […]
BOSTON, MA – November 26, 2018 – Skinner presents its final Important Jewelry Auction of 2018 on December 4th in Boston. The auction will feature over 300 lots of diamonds, colored stones, and antique and period jewelry. The Edith Weber Jewelry Collection We are excited to offer the collection of Edith Weber Antique Jewelry. Founded in 1960 by Edith Weber, the firm quickly became one of the leading antique jewelry dealers in the United States. Her son Barry and his wife Sonja Diamond-Weber joined the company in 1975. Barry Weber appeared on fifteen seasons of the Antiques Roadshow and was a specialist in historical jewelry. He taught antique jewelry appraisal classes at several colleges and universities, pioneering a series of hands-on seminars educating on the intricacies of the identification and evaluation of antique jewelry to novices and seasoned industry professionals. Jewelry from Edith Weber was worn on the red carpets of […]
MARLBOROUGH, MA – November 26, 2018 – Skinner’s upcoming auction features the second part of the renowned Ronnie Newman Collection of Early Oriental Rugs. Also offered will be over 150 rugs of widely varied ages, sizes and origins consigned by other collectors. Pieces from the Newman collection were the highlights of Skinner’s October Fine Oriental Rugs & Carpets auction, where rare 17th and 18th century rugs and mats attracted vigorous bidding, and achieved excellent results. Collectors and connoisseurs will again have, in this auction, a not-to-be-missed opportunity to acquire the best of the best. Newman’s pieces are notable for their beauty, rarity, and status as works of art. In five decades of deeply informed collecting, he focused on four broad collecting areas: early Chinese rugs, primarily made in western China for use in Tibetan monasteries; flatweaves and embroideries from northwestern Persia; early Turkoman carpets and other textiles; and early Anatolian rugs […]
Join us for First Tuesday in Marlborough Tuesday, December 4 | 1:30PM – 4PM Specialists Robin S.R. Starr, Suhyung Kim, Jonathan Dowling & Christopher Fox will be on hand to evaluate items and accept consignments for upcoming auctions. Experts Available in December: 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. Suhyung Kim – Specialist of Asian Works of Art will be seeking Ceramics, metalware, paintings, prints, furniture and more from China, Japan, and Southeast Asia for the upcoming live auctions. Suhyung’s expertise is particularly focused in the areas of Korean art, Japanese prints, and Asian ceramics. Jonathan […]
Boston, MA – November 2, 2018 – Skinner is pleased to announce the November 18 auction of Fine Books & Manuscripts to be held at the Skinner Boston Gallery at 11AM. Featuring 350 lots, this rare book auction offers fresh finds from several important New England estates including printed books, documents, natural history prints and maps. An attic discovery of the rare 1845 first edition of Poe’s Tales (Lot 224, Estimate: $60,000-80,000) in paper wrappers will be offered, along with a first edition of The Book of Mormon (Lot 264, Estimate: $45,000-55,000), and Benjamin Lincoln’s Oath of Allegiance witnessed and signed by George Washington (Lot 53, Estimate: $20,000-30,000). Americana collectors will have a chance to bid on the 1770 London edition of A Short Narrative of the Horrid Massacre in Boston (Lot 55, Estimate: $7,000-9,000), a copy of John Ogilby’s America from 1671 illustrated with maps (Lot 201, Estimate: […]
Important Jewelry Preview | New York City Join the Jewelry Department in New York City to preview highlights from the December 4 Important Jewelry Auction. Private preview times are available by appointment only. TUESDAY NOVEMBER 13 | WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 14 REQUEST APPOINTMENT Skinner New York 415 Madison Ave, #1418, NY, New York Questions? Contact us: jewelry@skinnerinc.com 617.874.4313
Before cable news and Instagram, Americans saw the top stories of the day, in politics and popular culture, through the colorful images of Currier and Ives. The lithographs of Currier and Ives are iconic representations of American life from 1850 to 1900. They are arguably the most popular, widely reproduced prints in history, continuing to appear on items from calendars and holiday greeting cards to dinnerware. Nathaniel Currier, an enterprising young printer in New York City, produced a lithograph of a raging fire in the New York Merchant’s Exchange in 1835. Thousands of copies were sold in just a few days, and Currier realized that dramatic illustrations of newsworthy events could be popular and profitable. He soon became an independent print publisher. James Merritt Ives, Currier’s bookkeeper and accountant, became his partner in 1857. They developed a business based on subject matter ranging from current events to political satire and […]
