US

Included in Morphy Auctions’ fine and decorative arts sale to be held in Denver, Pennsylvania, on July 14-15 is a selection of scent bottles made by the Stourbridge firm of Thomas Webb.

This blue and white enamelled musical box is be offered in a sale on June 27 at Oakridge Auction Gallery in Ashburn, Virginia.

A portrait of a famous couturier offered by a descendant and Old Master drawings from a single-owner estate collection were stand-out features at Doyle's (25/20/12.5%) latest art sale.

The highlight of Morphy Auctions’ (23% buyer’s premium) sale of historical militaria from the independence struggle and War of 1812 era was a rare and extensively provenanced presentation pipe tomahawk.

The summer fine art antiques and jewellery auction to be held by Case Antiques in Knoxville, Tennessee, on July 11-12 will include this George III silver epergne by Thomas Pitts I.

This 19th century, c.1860, gilt bronze and cut-glass comport will feature in Roland Auctions’ June 27 Estates sale at Glen Cove, New York.

This Danish silver, amber and agate brooch from c.1915 by Georg Jensen will feature in the art and design sale to be held by Freeman’s of Philadelphia on June 26.

The move towards online auctions during the lockdown has not led to the disappearance of intense bidding battles, as witnessed with a number of works at the Daniel Katz auction (see main report) and earlier at the Rafael Valls sale (see ATG No 2440).

US auction house Skinner (25/20/12% buyer’s premium) reported record levels of participation at its latest American & European Works of Art sale.

Thomaston Place Auction Galleries in Maine will be holding a two-day weekend auction of more than 1000 lots on July 18-19.

Dating from c.1908, a “notebook of secrets from Harry Houdini’s collection” was one of the more successful lots in a very successful magic auction held by Potter & Potter (20% buyer’s premium) with 98% of lots sold and total of around $500,000.

Document signed by the great scientist reveals an investment skill not to the same standard.

Originally scheduled for the end of March, an ‘African Americana’ sale planned by Swann Galleries (25/20/12% buyer’s premium) was postponed until May 7, when it was successfully sold online with almost 90% of the 400 lots finding buyers.

The market for vintage mechanical wristwatches, which began in earnest in Europe in the 1990s, is not yet fully 30 years old but is maturing rapidly.

A sizeable collection of 18th and 19th century New York views, maps and maritime prints belonging to the Down Town Association, an historic private club located in Manhattan’s financial district, was the focus of a sale held by Arader Galleries (20% buyer’s premium).

An elaborate late-19th century engraved rock crystal, parcel-gilt, gemset and enamelled silver figural centrepiece made c.1880 by the Viennese firm of Hermann Ratzersdorfer was the catalogue cover lot of the Heritage (25 /20/12.5% buyer’s premium) silver and vertu auction in Dallas.