Skinner

BOSTON, MA – September 25, 2018 – Skinner will present an auction of European Furniture & Decorative Arts featuring Fine Silver in its Boston Gallery on Saturday, October 13, 2018.  With over 600 lots on offer, the auction features an expansive selection of fine silver and ceramics as well as European furniture and decorative arts of the 18th through early 20th centuries. October features fresh to the market material from private collections from New England and the Mid-Atlantic States including Grand Tour sculpture from the collection of Frederic and Jean Sharf. Frederic Sharf (1934-2017) was a collector, businessman, historian, author, and philanthropist. A Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Honorary Trustee, and Millennial Benefactor, with his wife Jean, Sharf was instrumental in shaping the MFA’s collections of design drawings and jewelry, donating thousands of objects and helping make the museum an international leader in these fields. The Sharf collection includes numerous […]

    Join us for First Tuesday in Marlborough  Tuesday, October 2  | 1:30PM – 4PM Specialists Robin S.R. Starr, Jane Prentiss, & Michelle Lamunière will be on hand to evaluate items and accept consignments for upcoming auctions.  Experts Available in October: 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.     Jane Prentiss – Our director of the 20th Century Design department is seeking to round-out her next auction with examples from Tiffany Studios, signed Italian and Scandinavian design lamps, and furniture by George Nakashima, Hans Wegner, Sam Maloof, Philip and Kelvin Laverne and Judy McKie.  She is particularly interested in […]

BOSTON, MA – September 11, 2018 – Skinner is pleased to announce September 25th as the date for our second Important Jewelry auction of the year. Collectors and buyers who wait in anticipation of this event will be pleased with the breadth and content of this auction, featuring over 400 lots of diamonds, colored stones, and antique and period jewelry.  Art Deco Jewelry Our Important Jewelry auction features several exceptional examples of Art Deco design from the 1920s and 1930s. The cover of our catalog is an impressive and rare diamond strap bracelet by Cartier (Lot 66, Estimate $100,000-$125,000). We are also pleased to offer a late 1930s ruby and diamond bracelet, also by Cartier (Lot 106, Estimate $30,000-$50,000).    Artist Designed Jewelry Since its founding in 1980, the Skinner jewelry department has had a special interest in jewelry designed by artists. Leading our collection of artist-designed jewelry in this […]

 The Hot Bid’s Sheila Gibson Stoodley recently spoke with Skinner Director of Asian Works of Art, Judith Dowling about the record-setting Chinese Vase sold by Skinner.    What you see: A monumental Fencai Imperial vase dating to the Qianlong period. Skinner sold it in 2014 for $24.7 million– a record for any Chinese work of art sold in the Western world.   The expert: Judith Dowling, Director of Asian Works of Art at Skinner.   Can you tell us what we know about how the vase came to be? Why might it have been made? The theory and I say theory because in China there are no actual documents, comes from observation of a vase in the Palace Museum in Beijing called the “mother of porcelain.” The Qianlong Emperor wanted a compilation of accomplishments the Chinese had made up to that point in porcelain. By repute, the superintendent [of the Imperial porcelain […]

Join us in these New England cities for a complimentary auction evaluation of jewelry, silver, coins & currency, American & European works of art, sculpture, and musical instruments and the opportunity to consign property to upcoming Skinner auctions. New Haven, CT | September 12, 2018 Providence RI | October 10, 2018 Portland ME | November 14, 2018 Chatham MA | December 12, 2018  Appointments by reservation only. To make an appointment, please email info@skinnerinc.com, or phone 508-970-3000.   

An Evening of Art & Anecdotes with Joby Baker Wednesday, September 19, 5:30PM Skinner welcomes Joby Baker, the widower of Dory Previn who will discuss Dory’s art collection, music, and poetry as we tour the gallery and view her works. This event is held in conjunction with a preview of Skinner’s September 21st auction of American & European Works of Art. Skinner Boston Gallery 63 Park Plaza Boston MA, 02116 Reception: 5:30pm Talk: 6pm RSVP Contact Us: events@skinnerinc.com 508-970-3240

