Original Woodstock poster starring in Jasper52 auction Dec. 5

Iconic concert posters of the psychedelic rock era have top billing in a Jasper52 online auction Dec. 5. A rare relic in the auction is an original Woodstock poster signed by its artist. The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Pink Floyd, Janis Joplin, Santana and many more rock stars are represented in this colorful sale, spanning concerts from the 1960s to present day. Meticulously designed, vibrantly colored and wall-ready, these posters are sure to electrify any rock ’n’ roll collection.

Original Woodstock poster, signed, direct from artist, Arnold Skolnick, an original 1969 litho. Estimate: $2,775-$3,700. Jasper52 image

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In The Pink With Rose Gold

Just as rosé wine is becoming a popular alternative to traditional reds and whites, so, too, is rose gold making rapid inroads into the jewelry market. An increasing number of brides – primarily “millennials” – are opting for something different in their engagement rings and choosing rose gold over conventional white or yellow gold. But what is rose gold, and is it something new?

14K rose gold and diamond hoop earrings. Image: LiveAuctioneers and Clars

Actually, production of the alloy rose gold, also known as “pink gold” or “red gold,” dates back to early 19th-century Russia. But earlier Greco-Roman texts indicate that, in ancient times, it was noted that impurities in the smelting process sometimes resulted in a gold product that had a reddish color – or “red gold.”

Cartier 18K rose gold Tankissime bracelet watch with diamonds. Image: LiveAuctioneers and Fellows

The difference in hues seen in the colored-gold spectrum is dependent on the amount of copper and/or silver the alloy contains. The higher the copper content, the stronger the red coloration. Here’s a breakdown of the metallic composition found in pink and red golds:

• 18K red gold: 75% gold, 25% copper
• 18K rose gold: 75% gold, 22.25% copper, 2.75% silver
• 18K pink gold: 75% gold, 20% copper, 5% silver
• 12K red gold: 50% gold, 50% copper

18K rose gold and fancy purple-pink diamond ring. Image: LiveAuctioneers and Leslie Hindman Auctioneers

If zinc is added during the smelting process, it can result in reddish yellow or dark yellow-colored gold. There are other colors, too. Green gold, or “electrum,” for example, was known to the Lydians of Anatolia (modern-day Turkey) as long ago as 860 BC. In spite of its name, the naturally occurring alloy of silver and gold actually looks more greenish-yellow than it does green.

Cartier 18K rose gold ladies cuff bracelet. Image: LiveAuctioneers and Longfellow Auctions

Over the past several years, rose gold has been embraced by many top jewelers, including Tiffany’s; and fashion-forward designers, like Kate Spade. It has even made its way into pop culture, initially with Samsung’s rose-gold-toned Galaxy Note 3. Apple kicked it up a notch with a $10,000+ rose gold Apple Watch Edition and a rose-gold option for its 2015-release iPhone 6. According to Wired Magazine’s David Pierce, “Apple couldn’t make rose gold iPhones fast enough.”

18K rose gold necklace set with oval-shape amethysts. LiveAuctioneers and Heritage Auctions

Nowadays there’s no end to the tech gadgets you can buy in quietly stylish rose-gold hues. Apple leads the pack with its iPad, MacBook and Beats headphones in “rose gold.” The look is uber cool, but no electronic accessory can match the feeling of luxury that comes from wearing a necklace, bracelet or ring of genuine rose gold.

Jasper52 fine jewelry auction Nov. 28 has holiday sparkle

With the holidays approaching it’s a great time put on a fresh look. Jasper52 provides a unique showcase of fine jewelry in a variety of mediums, as well as a mix of loose gemstones in an online auction on Tuesday, Nov. 28. Auction participants will see a mix of beautiful gems in every color alongside a wide selection of antique to contemporary designer pieces.

14K gold 23.97ctw ruby and 3.32ctw diamond bracelet, Orianne trademark. Estimate: $3,800-$4,300. Jasper52 image

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Buccellati: Milan’s Family Jewelers

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines timeless as “not restricted to a particular time or date.” It seems an appropriate word to describe the Buccellati company, makers of fine jewelry and silver. The firm’s elegant innovations span nearly a century, and although Gangsu Gangtai Group acquired a majority share of the company in August of 2017, the Buccellati family remains at the helm of the evolution of the brand’s design and meaning, appealing both to consumers with traditional tastes and younger buyers with a more adventurous spirit.

