Tag Archives: collecting

Katie Banser-Whittle examines “Dove” by Cleo Hartwig (American, 1907-1988). Photo by Bob Rozycki

“…Though we offer high-end auctions,” says Katie Banser-Whittle, regional director of Skinner Auctioneers & Appraisers, which has a new office in White Plains, “we also consider things in all price points that people don’t have an outlet for.”

Katie Banser-Whittle studies a piece of jewelry. Photo by Bob Rozycki

There’s a moment in “Downton Abbey” in which the Earl of Grantham explains to his reluctant heir, Matthew Crawley, that he sees himself not as the owner of the estate but its steward.… Read More

Subject and Symbolism

The symbols depicted on a textile can tell you quite specifically what the function was and who would have owned it. Chimes, twin fish, and double happiness characters are symbols for blessings in marriage, designating a marriage robe. At the same time, Imperial dragons were strictly only used on Imperial textiles until the later parts of the Qing dynasty. 

Manchu Wedding Robe, China, 19th century. Sold for $9,225 in September 2019.

… Read More

Tornek-Rayville TR-900 Dive Watch, serial number 0270

As a teenager in the 1980s, wristwatches, especially Swatches, were what got me and a lot of my friends into wearing timepieces. I recall owning Swatches, Seikos, and a few Victorinox “tool” watches. I remember receiving a small diameter, 34mm I think, white or ivory dial Seiko with simple stick hands and indices for my 8th-grade graduation. I loved it, but years passed and like many things it found its way to the back of a drawer (my dad found it back there—he wore it for decades, and my mother still wears it today, with an olive green leather Hirsch strap).… Read More

Building a wine collection from scratch can be a daunting undertaking, which is why Skinner is introducing ‘Starter Cellars,’ giving bidders the resources to build an impressive wine list from the ground up.

Starter cellars are designed to fit within your interests and your cellar and are curated to allow for exploration, education and growth. The collections vary in bottle size, regions and vintages, giving you the flexibility to decide what type of collection you would like to build and the advantage of having bottles already aged ready to open and others to lie down and appreciate in value and drinkability.… Read More

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.… Read More

Joel and Sharon Schwartz began collecting together just prior to their marriage. Having purchased a Georgian brick home in Newton, MA, they felt the need to fill it with wonderful objects that were both fun and consistent with the character of the house. A wicker cart with “more panache than utility” as Joel puts it, was their very first purchase. This cart can be found as Lot 1800, the first lot of their collection offered for in our current Discovery – Interiors online auction.… Read More

Richard Kenworthy, Former Professor of Architecture at Auburn University in Alabama and Asian Art expert discusses collecting with Melanie Mitcheson, Skinner’s Auction Coordinator.

What are the Asian countries represented in the current auction?

Primarily China and Japan. We do have a very unusual piece from India:  a dark wooden valuables chest with decorative straps around it—in the right space, it would be very dramatic (Lot 1520).… Read More

Across the Chasm of Foreignness: Art from the Russian and Soviet Empires in the West

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25  |  RECEPTION 5:30PM  |  LECTURE 6PM

RSVP ONLINE

Anna Winestein, a historian of Russian visual culture, will speak about the international reception of art and artists from the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union in the last 150 years. The lecture will be illustrated with select artworks from Skinner’s January 27 Fine Paintings and Sculpture auction, supplemented with images of artworks in American and European collections.… Read More

Funky, quirky, out of sight, wild! Such words are heard repeatedly as people come upon the eclectic Elaine Rush collection in Skinner’s Marlborough gallery as it awaits the online auction that will run from November 30 to December 16.

It’s tempting to call the furniture, accessories, architectural elements, found art and decorative pieces a “cool-ection,”, because cool is the word most often uttered by passers-by.

The auction is presented by the 20th Century Design Department, but like the collector herself, the collection defies boundaries.… Read More