SNAKES ON A CHAIN, AND OTHER JEWELRY FORMS

A 1985 Tiffany & Co. and Elsa Peretti 18K gold necklace with a snake head clasp earned $15,000 plus the buyer’s premium in October 2020. Image courtesy of Freeman’s and LiveAuctioneers

Snakes, which have slithered through lore and ritual since time immemorial, traditionally symbolize both good and evil. In many Abrahamic cultures, they represent seduction and sexual desire, while in others they represent health, fertility, growth, transformation and rebirth. In Egypt, Nile cobras, regal symbols of sovereignty, adorned pharaohs’ crowns. In Greek mythology, Asclepius, the god of medicine, carried a snake-entwined staff. In contrast, Medusa, a monstrous winged gorgon, had live snakes in place of hair. 

A circa-1970s Bulgari enamel and 18K gold snake bracelet-watch with a Jaeger Le Coultre movement achieved $132,500 plus the buyer’s premium in May 2021. Image courtesy of Bidhaus and LiveAuctioneers

The snake’s alluring duality, combined with its sinuous, fluid lines, has inspired jewelry designs ranging from wrap-around rings to coiled earrings. Greeks favored gold circlets whose snake-head terminals devoured their tails – an age-old motif symbolizing spiritual transformation as well as the eternal cycle of life, death and rebirth. Others wound wondrously worked gold bangles sporting double-snakes, symbols of wisdom, beauty, and protection from evil, around their wrists or arms. 

This Roman-Egyptian gold snake bracelet dating to the 1st Century BC to 1st Century AD sold for $4,750 plus the buyer’s premium in May 2022. Image courtesy of Hindman and LiveAuctioneers

Slender, spiraling, snake-themed Roman gold hair rings, earrings, armlets and bracelets have survived to the present to reach the auction block. In May 2022, Hindman sold a gold scaly-skinned Roman-Egyptian snake bangle, its double-heads poised to strike and its tongues flicking, for $4,750 plus the buyer’s premium.

A Gucci 18K gold hinged cuff bracelet in the form of a fang-bearing snake with an amethyst set in its head realized $36,000 plus the buyer’s premium in May 2022. Image courtesy of Joshua Kodner and LiveAuctioneers

Snake-themed jewelry spread through Europe from the mid-1800s, after Prince Albert marked his engagement to Queen Victoria by designing an ornate coiled-snake engagement ring as a symbol of everlasting love. Other pieces linking snakes with love soon appeared. Snake-head pendants suspended on slinky gold chains dangled plump, tender hearts from their reptilian mouths. Elegantly enameled snake-shaped bracelets shimmered with gemstones. Brooches coiled coyly into snaky figure-eight infinity symbols or, as with a radiant garden snake (lazing-at-his-leisure) pendant-pin that realized $1,000 plus the buyer’s premium at Reverie auction house in September 2020, looped into remarkably realistic replicas. 

A Victorian silver snake pendant-pin set featuring blue-green turquoise sold for $1,000 plus the buyer’s premium in September 2020. Image courtesy of Reverie and LiveAuctioneers

Still other pieces, such as an exceptional gold and silver amethyst, emerald and diamond snake necklace featuring an articulated coiling body in adjustable lengths and dating from the same era, earned £26,000 (about $31,390) plus the buyer’s premium at Elmwood’s in August 2021. 

A 19th-century gold, silver, amethyst, emerald and diamond snake necklace, sporting an articulated coiling body in adjustable lengths, earned £26,000 (about $31,390) plus the buyer’s premium in August 2021. Image courtesy of Elmwood’s and LiveAuctioneers

Asymmetrical snake motif brooches, stick pins, pendants, cufflinks, rings and earrings also cunningly curled though the Art Nouveau Era. Beginning in the 20th century, prestigious jewelry houses offered interpretations all their own. Cartier introduced its famed undulating platinum snake necklace in 1919 and its spectacular, fully flexible life-size snake necklace, scaled with 2,473 brilliant and baguette-cut diamonds, followed decades later. In addition, the company produced a series of vibrant 18K gold snake rings set with small round-cut pave set diamonds and gleaming ruby eyes. 

This Cartier 18K gold snake ring with round-cut, pave-set diamonds and round-cut ruby eyes attained $7,500 plus the buyer’s premium in September 2020. Image courtesy Leonard Auction, Inc. and LiveAuctioneers

In the 1940s, the Italian luxury fashion house Bulgari, inspired by ancient Roman armlets, introduced its popular and powerful Serpenti collection. Although some of its watch-bracelets reflected the hues of actual snakes, the majority were produced in more striking scaly palettes. A circa-1970s multi-colored enamel bracelet-watch featuring two pear-shape diamond eyes and a Jaeger Le Coultre movement achieved $132,500 plus the buyer’s premium at Bidhaus in May 2021.

A multi-coil circa-1970 Bulgari Vacheron Constantin gold and diamond Tubogas cuff watch realized $46,250 plus the buyer’s premium in January 2022. Image courtesy of Pacific Global Auction and LiveAuctioneers

Bulgari also gained fame for its sensational snake-like Tubogas timepieces, rings, bracelets and necklaces. These supple treasures, created by interlocking coiled bands of steel or gold horizontally around long flexible tubes, seemingly brought reptilian forms to life. 

A pair of 18K gold, ruby and emerald Boucheron Kaa snake cocktail earrings sold for $5,000 plus the buyer’s premium in November 2020. Image courtesy of Hampton Estate Auction and LiveAuctioneers

Maison Boucheron, a jewelry house based in Paris, distinguished itself with its Serpent Boheme Collection. The line’s delicate, subtle designs employ slim, chased, scale-like strands of gold enfolding elegant, teardrop-shape diamond, lapis lazuli, coral, citrine or garnet “snake heads.” But Boucheron’s Kaa collection, inspired by a massive rock python indigenous to Pakistan, India and Southeast Asia, is far more fearsome. Kaa clip-on cocktail earrings, glinting with rubies and emeralds, rival Kaa crossover rings, fashioned with mouths agape and fangs flashing, for imbuing a superlative jewelry design with a hint of malevolence.