Pair of Buccellati sterling silver cufflinks in the form of a flower, inset with turquoise. Auctioned by Jasper52 for $380 in September 2016. Jasper52 and LiveAuctioneers image

This two-pronged approach in which old and new are blended, goes back to 1919, when founder Mario Buccellati launched his first jewelry store in Milan, Italy. He took the skills he learned as a young apprentice and fused conventional techniques with his revolutionary approach to designing jewelry and decorative objects.

Mario Buccellati 18K yellow gold and diamond bracelet, snowflake design. Auctioned by Jasper52 for $12,000 on Nov. 21, 2017. Jasper52 and LiveAuctioneers image

Inspired by Nature: The company’s Animalier Collection features 28 brooches shaped as animals and set with baroque pearls. The menagerie includes monkeys, scorpions, camels and rabbits, among other creatures.

Flash forward 95-plus years, and Buccellati family members, including Mario’s great-granddaughter Lucrezia – the company’s first female jewelry designer – are hard at work creating Buccellati’s trendy contemporary lines. They include iPhone cases – their diamond-studded gold model retails at around $208,000 – and the firm’s “Timeless Blue” project, which brings together impressionist artworks and modern jewelry designs.

Many of the same tried and trusted techniques, attention to detail and appreciation for beauty in many facets are woven into the fabric of this familial firm of luxury design.

 

Buccellati 18K yellow/white gold and diamond bracelet, wide bangle shape with a filigree design and mounted with 12 bezel-set round brilliant-cut diamonds, approximate total weight of 3 carats, with 72 round brilliant-cut diamonds with an approximate weight of 1.6 carats, a total weight of 54 grams. Auctioned by New Orleans Auction Galleries for $36,000 in March of 2016. New Orleans Auction Galleries and LiveAuctioneers image.

Innovation in every generation

Although Mario’s uncommon and exquisite creations brought global attention and acclaim in the first quarter of the 20th century, he was not the first Buccellati in the trade. In the mid-18th century, Contardo Buccellati was a goldsmith in Milan. Incidentally, the street where his business was located is now known as Via Orefici, or Goldsmith’s Street.

The “Buccellati style,” as it is known, harkens back to Mario’s development of an engraving technique that renders an unmistakable textured appearance. Today, Buccellati artisans use those same techniques, as well as many of the same types of tools, including a steel chisel for engraving, a bowl of wax for making a mold, and a wood, steel and string device to drill holes. The legendary engraving methods are said to give the appearance of materials such as linen, silk and tulle.

Those early traditions and techniques found eager students in four of Mario’s five sons, Frederico, Gianmaria, Luca, and Lorenzo. In various published articles, Gianmaria recalled working as an apprentice with his father at the age of 15 and having an interest in the jewelry trade since early childhood.

The Buccellati brothers inherited the company following the death of their father in 1965. Together they operated the business until the mid-1970s, at which point they divided the company. Brothers Gianmaria and the late Luca worked together to develop the Buccellati operation in the United States, and Gianmaria owned the Buccellati production and laboratories, according to an article in Departures magazine. The Buccellati name is used by operations owned by Gianmaria, while those operated by other Buccellati brothers employ variations of the family name.

Suite of diamond and sapphire jewelry by Buccellati comprising a brooch and pair of earclips in the realistic design of a bunch of grapes, the vine leaves pave-set with brilliant-cut diamonds from which cascade “grapes” composed of sapphire beads. Auctioned by Phillips for £19,000 ($22,410) in 2011. Phillips and LiveAuctioneers image.

Buccellati Locations: The firm has five boutiques within the U.S. (New York, Beverly Hills, Calif.; Chicago, Bal Harbor, Florida; and Aspen, Colorado), six in Italy, and one each in London, Paris, and Moscow. Plus, there are countless retailers, corner shops, and shops within shops, around the world.