Skinner welcomes Phillip Thomas, founder and principal of Phillip Thomas Inc. for a collaboration on the catalog for the October 13th European Furniture & Decorative Arts auction. Phillip follows his guiding belief that the process of creating a home can and should be enjoyable for all involved. Since establishing his own firm in 2011, Thomas and his team have completed projects at many of the top buildings in New York City, and has worked with clients in Boston, MA, Newport, RI, and Southampton, NY as well as internationally.   When I visited Skinner to prepare vignettes for the upcoming auction, I think there were many from the Skinner team that were expecting to see a look of panic come across my face at the sight of so many items stacked high in the warehouse. My reaction, however, was quite the contrary. I was energized by all the possibilities and ready to […]

BOSTON, MA – September 25, 2018 – Skinner will present an auction of European Furniture & Decorative Arts featuring Fine Silver in its Boston Gallery on Saturday, October 13, 2018.  With over 600 lots on offer, the auction features an expansive selection of fine silver and ceramics as well as European furniture and decorative arts of the 18th through early 20th centuries. October features fresh to the market material from private collections from New England and the Mid-Atlantic States including Grand Tour sculpture from the collection of Frederic and Jean Sharf. Frederic Sharf (1934-2017) was a collector, businessman, historian, author, and philanthropist. A Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Honorary Trustee, and Millennial Benefactor, with his wife Jean, Sharf was instrumental in shaping the MFA’s collections of design drawings and jewelry, donating thousands of objects and helping make the museum an international leader in these fields. The Sharf collection includes numerous […]

    Join us for First Tuesday in Marlborough  Tuesday, October 2  | 1:30PM – 4PM Specialists Robin S.R. Starr, Jane Prentiss, & Michelle Lamunière will be on hand to evaluate items and accept consignments for upcoming auctions.  Experts Available in October: 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.     Jane Prentiss – Our director of the 20th Century Design department is seeking to round-out her next auction with examples from Tiffany Studios, signed Italian and Scandinavian design lamps, and furniture by George Nakashima, Hans Wegner, Sam Maloof, Philip and Kelvin Laverne and Judy McKie.  She is particularly interested in […]

An Evening with Phillip Thomas  Friday, October 12, 2018 Join us for an Evening with Phillip Thomas on October 12, for a Q&A on Incorporating Antiques: Through the Eye of an Interior Designer.  Skinner is excited to have had the opportunity to collaborate with interior designer Phillip Thomas—an ideal platform to showcase Phillip’s talent for seamlessly mixing an eclectic combination of antique objects, furniture, and works of art, all inspired by the property in this auction. Phillip artfully shows how to incorporate antiques in today’s interiors.  This event is held in conjunction with the European Furniture & Works of Art auction on Saturday, October 13. Reception: 5:30pm Talk: 6pm LET US KNOW THAT YOU WILL ATTEND   events@skinnerinc.com 508-970-3240

  Our colleagues at Bidsquare sat down with Skinner Fine Jewelry specialist, John Colasacco  There is a certain level of satisfaction that comes with wearing vintage and antique jewelry that just cannot be contested with present-day makes. For instance, clasping a Cartier bracelet around ones wrist that was forged for the likes of Hollywood stars such as Sofia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor and Audrey Hepburn conveys an air of tribute and elegance that demands prestige. Vintage and antique jewelry contains the histories and creative eyes of the times it was defining – adding a special dash of interest that just isn’t inherent in contemporary styles (yet). Familiarizing oneself on how to tell styles like Art Deco, Edwardian and Art Moderne apart, not only makes for a clever conversation starter, but it makes browsing through auction catalogs much more exciting. To get you started on the basics, we called upon John Colasacco, […]

Robin heads American & European Works of Art, one of Skinner’s most active and important specialty departments, conducting three major auctions annually and contributing artwork to other department sales. In this key role she oversees a staff of specialists who appraise and catalog prints, paintings, sculpture, photographs and works on paper for a wide variety of Skinner clients, including arts and cultural institutions, estates, major collectors, and private individuals. Outside of her role at Skinner, Starr is a major contributor to the success of Boston’s thriving arts and culture community. She conducts numerous benefit appraisal days, lectures, and benefit auctions throughout the year. She is also a familiar face on the 16-time Emmy® Award-nominee PBS program Antiques Roadshow. How did you get your start in the auction world?   After finishing my master’s degree I wanted to get a little work experience before moving on to my Ph.D.  Ultimately I was going to […]