Whenever I have my hands really into staging a furniture and decorative arts auction in the Marlborough preview and auction rooms, I am always thrilled to find how effective hanging the artwork at the end of the process can be in tying the whole look of the room together. One day there are barren walls around some furniture, and the next day well balanced, inviting and richly decorated rooms emerge. That’s the reason why, when I moved into my freshman dorm room, one of the first things I did was go out and buy colorful posters for my walls. Every time I’ve settled into a new place, it doesn’t feel like mine until my walls are awash with color, pattern, and design. As the years have passed, my tastes have moved from posters to a variety of different prints, paintings, and photographs. Although I never considered myself a collector, I realized […]
John is a specialist in our Fine Jewelry department, nurturing a lifelong interest in jewelry with particular expertise in antique and period pieces. His love of antiques began in the flea markets, tag sales, and antique shops of his native Westchester County, New York, appreciating the beauty and simplicity of 18th century English silver. While studying at Boston University, John explored his interest in the auction world by joining Skinner’s Boston gallery team part-time in 2002 and the Jewelry Department in 2005. In 2013 John became an appraiser on the PBS series Antiques Roadshow. How did you get your start in the auction world? I really started loving antiques when my friend’s dad used to take us to tag sales to look for silver when we were in high school. He taught me what to look for, and how to haggle! It got me into looking for great finds, and […]
Are you looking at a work of art, but can’t decide whether you’re looking at an original painting or a reproduction? Don’t panic. To bust the vast majority of repros all you need to do is look closely. Ask yourself if there a reason the work looks suspicious? Maybe the colors look a little off, like an old Kodachrome slide or that faded poster that used to hang in your dorm room? Maybe the texture of the surface seems wrong; it looks like the paint is applied with heavy impasto (meaning thick, loose, brushstrokes) but the surface is flat as a pancake? Or the surface has texture but it seems pattern-like and doesn’t relate to the brushstrokes as defined by their colors? All of these observations should set off alarm bells. Now look even more closely. If, like me, you’re over 40 you may need a magnifying glass or a […]
Skinner thanks Frank Maresca, co-founder of the Ricco/Maresca Gallery in New York City for penning an introduction to the catalog for the Marvill Collection featured in the November 3 American Furniture & Decorative Arts auction. If I had to choose one word to describe Mickey and Jill Baten in their lifelong commitment to collecting art, it would be “fearless.” It is a word that not only implies the lack of fear but, more significantly, the presence of courage; a willingness to venture into the unknown with one’s own instinct and conviction as guides. The collection that the Batens built is without rival in the world: from museum-quality examples of the great American self-taught painters of the 19th century, to world-class 18th and early-19th century furniture, to the finest collection of anonymous/artist unknown sculpture that has ever been assembled. In 1976 I attended Folk Sculpture U.S.A. at the Brooklyn Museum. The […]
Join us for First Tuesday in Marlborough Tuesday, November 6 | 1:30PM – 4PM Specialists Robin S.R. Starr, Kaitlin Shinnick, & Christopher D. Fox will be on hand to evaluate items and accept consignments for upcoming auctions. Experts Available in November: 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. Kaitlin Shinnick – Senior Specialist of the Fine Jewelry department will be appraising Fine Jewelry, Antique Jewelry, Gemstones and watches. The Jewelry Department regularly holds four auctions yearly and are actively seeking consignments of Fine Jewelry. Whether antique or contemporary, Kaitlin is excited to have the opportunity to evaluate and […]