Gianmaria’s children joined him in business, his son Andrea and daughter Maria Cristina in jewelry design, and Gino as overseer of the Buccellati silver factory. As mentioned earlier, the Buccellati legacy continues, with Andrea’s daughter Lucrezia joining the firm in 2014, around the same time that Gianmaria retired.

Lucrezia Buccellati’s vision and impact are represented in the company’s innovative Opera line of jewelry, each piece displaying a flower motif. Speaking about the Opera line, Ms. Buccellati told the New York Times, “Opera is a first step to show the new Buccellati for a younger generation who wants things light and more affordable that they can wear every day.”

Buccellati ring featuring an oval-cut citrine at center, claw set within a textured feathered surround to a border of circular-cut rubies, circa 1970s, signed Buccellati, stamped 750. Image courtesy of Dreweatts Donnington Priory and LiveAuctioneers

With the “Timeless Blue” jewelry range, Buccellati drew influence from masterpieces of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art. A percentage of the sales from this line of jewelry generated during the week of its debut in March of 2015 was donated to Save Venice, a project to underwrite the cost of restoring art and monuments in Venice. The artists and works represented in the line include: Claude Monet (Storm on the Coast of Belle-lle, 1886), Pierre Bonnard (Two Vases of Flowers, 1930), Homer Winslow (Light Blue Sea at Prout’s Neck, circa 1890s), Mikhail Larionov (The Spider’s Web – a double-sided painting, circa 1900-1910), and Odilon Redon (The Fall of Phaeton, circa 1900).

The Romanza collection of bridal rings feature seven designs inspired by women in literary tales. They include: Beatrice Portinari, the beloved of Dante Alighieri; Titania from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Bradamante, a female Christian knight appearing in Ariosto’s Orlando furioso.

While Buccellati may have started as a local Milan jewelry studio, its gilt-edged name is now recognized as one of the world’s most prestigious brands. It continues to embrace the new while respecting the traditions of generations past.

Watches by famous makers featured in Jasper52 sale Nov. 29

Fifty-six luxury watches, including 10 Rolex models, will be sold at a Jasper52 online auction on Wednesday, Nov. 29. The auction catalog also features fine timepieces by world-class Swiss, American and French manufacturers, from Patek Philippe to Cartier. A winning Rolex watch in the sale is the Yacht-Master Chronometer Automatic, which has a stainless steel case and a 31-jewel movement. It is expected to sell for $7,000-$8,000.

IWC Schaffhausen stainless steel gold dial manual watch. Estimate: $990-$1,100. Jasper52 image

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Chart your grand tour of Europe at Jasper52 map sale Nov. 21

The Grand Tour was a traditional trip to Europe undertaken by mainly young British nobility and wealthy landed gentry from the late 17th through 19th centuries. The Grand Tour served as an educational rite of passage. Collectors can travel back in time to chart such trips in a Jasper52 online auction of antique maps and atlases of Europe on Tuesday, Nov. 21.

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Iconic images grace Jasper52 gravure auction Nov. 21

Famous photographic images from the 20th century are available in a Jasper52 online auction to be conducted Tuesday, Nov. 21. Among the pictures are a Yousuf Karsh portrait of President John F. Kennedy, a prime example of Diane Arbus street photography and an unforgettable glimpse of Depression-era life by Dorothea Lange.

Dorothea Lange, ‘Migrant Mother,’ Nipomo, California, printed 1936, USA, 8in. x 11in. Estimate: $500-$600. Jasper52 image

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The Beginning of Time

From sundials to atomic clocks, the presentation of timekeeping instruments may have changed over the centuries, but the basic premise remains the same.

For generations, people have monitored and visualized time using a variety of sources, including the sun, water, a burning candle, the transfer of sand particles from one section of a container to another, and ultimately through the mechanical marvels known as clocks. The process of measuring moments has long been a necessary practice, and with the advent of clocks, it embraced an element of efficiency and design.

While the origin of the first formal clock is a bit of a mystery, many reports point to the advent of early clocks within European monasteries in the 14th century. That is a plausible concept, as the development of devices to regularly indicate time would aid monks in planning their prayers. Lending credence to this belief is historical documentation of two early examples of clocks built for churches that remain in service to this day. One is the oldest known functional clock, which is said to have been constructed around 1386. It is located in London’s Salisbury Cathedral.

