Auction Block

Doyle New York Platinum and Diamond Ring Signed Gumbiner Estimate: $175,000 – $225,000 Auction Date: April 18 Doyle New York’s auction of Important Jewelry showcases jewelry by the world’s most prestigious makers, including Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, David Webb and Tiffany & Co., with offerings spanning the Antique, Victorian, Edwardian, Art Nouveau, Art Deco and Modern eras. This platinum and diamond ring, size 6, centers an emerald-cut diamond, flanked by two kite-shaped diamonds. Sotheby’s The Shirley Temple Blue Diamond Estimate: $25 million – $35 million Auction Date: April 19 Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels sale is led by the rare Shirley Temple Blue Diamond. Weighing 9.54 carats, the charming cushion-cut fancy blue diamond ring was originally purchased by the child star’s father, George Temple, in 1940 as the film “The Blue Bird” was completed. Christie’s Ruby Ring by Verdura Estimate: $12 million – $15 million Auction Date: April 20 Featured in the Magnificent Jewels & The Jubilee Ruby auction at Christie’s, the Jubilee Ruby — set in a distinctive gold and diamond mounting by the legendary firm Verdura — is the most important ruby of its caliber to be offered for sale at auction in the United States in more than 25 years. Until the middle of the 19th century, only the sovereign of Burma, or an individual deemed worthy by him, would have been allowed to possess such a magnificent gemstone. Bonhams Handwritten Sherlock Holmes Manuscript Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930) Estimate: $380,000 – $420,000 Auction Date: April 11 A handwritten draft by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle of his 1893 Sherlock Holmes mystery “The Case of the Greek Interpreter” is a highlight of the Fine Literature sale at Bonhams. The work is best known for the first appearance of Holmes’s older brother Mycroft. Other Sherlock Holmes material will be offered, notably a handwritten page from “The Hound of the Baskervilles,” probably the most famous Sherlock Holmes story. Freeman’s Embroidered Plan of the City of Washington, 1807 Susanna Wilkinson Atkinson (aged 14 years)?? Estimate: $15,000 – $25,000 Auction Date: April 19 This rare and charming bit of folkloric antiquity — worked with silk threads, watercolor and ink on a silk ground, the needles inserted below the inscription — was made after a plan of the city drawn by Pierre Charles L’Enfant and Andrew Ellicott. Part of Freeman’s auction of American Furniture, Decorative and Folk Art, the embroidery has remained in the family since it was made. It is only the fourth known Plan of the City of Washington embroidery.

Attention Presidential Partisans, Party Loyalists and Political Junkies: Preserve your campaign memorabilia. It too could become rare and valuable, someday making your descendants a fortune... Bonhams Bonhams Presents a Presidential Treasures Exhibition at the Decatur House Auction Date: March 25 Bonhams will host their Presidential Treasures exhibition at Decatur House (1610 H St NW) on Friday, March 25th, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., featuring highlights from the Caren Archive, including the first appearance of George Washington in print and the first printing of the Emancipation Proclamation. In addition, highlights from the collections of Kennedy administration staff members will be on display, including Mary Gallagher, Sue Vogelsinger, Preston Bruce and others who will be in attendance to share their recollections with guests. In this presidential election year, the exhibition is timed in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the publication of “Profiles in Courage,” John F. Kennedy’s seminal investigation of episodes of political bravery in the senate. Admission is free of charge. Bonhams.com Weschlers Thomas Jefferson Autographed Letter, Signed to Henry Dearborn Estimate: $10,000 - $15,000 Auction Date: March 18 Henry Dearborn was an American soldier and statesman who served in George Washington’s Continental Army and was present at the British surrender at Yorktown. In 1801, President Thomas Jefferson appointed Dearborn his secretary of war (which is how he addresses Dearborn in the letter), a position he held until 1809. During his tenure, Dearborn helped plan the removal of Indians beyond the Mississippi River. Weschlers.com Swann Auction Galleries “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself,” Frederick Douglass First edition copy, Published at the North Star Office, 1848 Estimate: $18,000 - $22,000 Auction Date: March 31 When Frederick Douglass's “Narrative” first appeared in 1845, he had already been lecturing for more than four years as the shining star of the New England abolitionists. It was an instant best-seller, going through 5,000 copies of the first printing in four months. It was the success of the book that alerted Douglass’s owner as to his whereabouts, which forced Douglass to leave the country for two years. In the fall of 1845, he set sail for Cork, Ireland, to begin a two-year lecture tour of Great Britain. Few original copies still exist of this text. Part of Swann’s auction of Printed and Manuscript African Americana. SwannGalleries.com Doyle New York United States Abraham Lincoln Indian Peace Medal, 1862 Estimate: $8,000 - $12,000 Auction Date: April 25 Silver Indian Peace Medals are some of the rarest and most sought-after items among American coin collectors. Issued during the presidencies of George Washington through Benjamin Harrison, the medals were presented to Native Americans with the intent of creating peaceful relationships, usually to mark an important occasion, such as the signing of a treaty. Fewer than 4,000 were ever produced, and today it is estimated that a mere 500 can be accounted for. This auction offers two of these rarities: an 1862 Abraham Lincoln medal and an 1871 Ulysses Grant medal. The sale also offers a wide selection of American and world coins, bank notes, medals and postage stamps. DoyleNewYork.com The Potomack Company “Mourning Picture of Columbia, Commemorating George and Martha Washington” Embroidered and painted silk work by Eliza Gould, early 19th century Auction Date: April 9 This stunning piece of Americana folk heritage is part of Potomack Company’s upcoming live auction. The female figure in the picture is Columbia, an iconic woman akin to the French Marianne who represents the historic pet name once given to the United States in reference to Christopher Columbus (hence The District of “Columbia”). She stands weeping beside a memorial plinth with painted likenesses of George and Martha Washington, within an oval embroidered frame surmounted by two urns, a weeping willow tree above, building and church in the background on a silk ground. PotomackCompany.com

