1904 NAPIER SAMSON L48: The First Car to Break 100MPH in America Goes to AuctionHow NFTs Benefit The Art Market?From Badong to Chongming: Multi-Site Ethnography as Method and the Making of Sonic and Visual Tapestries — A Review of Pepper Indulging (Neo Gao)The Healing Power of Art: Bridging Mysticism, Science, and Real-Life
Rare Gandhi Portrait Achieves £152,800, Tripling Its EstimateBanksy’s British Cool Mickey Snake Triumphs at Bonhams, Selling for £330,600Whistler’s First Portrait Commission Sells for Five Times Estimate, Fetching $495,000Bridget Riley Stuns Art World as Myrrh Soars to $2.36M at BonhamsReception in the Harem: Discovered Masterpiece by John Frederick Lewis Shatters Expectations, Selling for Almost $1.5 MillionRare Qianlong 'Dragon' Vase Stuns at Auction, Sells for $3.7 Million—Over Six Times Its EstimateRenowned Vietnamese Artist Nguyen Gia Tri’s War Painting Fetches Over $500,000 at BonhamsLegendary Stradivarius Violin Fetches $11 Million at Sotheby’s, Falling Short of World RecordBoston Red Sox Memorabilia Hits It Out of the Park as Lucchino’s Baseball Collection Brings in $740KA Love Letter to India: Sayed Haider Raza’s La Terre Sells for Record-Breaking $4.2 MillionRare Chinese 'Dragon' Vase Fetches Over €1.1 Million in ParisEarly Van Gogh Sketch Sells for Over $1.48 Million at Bonhams London AuctionSurreal Nudes: Paul Delvaux’s Masterpiece L’Orage Sells for $1.6 MillionOldest Ten Commandments Tablet Shatters Auction Records, Selling for $5 Million at Sotheby’sStunning Discovery: Van Dyck’s Only Surviving Landscape Found and Sold for Over $4 Million

Europe

Art, antiques, exhibitions, and collecting news from across Europe.

Bottega d’Arte Toscana – Ancient Italian Gold Art Techniques in the 21st Century | Exclusive Interview with Silvia Salvadori

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Silvia Salvadori is an award-winning Italian painter who specializes in contemporary iconography as well as Gothic and Medieval art styles. She is one of the few artist in Italy that uses ancient pictorial techniques that were handed down directly from Cennino Cennini himself.

Now, from her studio “Bottega d’Arte Toscana” in Arezzo, Tuscany, Silvia creates incredible historical reproductions as well as stunning original works of fine modern art, often merging the past and the present techniques in spectacular ways. Real 24 karat gold, which has become her artistic signature, is ever-present on most of Silvia’s paintings which are in high demand in Europe and all over the world.

PIGUET HISTORICAL AUCTION: The World Swiss Foundation & The Minkoff Collection | Total $3-4 Million

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PIGUET HISTORICAL AUCTION – Total Estimate: 3-4 Million CHF

The World Swiss Foundation – over 500 lots.

The Minkoff Collection – over 300 lots.

Rare oil painting by Ferdinand Hodler.

Bronze by Rembrandt Bugatti from Alain Delon’s collection.

Many exceptional historical treasures are listed at auction for the First Time!

20 – 21 September, 2022 | Geneva, Switzerland

Igor Carl Fabergé Foundation to Celebrate 40th Anniversary

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Nephrite Egg I.C. Faberge Foundation

The Foundation of Igor Carl Fabergé, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, aims to raise awareness of the work and life of Carl Fabergé during his time as a jeweler at the Imperial Court in St. Petersburg, Russia.

It brings together many books, publications, memorabilia, and other historic objects relating to his professional artistic activity.

The same aim also extends to his grandson, Igor Carl Fabergé and his personal works of jewellery art.

The committee has decided to celebrate Foundation’s 40th anniversary as well as the date of passing of Igor Carl Fabergé by bringing together collectors and enthusiasts from all over the world to their headquarters, where a unique exhibition will be held.

GemGenève is Back in November … with Fabergé!