Medieval clock in Salisbury Cathedral, operating a bell in the tower. Dates to circa 1386; restored in 1956. Image by Rwendland, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

Potential Word Origin of Clock: Clokke (Middle English), Clocca (medieval Latin), Cloc (Celtic and Old Irish), and Glocka (Old High German)

According to the Salisbury Cathedral site, the hand-wrought iron clock at Salisbury has no face and only chimes on the hour. The mechanics of the clock include falling weights and a device that is wound daily, allowing the clock to run for just over 24 hours at a time. An hour wheel, also known as a “great wheel,” makes one revolution per hour and is designed to strike a pin at exactly the top of the hour. This contact activates an extensive mechanical process, which ultimately results in the striking of a bell, thus producing a chime.   

Tramp art pendulum clock, circa 1890s, porcelain face, glass panels on sides featuring a layered pyramid design. Auctioned for $1,500 in February 2017. Jasper52 and LiveAuctioneers image.

Another early model is the Wells Cathedral clock. It is said to be the creation of 14th century monk Peter Lightfoot. Although the clock appears to have some similar attributes and mechanical elements to that of the Salisbury clock, it also reveals added ingenuity. Among the clock’s unique qualities is its dial, which showcases an image of the universe, including the view of the sun and moon surrounding Earth. Above the face of the dial resides the figure of a character named Jack Blandifers, whose job it is to strike the bells every hour on the hour with the use of a hammer and the heels of his shoes. He appears with two knight figures who are responsible for striking the bell at 15-minute intervals. Up until 2010, the Wells Cathedral clock had been wound by hand three times a week, for more than 630 years. Since 1919, the winding had been the responsibility of a member of the Fisher family, according to an article in the Daily Mail. This tenure of service came to an end in 2010 when the final Fisher family member retired and an electric motor replaced the clock’s winding mechanism.

Rare Chinese animated bracket clock featuring porcelain dial with Roman hour numerals, quality triple-fusee movement with engraved brass plates and a filigree border signed Cheong Smag and bearing six-character Chinese mark for Hao Sheng Xiang of the Guangdong Province. Auctioned for $1.05 million in May 2016. Fontaine’s Auction Gallery and LiveAuctioneers image.

Although churches were not the only places one would find a clock in the 14th through 18th centuries, they were not an item regularly seen in homes. Exceptions to this were royal and upper class residences, where clocks were often part of the decor. Although, the first domestic tabletop clock was constructed in the early 16th century, clocks were still a luxury. With many churches and some town centers showcasing a clock in a bell tower, these types of community clocks seemed to meet citizens’ needs.

 

Early 19th-century Federal inlaid mahogany tall-case clock by Simon Willard. Interior door retains original Isaiah Thomas, Jr paper label for Simon Willard Clock Manufactory. Arched and painted dial with seconds hand and date aperture, gilt decorations on dial, painted brass moon phase disc with naval scene and landscape. Auctioned for $50,000 in May 2015. Brunk Auctions and LiveAuctioneers image.

As is most often the case, advancements in clock technology came about as a result of necessity. Here are a few:

  • 1577 marked the invention of the minute hand by Jost Burgi, to meet the needs of an astronomer looking for increased time-keeping abilities during stargazing.
  • Galieo’s discovery of the elements of a pendulum in 1581 was another advancement in clockmaking.
  • 1656 saw the development of the pendulum block, by physicist Christian Huygens, to improve accuracy in timekeeping.
  • Clockmaker Alexander Bain created the first electric clock in 1840.
  • In 1876, Seth E. Thomas filed and received the patent for a mechanical alarm clock that was wound by hand.
  • Frank Hope-Jones created a modern electrical clock in 1895 that would become the inspiration behind those in use today.
  • Between 1927 and 1929, Warren Marrison completed the research and development leading to the first quartz clock. The engineer turned to quartz crystals to create more reliable frequency standards in timekeeping.
  • 1949 saw the unveiling of the first atomic clock by what is now the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

Opportunities to View Clock Collections: American Clock & Watch Museum, located in Bristol, Connecticut; National Watch & Clock Museum, in Columbia, Pennsylvania; and The Clockmakers’ Museum, located in The Science Museum, London. Also, the NAWCC has an online collection.