Sotheby’s?? “À la Source,” 1982? Baltasar Lobo (1910–1993)? ?? Auction Date: December 7? Estimate: $60,000 – $80,000?? Sotheby’s Impressionist & Modern Art Sale will feature a broad array of pictures, works on paper and sculpture by artists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including this Carrara marble piece. Highlights include important works on canvas by Pierre Eugène Montézin and Jean Dufy, two exceptional sculptures by Lynn Chadwick and works on paper by Daumier and Lautrec. Bonhams Sapphire and Diamond Ring Tiffany & Co.?? Auction Date: December 8 Estimate: $400,000 – $600,000 This glowing, opalescent rare sapphire and diamond ring from Tiffany & Co. is part of Bonhams upcoming Fine Jewelry auction. The ring centers a cushion-cut sapphire, weighing approximately 8.05 carats, flanked by old European-cut diamonds, which continue to a plain mount. Weschler’s Serpentine Chest of Drawers, c. 1800–1805? Attributed to Nathan Lombard (1777–1847) Auction Date: December 4 Estimate: $30,000 – $50,000 A Federal inlaid cherry serpentine chest of drawers, attributed to Nathan Lombard, is one of the highlights of Weschler’s Capital Collections Estate Auction. The chest features trailing floral inlay along its leafage-carved concave quarter-columns, as well as Lombard’s distinctive cusp-and-spur feet and signature applied beaded strip along the back edge of the top. Doyle New York Platinum, Gold and Fancy Yellow Diamond Ring Auction Date: December 16 Estimate: $100,000 – $150,000 Part of Doyle New York’s upcoming Important Jewelry auction, this marvelous 18-karat ring centers one old European-cut fancy yellow diamond of approximately 8.02 carats in a ring signed Tiffany & Co. The diamond is not original to the mounting. Freeman’s “Two Old Men and a Dog: Checkers,” 1950? Norman Rockwell (1894–1978)? Auction Date: December 6 Estimate: $60,000 – $100,000 This iconic drawing by Norman Rockwell is one of four seasonal studies (also to be offered are “Spring,” “Summer” and “Fall”). Other lots in Freeman’s American Art and Pennsylvania Impressionists sale are stunning watercolors by Andrew Wyeth and paintings by Maxfield Parrish and Arthur Dove. ? Bringing the Hammer Down Final selling prices for last month’s featured Auction Block items Sotheby’s “Stabile with Mobile Element,”?1952 Lynn Chadwick (1914–2003) Auction Date: November 17–18 Estimate: $400,000 – $600,000 Final Selling Price: $749,000 Freeman’s Virginia Blanket Chest, 1798 Johannes Spitler (1774–1837) Auction Date: November 11 Estimate: $40,000 – $60,000 Final Selling Price: $56,250? Bonhams “Dorothy” Dress?Worn in “The Wizard of Oz”?? Auction Date: November 23?? Estimate: $800,000 – $1.2 million Final Selling Price: $1.56 million Doyle New York “Three Survivors,” 1964 Ibrahim Hussein (1936–2009) Auction Date: November 10 Estimate: $10,000 – $15,000 Final Selling Price: $62,500

