With a new year underway, a handful of major auction houses are gearing up for sales across the country and abroad. Editor at Large has pulled a selection of these upcoming auctions, highlighting the offerings of Rago, Bonhams, Sotheby’s and Doyle New York. Read on for a look at what to expect—from a rare Deerfield chest of drawers to pieces from the private collection of famed makeup artist Pablo Manzoni.
Rago Unreserved Auction (Rago, Jan. 10 – 11, New Jersey)
Rago is set to host a 1,350-plus-lot “unreserved” auction on Saturday, Jan. 10 and Sunday, Jan. 11, starting at 10 a.m. The highest bid for each lot in an unreserved auction is the selling price, no matter what the estimated value, and everything must sell. On Saturday, bidders will see 580 lots of early-20th-century decorative arts and furnishings, with pottery by George Ohr, Grueby and Van Briggle; furnishings by Stickley and Limbert; Scandinavian furniture and decorative arts; and artwork by Chagall, Dali and Picasso. On Sunday, 574 lots of 20th-century contemporary and modern design and art will be sold, including furnishings by Evans, Le Corbusier and the Eameses and art by Joan Miro and Victor Vasarely, not to mention contemporary pottery, lighting, glass and rugs.
The Oak Interior (Bonhams, Jan. 21, London)
Bonhams’ The Oak Interior features late-16th-century to mid-17th-century furniture and art pieces hailing from Spain, England, Germany and more. The sale includes items from the private collection of Roger Rosewell FSA of Yelford Manor in Oxford. Highlights include a rare pair of James I carved and polychrome-decorated oak heraldic finials, an exceptionally large 17th-century reeded broad-rim pewter charger and an oak and marquetry inlaid tester bed. The sale begins at 11 a.m.
For its first sale of year, Sotheby’s has broken up its Americana sale into two parts—one taking place Jan. 23, the other on Jan. 25. Sotheby’s will first offer the Americana collection of Roy and Ruth Nutt. Mr. Nutt, a computer pioneer and one of the developers of the FORTRAN programing language, and his wife Ruth celebrated American history through their collection of furniture, folk art, paintings and Chinese-export silver, which will be offered on Jan. 23. After Mr. Nutt’s death, his wife continued purchasing, building the most important collection of early-American silver in private hands. Ranging from great masterpieces to rare regional items like school prizes and Masonic medals, almost half of the Silver offering is estimated at less than $5,000 per piece. The sale begins at 2 p.m.
Americana (Sotheby’s, Jan. 25, New York)
On Jan. 25, the Americana auction will feature a strong assortment of carpets, Audubon prints, Chinese-export porcelain, silver, furniture and folk art, much of which hails from private collections. The pieces will be on preview at Sotheby’s New York galleries from Jan. 17 t0 23, where bidders will have the chance to view a very rare Deerfield chest of drawers and more in advance. The sale begins at 10 a.m. on Jan. 25.
Doyle at Home (Doyle, Jan. 14, New York)
The popular Doyle at Home auction is back for its first edition of the year, featuring furniture, lighting, art, tabletop items and more. Each edition of Doyle at Home attracts thousands of savvy buyers, from interior designers and architects to magazine editors. Highlights include a pair of glass-top gilt-metal faux bamboo form side tables, a William IV mahogany dining table and a Russian Neoclassical style silk upholstered silver wood bench. The sale begins at 10 a.m.
Important Continental Furniture and Decorations (Doyle, Jan. 28, New York)
Encompassing the 17th- through early-19th-centuries, this auction presents a broad selection of important English and Continental furniture, decorations, porcelain, Georgian silver, sculpture, clocks, chandeliers, sconces, tapestries and rugs. The section of the auction devoted to Old Master paintings and drawings offers landscapes, still lifes, portraits and religious subjects by European artists from the Renaissance to the 19th century. In addition, the sale features pieces from the private collection of makeup artist Pablo Manzoni. During an extraordinary career spanning over more than years, he worked with many of the world’s best-dressed women, including the Duchess of Windsor, Maria Callas, Babe Paley and Jackie Onassis. The sale begins at 10 a.m.