 

Atmos du Millenaire limited-edition mantel clock, Jaeger LeCoultre, month calendar in French with the moonphase, 10¾ inches high. Estimate: £3,000-£4,000. Fellows and LiveAuctioneers image.

In the digital age, reports place the patent for the first digital alarm clock in the hands of American inventor D.E. Protzman, in 1956. However, a more primitive model was introduced during the St. Louis World’s Fair of 1904. There, the Ansonia Clock Company unveiled its Plato clock – a spring-wound system with digital cards featuring numbers that flipped.

Many moments have passed since monks and scientists first created mechanisms and enhancements for keeping and displaying time. Centuries later, our society today lives by the minutes and moments these devices keep.

Beautiful geishas grace Jasper52 woodblock prints auction Nov. 14

Beautiful women, often geisha, were favorite subjects of artists working in traditional Japanese woodblock prints. Several of these colorful prints are among the top lots in a Jasper 52 online auction of Japanese woodblock prints being held Tuesday, Nov. 14, beginning at 6 p.m. Eastern time.

Ikeda Eisen, ‘Geisha of the Eastern Capital, published by Sano-ki, original edition of circa 1825, oban size (approx. 15in. x 10in.). Estimate; $3,800-$4,000. Jasper52 image

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Figural Cast-Iron Doorstops: 5 Brands To Know

Charles Dickens once wrote, “A very little key will open a very heavy door.” And a small cast-iron doorstop can keep it ajar while also being stylish and collectible.

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the advent of modern cast-iron doorstops came about in the mid-18th century, when a type of hinge was added to doors to allow for automatic closure. A door that closed by itself was undoubtedly a helpful innovation, however, there were times when an open door was necessary and desired. Enter the doorstop.

Doorstops of brass or other metals were commonplace in the early part of the 18th century, but it was the use of cast iron in the production of doorstops that changed the trajectory of stops, also known as chucks, wedges and blocks, among other things.

The first doorstops were not fanciful in design, but it didn’t take too long before figural images became standard in doorstop production. As was the case with more than a few objects of the past, being utilitarian didn’t mean visual appeal had to be sacrificed. They could blend harmoniously.

Sought-after hand painted casting of a young girl stepping over flowers, strong retention of paint, one of many variations of this doorstop created by Littco Productions (est. $1,800-$2,500). Lot #112 in Bertoia Auctions’ Nov. 11 sale. Bertoia Auctions and LiveAuctioneers image

The versatility of figural doorstop design also lends to its appeal among collectors of other types of objects. A perfect example of crossover collectibles, figural doorstops boast designs related to everything from Americana, nautical and floral themes to entertainment characters, folk art, animals and nature.

COLLECTING TIP – Many vintage models of original doorstops have a smoother casting, as opposed to a rougher surface that is sometimes seen in reproductions.

Several companies have produced doorstops over the past two centuries, and in many instances, doorstops were a secondary, albeit successful, sideline. Among the most prolific producers were Bradley & Hubbard, Hubley, Littco, and Judd Co. Also, one of the revered designers of doorstops was Anne Fish. Here we’ll look at the contributions each made to doorstop history.

Bradley & Hubbard Mgf. Co.

When Nathaniel and William L. Bradley, Walter Hubbard, and Orson and Chitten Hatch formed a partnership in 1852, the focus of their output was clocks. Just two years later, the Hatch brothers stepped away, leaving the Bradley brothers and Hubbard to move forward as Bradley and Hubbard. While production of clocks remained the company’s top priority, they expanded operations to manufacture call bells and sewing machines. The company also made flags, hoopskirts and match safes, all within the first few years of operation. In the years that followed, the company became a leader in the production of kerosene lamps and architectural elements, including grilles, railings, fences, doorstops, and lighting fixtures. The company was sold to Charles Parker Company in 1940. Although it’s hard to determine precisely when the Bradley and Hubbard division of the Parker Company ceased to operate, but by 1950 there was no longer any mention of the division in the company’s product catalogs.