Freeman’s “Huntsmen and Hounds, North Cornish Hunt,” 1954 Sir Alfred Munnings (1878–1959)? Estimate: $250,000 – $400,000 Auction Date: November 19 Sir Alfred Munnings is widely considered to have been the greatest equestrian artist of the 20th century. His work continues to have a devoted following. Munnings's love of the Cornish landscape stemmed from visits he had made between 1910 and 1914 to Newlyn, an area that at that time was home to a renowned artists colony. This painting is part of Freeman's Sporting Sale. Christie’s “Norman Rockwell Visits a Country Editor,” 1946 Norman Rockwell (1894–1978) Estimate: $10 million – $15 million Auction Date: November 19 The top lot of Christie’s American Art auction, this major, large-scale work belongs to an important series of works Norman Rockwell completed for the Saturday Evening Post at the height of his career. The painting is being sold by the National Press Club Journalism Institute with the approval of the National Press Club. The proceeds from the sale will benefit both nonprofit organizations. Bonhams “The Cove, Isles of Shoals,” 1901 Childe Hassam (1859–1935)? ??? Estimate: $400,000 – $600,000 Auction Date: November 18 This painting, offered as part of Bonhams’ American art sale, comes from a prime period of Hassam's work, when he painted on the Island of Appledore, the largest of the Isles of Shoals. It manifests, with direct fluent brushwork, the brilliant midday light, clear sky, calm water and scintillating array of blues, reds, yellows and greens that he encountered. About nine miles off the New Hampshire coast, the Isles of Shoals were a source of inspiration and refuge for Hassam between about 1880 and 1916. Doyle New York “I Been Rebuked and I Been Scorned,” 1954 Charles White (1918–1979) Estimate: $70,000 – $90,000 Auction Date: November 10 Named for a Negro spiritual, this charcoal and wash drawing was created nine years before the historic March on Washington in August of 1963, at which an estimated 250,000 people witnessed Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. deliver his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. At this same gathering, Mahalia Jackson sang “I've Been ’Buked and I've Been Scorned.” The work is part of Doyle New York's Post-War and Contemporary Art sale. Sotheby’s?? Pale Blue Faience Ushabti of Neferibresaneith,?570–526 B.C.?? Estimate: $60,000 – $90,000 Auction Date: December 8 Sotheby's will present an inaugural sale dedicated exclusively to Ancient Egyptian Sculpture and Works of Art. Highlights include a red granite portrait head of King Amenhotep III from the last ten years of his reign, two exceptional stone ushabtis and the piece featured here, 7.25 inches high, one of the best preserved faience ushabtis of Neferibresaneith. [gallery ids="102344,125561,125555,125544,125551" nav="thumbs"]

The historic results from Sotheby's Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale on Nov. 4 brought in the highest total for a single auction in the company's 270-year history: more than $422 million. Participants in the sales came from over 40 countries, with the highest number of winning bidders from the United States, Europe and Asia. However, the record owed a lot to the sale of three single works, by Giacometti, Modigliani and Van Gogh. [gallery ids="101942,135970,135966" nav="thumbs"]

Christie’s “Benefits Supervisor Resting” Lucian Freud (1922 – 2011) Auction Date: May 13 Estimate: $30 million – $50 million Final Selling Price: $56.2 million Sotheby’s San Ildefonso Polychrome Lidded Jar Tony Da (1940 – 2008) Auction Date: May 21 Estimate: $25,000 – $35,000 Final Selling Price: $68,750 Bonhams “...Emerging into an opening that appeared to have been formed partly by the ravages of the wind, and partly by those of fire” N. C. Wyeth (1882 – 1945) Auction Date: May 20 Estimate: $400,000 – $600,000 Final Selling Price: $1,325,000 Freeman’s Napoleon III Twin-Handled Urn Auction Date: May 19 Estimate: $30,000 – $50,000 Final Selling Price: $131,000

