International

Italian liqueur tempts buyer to pay highest price at dedicated sale

The highlight of the sale held by Clarke (25% buyer’s premium) on February 6 proved, as expected, to be Fernand Leger’s (1881-1955) gouache Les Loisirs.

This splendid example of the illustrative work of Edmund Dulac, a watercolour, gouache and ink drawing on paper, is his original artwork for one of the 28 plates he produced for a 1911, Hodder & Stoughton edition of Stories from Hans Andersen.

Another 425 lots of rare and vintage posters will also be up for sale in New York this month at Poster Auction International on March 20.

Skinner is holding two sales of Asian works of art in Marlborough, Massachusetts, this month: online from March 14-24 and live on March 23.

Christie’s Jewels has appointed Eleanor Walper as associate vice president and specialist at Christie’s in Los Angeles.

Sometimes it pays to look a little further afield.

A collection of Chinese snuff bottles offered in two sessions stands out among an intriguing selection of Asia Week New York auctions and dealer shows.

A four-day US sale of comics and comic art produced some extraordinary results – with 4900 would-be buyers registered and every one of the 1333 lots sold to bring a premium-inclusive total of $23.76m (£17.34m).

The latest Covid restrictions to be eased make a buying trip across the Channel more realistic

Some 26 galleries will be participating in the dealers’ section of Asia Week New York either in person at a variety of city galleries or online.

An imposing silver gilt jug and basin by a master goldsmith of the Empire period is one of the highlights of Osenat’s L’Empire à Fontainebleau auction.

Christie’s and Sotheby’s have both announced sales from collections of famous fashion designers to be held this year.

Michael Wajszczuk has joined Heritage’s Beverly Hills office as a consignment director in the auction house’s timepieces category.

You can always find stylish pieces at 20th century design sales held by Italian auction houses. Here are some highlights from recent sales at Wannenes in Genoa on December 15-16 and Colasanti in Rome on October 7-8.

Two letters in the hand of Benjamin Franklin, dating from 1782 and 1784 and both relating to the terms of the peace agreement between the newly independent USA and Britain that were being worked out during negotiations in Paris, provided the highest bids at Bonhams New York (27.5/25/20/14.5% buyer’s premium) on December 15.

Very much the highest price in the sale of American Works of Art held by Skinner (25/20/12 % buyer’s premium) in Marlborough, Massachusetts, on January 28 was this bronze figure of Abraham Lincoln.