US

Two pieces made for members of the famed Society of the Cincinnati led a single-owner sale of Chinese export porcelain were sold by Grogan and Company (30% buyer’s premium) in Boston.

With the blockbuster Margot Robbie-Ryan Gosling movie packing cinemas worldwide, this has been the summer of Barbie, and that also includes the toy-collecting world.

The phenomenon of rubbing a wet finger around the rim of a wine goblet to produce a note is as old as glassmaking.

Hindman will hold its first sales in New York with a series of single-owner auctions from October 18-26.

Based in Detroit, DuMouchelles (24% buyer’s premium) still receives the occasional consignment from families tied to the glory days of the US car industry.

This Roman marble torso, off the radar since 1948 but recently found in a private American collection, will be offered at the Potomack Company auction in Alexandria, Virginia, on October 4.

The sale of Vintage & Modern Magic at Potter & Potter (20% buyer’s premium) in Chicago on August 26 included this original theatre contract signed by Erik Weisz, the man better known as Harry Houdini (1874-1926).

A trove of material related to the Japanese Antarctic Expedition (JAE) of 1910-12 comes to market at Potter & Potter in Chicago on October 12.

Items from the Robert and Nancy Nooter collection of ethnographic art come for sale at Ararity Auctions in Lorton, Virginia, on October 1.

Next month Christie’s New York will present the final sales of the remarkable Ann and Gordon Getty collection.

The Americana & International sale at Pook & Pook in Downingtown, Pennsylvania, on October 5-6 includes a collection of art from a Delaware estate.

Edward and Marilyn Flower’s substantial and impressive collection blossomed partly thanks to help from a London dealer

An early 19th century pearlware figure was the surprise performer when 200 lots from the Flower collection were offered by Lion & Unicorn (25% buyer’s premium) in Florida, on August 27.

This wooden spoon worked with a recumbent fox is thought to have been carved by Paul Gauguin in Tahiti.

Hindman in Chicago will offer a complete copy of Edward S Curtis’ seminal work The North American Indian as part of an auction of Fine Books from the Dorros Family Collection on November 9.

Leading the Autumn’s Arrival Auction at Akiba Galleries (25/22/20% buyer’s premium) in Dania Beach, Florida, was this spectacular pair of French bronze and enamel vases of a type shown at the 1878 Paris Exposition Universelle.

Doyle New York (31% buyer’s premium) offered property from the estate of Donald D MacDermid and his landmark Greek Revival home in Chester, Connecticut.

Concept drawings by John Orfe (1922-2011), an American automotive and airline designer, came for sale in Virginia.

Estimated at $2000-3000, this Patek Philippe Calatrava Ref 1491 sold for $37,500 (£31,250) at Roland Auctions (25% buyer’s premium) .

Swann Auction Galleries’ (30% buyer’s premium) summer vintage poster sale in New York on August 3 received a significant boost from a single consignment.