The Potomack Company “Indian Capturing an Eagle, No 5” John Joseph Boyle (1852 – 1917) Estimate: $15,000 – $25,000 Auction Date: June 13 “Indian Capturing an Eagle, No. 5,” by renowned American artist John Joseph Boyle, depicts a young Native American man kneeling over an eagle and plucking a feather pensively from his catch. The sculpture was cast by New York's Roman Bronze Works and presented in 1908 as a gift from Boyle to his friend, the industrial artist and art educator Leslie W. Miller Freeman's Laurence Stephen Lowry (1887-1976) "Peel Park, Salford" Estimate: $250,000-$350,000 Auction Date: June 16 Lowry's paintings, featuring factories and textile mills in northern England populated by his iconic "matchstick" men and women, are by no means as naive or simplistic as they appear on first look. The throngs that haunt the canvases were, according to the artist, "part of a private beauty that haunted (me)." Peel Park, Salford, was one of his best-loved subjects. This work will be offered as part of the European Art & Old Master auction. Christie’s Grand and Petite Sonnerie Desk Clock, c. 1925 Cartier, Paris Estimate: $30,000 – $50,000 Auction Date: June 17 The dial and case of the clock are signed Cartier, Paris, and the movement and case are numbered. Part of Christie’s Auction of Important Watches, this superb piece has several exquisite features, including a white enamel dial, Roman numerals, an outer minute track with Arabic five-minute divisions, diamond-set hands, and a green guilloché case with white enamel border, the top with diamond-set initials. Sotheby’s Singing Bird Scent Flask, c. 1790 Estimate: $800,000 – $1,200,000 Auction Date: June 11 Unseen for generations, many of the timepieces in the Swiss Mechanical Marvels collection were created by preeminent artists of the late 18th and early 19th century, such as Jacquet-Droz and Piguet & Meylan. The highlight of the collection is the Singing Bird Scent Flask, a gold-enameled, pearl-and-gem-set piece, made specifically for the Chinese market. Music plays from the bird through a miniature six-pipe organ. The bird’s beak moves realistically, the body swivels and the tail goes up and down Doyle New York Gold and White Enamel Bangle Bracelet Tiffany & Co., Schlumberger, France Estimate: $8,000 – $12,000 Auction Date: June 11 This 18-kt. gold bracelet, signed Tiffany & Co., is part of Doyle New York’s Auction of Fine Jewelry. Including over 650 lots with more moderate estimates than in the Important Jewelry sales, the showcase includes glittering creations set with diamonds, colored stones and pearls, as well as gold, jewelry, fine watches and gentlemen’s accessories. Among the selection of fine watches for ladies and gentlemen are examples by Patek Philippe, Rolex, Boucheron, Graff, Cartier, Bulgari, Piaget, Blancpain and Tiffany & Co. Christie’s Diamond Rivière Necklace Estimate: $ 1.4 million – $1.8 million Auction Date: June 22 Part of Bonham New York’s Fine Jewelry Sale, this spectacular rivière comprises a graduated line of 51 round brilliant-cut diamonds weighing more than 70 carats, joined by a heart-shaped clasp weighing 2.04 carats and mounted in platinum. Each of the round diamonds in the necklace have ‘excellent’ grades from the Gemological Institute of America for polish, symmetry and cut — known in the industry as ‘Triple X’ (needless to say, this is extremely rare).

Sotheby’s San Ildefonso Polychrome Lidded Jar, New Mexico Tony Da (1940-2008) Estimate: $25,000 – $35,000 Auction Date: May 21 Sotheby’s sale of American Indian Art is distinguished by the Charles and Sharon Aberle Collection, which features early and exceptionally fine Navajo blankets. The sale also includes diverse works of Native art from the Great Lakes to the Northwest Coast, comprising basketry, pottery, carvings and jewelry. Freeman’s Monumental Napoleon III Bronze Twin-Handled Urn Estimate: $30,000 – $50,000 Auction Date: May 19 Mounted on a rouge griotte marble pedestal, this urn is offered as part of Freeman’s upcoming sale of English & Continental Furniture and Decorative Arts. The sale will feature rare works of 18th-century porcelain by Chelsea and Worcester, speaking to a period of production that was guided by a fascination with natural forms, driven by advances both in botany and in taste. Bonhams “...Emerging into an opening that appeared to have been formed partly by the ravages of the wind, and partly by those of fire,” 1925 Oil on canvas N. C. Wyeth (American, 1882-1945) Estimate: $400,000 – $600,000 Auction Date: May 20 The father of Andrew Wyeth, Newell Convers Wyeth was one of the great American illustrators. His “Treasure Island” illustrations are widely considered to be among the greatest of all time. During his lifetime, Wyeth created over 3,000 paintings and illustrated 112 books. The present painting is an illustration from “The Deerslayer” by James Fenimore Cooper. Doyle New York Russian Silver Gilt and Cloisonné Enamel Coffee Pot Workmaster Fedor Ruckert, Moscow, c. 1896-1908 Estimate: $40,000 – $50,000 Auction Date: June 3 Enameled silver is one of Russia's greatest artistic legacies. The acknowledged master of this work was Fedor Ruckert (1840-1917), a silversmith of German origin working in Moscow in the final years of Romanov rule. This exquisite piece is part of Doyle New York’s auction of 19th- and 20th-century fine and decorative arts, reflecting the opulence of the Belle Époque. Christie’s “Benefits Supervisor Resting” Lucian Freud (1922-2011) Estimate: $30 million – $50 million Auction Date: May 13 As part of Christie’s Post-War and Contemporary Evening Sale, this landmark painting by Lucian Freud will go on sale alongside equally monumental works by Mark Rothko, Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Franz Kline, Hans Hoffman, Jeff Koons, David Smith, Roy Lichtenstein, Wayne Thiebaud, Francis Bacon and others. Bringing the Hammer Down Final selling prices for last month’s featured Auction Block items. Doyle New York Frida Kahlo Archive Auction Date: April 15 Estimate: $80,000 – $120,000?? Final Selling Price: $137,000? Christie's Napoleon III Japanese Imari Porcelain Torchères Auction Date: April 16 Estimate: $120,000 – $180,000 Final Selling Price: $149,000 Bonhams Fair Copy of Enola Gay Log Book Auction Date: April 29 Final Selling Price: $50,000 Sotheby's “Silent Seasons – Summer No. II” Will Barnet (1911-2012) Auction Date: April 23 Estimate: $60,000 – $90,000 Final Selling Price: $118,750 Freeman's Special Minguren I Coffee Table George Nakashima (1905-1990) Auction Date: April 22 Estimate: $30,000 – $50,000? Final Selling Price: $55,000