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GemGenève

GENEVA, 23 AUGUST 2022 – It’s official! By popular demand from its exhibitors, GemGenève is holding a second, exceptional edition again this year in Geneva. “We had initially planned to hold only one edition, in May 2022. Following calls from our exhibitors, we´ve decided to organize a second edition in autumn 2022 in Geneva, but this shouldn’t become standard practice in the future”, emphasizes Ronny Totah.

The 5th meeting of gemology and jewellery professionals and enthusiasts will therefore open its doors from Thursday, 3rd November to Sunday, 6th November in Palexpo, this time in Hall 6. It will coincide once again with the major autumnal auction sales of the Geneva Luxury Week.

The Great Spadolini – Dance, Art & Espionage

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The Spy with License to Dance … and Paint!

This isn’t a fictional book by Ian Fleming, nor an imaginary film about the world’s most famous secret agent.

The “James Bond” we’re talking about here is Italian, and his name is Alberto Spadolini (1907 – 1972).

He was sexy and daring like 007, surrounded by fascinating women and celebrities of the international jet set, continually moving between different milieux – showbiz, politics, sophisticated circles, and war scenarios.

The only difference is – he was real.

Figurative Painting Will Never Die!

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Boglarka NAGY International Biennale Danube Contemporary 22 3

Artist Talk with Boglarka Nagy at the International Biennale for Contemporary Art from Central Europe.

The young painter Boglarka Nagy is representing the new generation of painters, who are concentrated on figurative art.

In July she visited the Transylvanian artist village Cisnadioara near Sibiu, where she is representing Hungary at the International Biennale “Danube Contemporary 22 – Shapes and Personality”.

In discussion with an audience of art connoisseurs from France, England, Greece, Switzerland, Germany and Romania, Nagy described her work as a permanent strive for excellence.

SaiakuNana and Ignatius Rake declare ‘Punk Rock Forever’

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Celebrated Japanese artist SaiakuNana, who has exhibited her work in Tokyo, London and New York, has joined forces with award-winning Cornish animator and filmmaker Ignatius Rake to produce a music video that documents her must-see gallery in London’s East End before it closes this coming July 17.

“I became a fan of SaiakuNana’s work the moment I saw it at the Watari-um gallery in Tokyo,” Rake says.

“I was immediately struck by the power and vibrancy of her paintings, which combine the kawaii aesthetic of modern Japanese popular culture with the raw energy of punk rock and abstract expressionism.”

In 2018, SaiakuNana won the Grand Prize at the 21st Taro Okamoto Award for Contemporary Art, the Japanese equivalent of the UK’s Turner Prize.

PIGUET GREAT AUCTION: From Fine Art & Jewellery to Ferrari Memorabilia and more! Total $5 – 7.5 Million

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PRESS RELEASE – Geneva, 4 June, 2022

PIGUET is pleased to organize a Great Auction of:

Fine jewellery in aid of supporting young designers

Botero, Degas, Giacometti, Picabia celebrating the female figure

The incredible Charles-Edouard Duflon collection reflecting his unusual character

First Ferrari Memorabilia sale

The Château Le Rosey library of rare books and much more!

DESIGNER VIVARIUM at GEMGENÈVE 2022 – Showcasing Innovative International Jewelers

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As always, Vivienne, aided and abetted by Ida Faerber, has scoured the globe for independent, under-the-radar designers, each with a strong concept, a well-defined design direction, individualistic point of view and sophistication of craftsmanship and use of materials.  She explains too that as a historian she particularly appreciates designs that acknowledge and respect the long and rich history of the jewel, its rituals and traditions, while at the same time challenging perceptions of the role and meaning of the jewel. The styles represented in the 2022 Designer Vivarium, as always, are all very different from each other, showing the breadth, depth and versatility of expression in today’s world of contemporary jewellery.

Prices on Old Rotary Phones are Up 500%

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MARKET ALERT | Vintage rotary phones have been steadily rising in value and liquidity, becoming almost as good as gold.

Rare models sell between $200-2000 regularly. Even most basic rotary phones are in high demand.

Well-known home decorators are getting in the game and scooping up vintage phones from the market in bulk!

Further fuel into the fire is thrown by the limited (and constantly decreasing) supply.