Huckleberry Finn-type whistling boy figure cast-iron doorstop, detailed casting, both rubber knobs intact, good retention of paint, from the Jeanne Bertoia Collection, sold for $22,420 during a March 2016 auction at Bertoia Auctions. Bertoia Auctions and LiveAuctioneers image

Hubley

Located in a region known for iron mining during the 19th century, it’s no wonder that in 1894 the Hubley Manufacturing Company in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, would become involved in cast iron production. Hubley was an early manufacturer of cast iron toys. Hubley cast iron toy vehicles were popular when they were new, and are even more so today as collectors’ items. Applying some of the techniques and processes used to produce cast-iron toys proved profitable for Hubley when it ventured into doorstops. Molds were used in the mass production of doorstops, but each was painted by hand. Many subjects were depicted in Hubley’s doorstops, and they were especially well known for their dogs. There were few canine breeds overlooked by Hubley, and in each case, great attention was paid to the small details. Other motifs of Hubley doorstops popular with collectors are flower baskets, nautical themes, and other types of animals.

Hubley doorstop featuring two quail perched on a branch surrounded by tall grass, realistic details, marked Everett 34 on the front, created by revered doorstop designer Fred Everett, (est. $400-$600). Lot #181 in Bertoia Auctions’ Nov. 11 sale. Bertoia Auctions and LiveAuctioneers image

COLLECTING TIP – Original doorstops were put together using slotted screws, not the more modern types of screws.

Littco: Beginning as Littlestown Hardware and Foundry Company, Inc., in 1916, the unit known as Littco Productions was responsible for producing decorative cast iron doorstops and bookends, hammers, and fireplace accessories, among other items. The creation of decorative cast-iron objects, including doorstops, was a big part of the firm’s business until the early 1940s. World War II, changed the company’s focus, as it did for many manufacturers. Much of the company’s output would now support the war effort. The company did iron casting until 1990, when its operation turned to aluminum casting, as it remains today.

One of only four known original Halloween girl cast-iron doorstops made by Littco Products, provenance: the Jeanne Bertoia Collection, sold for $29,500 during a March 2016 auction at Bertoia Auctions. Bertoia Auctions and LiveAuctioneers image

Judd Manufacturing Company: Doorstops made by this Connecticut-based company often bear a maker’s mark of “cjo,” and carry with them a rich history of casting in iron, brass, and bronze. The company established itself in 1933 as a harness manufacturer. Ownership and production lines changed as the 19th century progressed. In 1910, the company began manufacturing bookends, book racks and doorstops, among other objects. These production lines continued until the late 1930s.

Heavy cast-iron doorstop manufactured by Judd Co., depicting a boy in lederhosen holding two large baskets of flowers (est. $200-$300). Lot #118 in Bertoia Auctions’ Nov. 11 sale. Bertoia Auctions and LiveAuctioneers image

COLLECTING TIP – View as many collections and presentations of doorstops as possible, to become familiar with the look and style of various manufacturers. A great place to view a significant number of doorstops is http://www.BertoiaAuctions.com. Jeanne Bertoia, owner of Bertoia Auctions, amassed one of the most admired of all doorstop collections, and she is considered one of the top experts in the field. Bertoia Auctions continues to bring premier doorstop collections to auction. For example, more than 55 of the more than 1,300 lots in Bertoia Auctions’ Nov. 11-12 Signature Sale are doorstops.

Anne Fish: With her considerable talents as a cartoonist and illustrator, British artist Anne Harriet Fish expanded her artistic repertoire by working with both the Fulper pottery works and the Hubley company. Her application of Art Deco style can be seen in various examples of Hubley cast-iron works, including doorstops. Fish-designed doorstops are among the most sought after by today’s collectors.

Even in the age of central air conditioning, vintage doorstops still have a place in the home, whether the objective is to prop open a door, to add a decorative touch to a room – or both.

Extremely scarce Bathing Beauties cast-iron doorstop issued by Hubley, created by Anne Fish and signed Fish 250, Art Deco design, sold for $10,350 in 2011 through Bertoia Auctions. Bertoia Auctions and LiveAuctioneers image