JACK OF THE DUST: Exclusive Interview with Andy Firth – Part 3 | The WayHigh-End Art and Celebrity Collaborations: Exclusive Interview with Renowned Curator Jean-David Malat | Part 1Prices on Old Rotary Phones are Up 500%Rothko’s Most Expensive Painting “No. 6 (Violet, Green and Red)” Sold Again!
Maurice Leloir’s Four Historical Scenes Sell for €128,600 at BonhamsJacob Jordaens’s Portrait of His Wife Sells for €154,200 at BonhamsRenaissance Portrait Attributed to Conrad Faber Sells for €295,000 at BonhamsJodi the Nanotyrannus Sells for US$47.3 Million at Sotheby’sQianlong Emperor’s Jewel-Encrusted Gold Ewer Sells for US$7.11 Million at Christie’sHockney’s €282,200 Print Leads Warhol and Banksy in €1.06 Million Bonhams SaleMV Agusta Sells for $1.3 Million, Setting an Italian Motorcycle Auction RecordEnigma Machine Sells for £203,600 at Bonhams: Inside the 1941 Cipher DeviceUzo Egonu’s Will Knowledge Safeguard Freedom I Sets Auction Record at £198,900Yusuf Grillo’s One Man Band Sets Artist Auction Record at £461,300Ben Enwonwu’s Anyanwu Sells for £602,100, Setting a Sculpture Record at BonhamsRare 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 Bonhams

Ancient Art

Eliana P. Gómez: Unveiling Hidden Histories in Art and Sacred Relics

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Face detail of the Holy Shroud rendered in blue, turquoise and yellow, with pale markings.

Through meticulous research and a multidisciplinary approach, Eliana P. Gómez examines hidden details in Leonardo da Vinci’s works and the Holy Shroud of Christ. Her studies reveal subtle inscriptions, historical connections, and symbolic elements that offer new perspectives on some of history’s most iconic artifacts. This exploration invites readers to consider how art, history, and scholarship converge to uncover long-overlooked traces of the past.

Oldest Ten Commandments Tablet Shatters Auction Records, Selling for $5 Million at Sotheby’s

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Two gloved handlers holding an inscribed Ten Commandments stone tablet upright.

In a stunning moment for history and collectors alike, the oldest inscribed tablet of the Ten Commandments has achieved an extraordinary $5 million price tag at Sotheby’s New York, far exceeding its pre-auction estimate of $1-2 million. The artifact, a singular treasure from the Late Roman-Byzantine era (ca. 300-800 CE), is believed to be the only complete stone inscription of the commandments surviving from antiquity.

Discovering The Shigir Idol: A 10,000 BC Artifact

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The Shigir Idol.

Imagine for a moment, that you are a miner in Siberia at the end of the nineteenth century, slogging with your colleagues through the moss-laden, muck-infused waters of the mire in search of gold, only to stumble upon something far more rare. This is precisely what occurred in 1890, within the Sverdlovsk region of Russia’s Ural Mountains, when a team of laborers who were busy excavating a peat bog inadvertently discovered a strange and ornate wooden figure featuring an eerie human face. Resting at an approximate depth of four meters beneath the surface of the acidic, oxygen-low, and therefore anti-bacterial conditions of the bog that had preserved it, the mysterious object that would come to be known as the “Shigir Idol” (named after the Shigir bog it was found within) was discovered in a series of 10 fragments.

The Healing Power of Art: Bridging Mysticism, Science, and Real-Life

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Colorful illustration of three figures in pale dresses among trees and flowers beneath bright yellow rays of light.

In the intricate tapestry woven between art, mysticism, and science, real-life narratives surface as powerful testaments to the profound influence of creativity on human well-being. These narratives, deeply rooted in authentic experiences, serve as beacons illuminating the transformative potency of art. They broaden our comprehension of its capacity to heal and enrich lives. This intersection of art, mysticism, and science unveils a compelling discourse on the intricate nuances of human existence, showcasing the remarkable ability of creativity to nurture the soul and mend the body.

Top 10 Micromosaics Through the Ages

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Detail of the Mosaic of the Deities, with mythological figures in geometric medallions.

Micromosaics were first made in Mesopotamia some six thousand years ago. In the late 18th century this long surviving technique became a decorative art and was often used in jewellery.

It has a large presence in Switzerland and GemGenève is on a mission to make it fashionable again. Which is why this autumn they dedicated an entire exhibition space to the Magnificent Art of Micromosaics!

From Switzerland to Italy, from Villa Boscéaz to the Gilbert Collection at the V&A Museum, from the Doves of Pliny to the The Dream of Karpa Koï bracelet by Maurizio Fioravanti, the exhibition “Micromosaics Through The Ages” offers visitors an overview of this lost art and expertise through unpretentious scenography.

The Most Expensive Sword in the World – $100 Million Samurai Tachi

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Close-up of a tachi hilt and guard with the graphic text “The most expensive sword in the world” and “$100,000,000”.

This Tachi sword belonged to one of the most famous warlords in Japanese history – the great Fukushima Masanori (1561–1624).

He is known as one of the Seven Spears of Shizugatake for his actions in the Battle of Shizugatake, where he had the honor of first blood.

Throughout his life, he fought in many campaigns, including the Battle of Ch’ungju during the Japanese Invasion of Korea in 1592.

The sword is currently in the Tamoikin Art Fund and is considered to be one of their most valuable assets. It has been appraised at over $105 million and was featured in the prestigious Forbes 400.

The Bones of the Earth

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Close view of sculpted female figures supporting a stone porch at the Acropolis of Athens.

Stone is demanding in its application to art and architecture, requiring great effort and discipline to procure, move, and fashion. It is a subtractive process, where any mistake can prove fatal to the intended product, requiring meticulous care and attention to detail. The inherent properties of stone are that it is insulative, with generally low heat conductivity, and durable, with high compressive strength. As with all things in life, while it retains varying degrees of vulnerability to weathering and deterioration, stone is generally considered to be one of the most resistant materials in existence. These properties lend themselves to a compelling philosophical argument, that those who wish to live a life or build a world of enduring strength and beauty, should not only employ the use of stone in their craft, but model themselves after it as well.