Sotheby’s Silent Seasons – Summer No. II Oil on Canvas Will Barnet (1911 – 2012) Estimate: $60,000 – $90,000 Auction Date: April 23 Sotheby’s April sale of American Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture includes a rich array of American artwork from the 19th and 20th centuries, including this iconic painting by Will Barnet, which exhibits the artist’s characteristic motifs of the human figure and animals in casual scenes of daily life, depicted in a state of dreamlike whimsy. Other highlights include Gifford Beal’s ‘Fish Houses, Winter Day,’ as well as works by George Inness, Jasper Francis Cropsey, and notable 20th century artists like Charles Burchfield and Norman Rockwell. christie's A massive pair of Napoleon III ormolu-mounted Japanese Imari Porcelain thirteen-light torchère Estimate: $120,000 - $180,000 Auction Date: April 16 Part of Christie’s auction, The Opulent Eye: 19th Century Funriture, Sculpture, Works of Art, Ceramics & Glass, each of these rather magnificent torch lamps is of bottle outline with a pair of profusely scrolled acanthus handles, issuing thirteen scrolled candle-branches on entwined dolphin support. A truly opulent sight. bonham's An Important Suite of Diamond and Ruby Jewelry Van Cleef & Arpels French, 1988 Estimate: $180,000 - $220,000 Auction Date: April 15 This diamond and ruby suite from the 1980's, part of Bonham’s Fine Jewelry sale, is a beautiful and romantic example of Van Cleef & Arpel's graceful designs set with superbly matched calibré set cut rubies and diamonds. This suite is a fine example of Van Cleef & Arpels interpretation of the unique time and fashion which characterized the 1980's with the image of wealth and success expressed in impressive jewels and dress. Freeman’s Special Minguren I Coffee Table Curly maple burl and walnut George Nakashima (1905 – 1990) Estimate: $30,000 – $50,000 Auction Date:April 22 The American Furniture, Folk & Decorative Arts sale at Freeman’s is a welcome treat for those interested in the unique history and style of American craft and design. From the 18th century to the 20th century, the selection ranges from a Chippendale walnut case clock ca. 1775, to 20th century master furniture makers like George Nakashima, whose renowned “natural wood” design is on full display with this beautiful coffee table. Other offerings include Oriental rugs and carpets, as well as rare coins. doyle new york Frida Kahlo Archive Estimate: $80,000 – $120,000 Auction Date: April 15 Doyle New York’s auction of Rare Books, Maps & Autographs is highlighted by an archive of unpublished love letters written by Mexican artist Frida Kahlo to Jose Bartoli.This group of letters is dated between August 1946—when Kahlo had just turned 39—and November 1949. Her letters were written while Kahlo was recuperating at home in Mexico City from a spinal fusion performed in June of 46. The archive comprising approximately 25 letters in Spanish from Kahlo to Bartoli.