A double-spiral 18K white gold and black enamel snake bracelet by Zendrini realized €9,500 (also $9,500) in December 2021. Image courtesy of Colasanti Casa D’Aste and LiveAuctioneers

Snake motifs are timeless, uniting primal beauty with long-established cultural allusions. When worn as jewelry, these mysterious curving shapes can project personal strength, self-confidence and power. 

Jasper52’s Aug. 31 sale has bidders seeing red: ruby red

On Wednesday, August 31, starting at 5 pm Eastern time, Jasper52 will conduct a sale of Classic to Modern Jewelry and Stones. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

The glittering array of 299 lots includes impressive GIA-certified natural loose stones such as a 10.16-carat square cut vivid Colombian emerald and a 62.60-carat cushion cut blue tanzanite. Necklaces entirely strung with Akoya pearls; amethyst beads; and jade beads, respectively, are also among the choices.

Also on offer is a vintage 18K gold pin in the form of nesting birds that flock near two eggs fashioned from pieces of natural turquoise that together weigh 20 carats. Equally stunning is a pendant brooch centered on a GIA-certified natural 69.37-carat aquamarine placed among radiating petals studded with eight carats of diamonds. An 18K gold Art Deco-style dragonfly-form brooch decorated with black star gems, natural cultured pearls and two cabochon rubies for the eyes also demands mention.

GIA-certified 3.08-carat ruby set in an 18K gold ring with diamonds, est. $24,000-$29,000

View the auction here.

Learn more about the auction on Auction Central News.

Exclusive designer handbags and clutches on offer, Aug. 31

A Gucci strawberry-print handbag, a Louis Vuitton Keepall Bandouliere 50B silver glitter Damier pattern duffle bag, and a vintage Hermes Depeches unisex work bag will likely earn top lot status at Jasper52’s Exclusive Designer Handbags and Clutches auction, which will take place on Wednesday, August 31 at 8 pm Eastern time. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

Many of the great brands are present, including Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada, Christian Dior, Chanel, Goyard, Burberry, Balenciaga and Christian Louboutin. Perhaps surprisingly, the lineup contains a generous selection of backpacks that includes a multi-color Chanel CC Foulard quilted printed backpack; a unisex leather backpack by Coach; a Louis Vuitton men’s backpack in navy blue monogram leather; a gunmetal gray Christian Louboutin leather backpack with a shoulder strap and fringes on each side; a Hermes Cityback 27 backpack in Taurillon Colvert leather; and a Loewe navy blue calfskin leather drawstring rucksack that can be worn as a backpack.

Circa-1998 Hermes Depeches unisex work bag, est. $6,400-$6,600

View the auction here.

Learn more about the auction on Auction Central News.

An Armenian Bible with a silver repousse cover and silver mesh spine sold for $40,000 plus the buyer’s premium in January 2020. Image courtesy of Fontaine’s Auction Gallery and LiveAuctioneers.

What makes a Bible a collector’s Holy Grail?

An Armenian Bible with a silver repousse cover and silver mesh spine sold for $40,000 plus the buyer’s premium in January 2020. Image courtesy of Fontaine’s Auction Gallery and LiveAuctioneers.

An Armenian Bible with a silver repousse cover and silver mesh spine sold for $40,000 plus the buyer’s premium in January 2020. Image courtesy of Fontaine’s Auction Gallery and LiveAuctioneers.

Your family Bible might be generations old and deeply beloved. Unfortunately, that doesn’t necessarily mean its priceless nature will translate into actual dollars. Bibles that garner healthy sums at auction are always exceptional in some way, be it obvious or obscure. Here are some examples of Bibles that did well, and why.

A Latin Bible printed in 1477 in Nuremberg, Germany realized $5,500 plus the buyer’s premium in March 2016. Image courtesy of Kedem Auctions and LiveAuctioneers.

A Latin Bible printed in 1477 in Nuremberg, Germany realized $5,500 plus the buyer’s premium in March 2016. Image courtesy of Kedem Auctions and LiveAuctioneers.

Is it really old?

When the printing press arrived, the Bible was among the earliest works created with the revelatory machine. Bibles that qualify as incunabula — those that predate the year 1501 — can realize strong prices, such as a copy published in Latin in Nuremberg, Germany in 1477. It lacked 18 of its pages and suffered other flaws as well, but nevertheless, it sold for $5,500 plus the buyer’s premium at Kedem Auctions in Jerusalem in March 2016.

A late 17th-century miniature Bible, measuring roughly three inches by two inches, sold in January 2021 for £12,000 (about $16,000) plus the buyer’s premium. Image courtesy of Forum Auctions and LiveAuctioneers.

A late 17th-century miniature Bible, measuring roughly three inches by two inches, sold in January 2021 for £12,000 (about $16,000) plus the buyer’s premium. Image courtesy of Forum Auctions and LiveAuctioneers.

Is it really small?

Miniature books have been around almost as long as the printing press. A tiny tome offered at Forum Auctions in London in January 2021 was especially curious. It offered the Bible ‘Done into verse for the Benefit of weak Memories, The whole containing above One Thousand Lines, with Cuts.’ Its creator also found room for a woodcut or two to enliven the judiciously shortened text. Seemingly dating to the early 18th century, the book measured almost three inches by two inches, and it appears to be the only one of its type. It sold for £12,000, or about $16,000, plus the buyer’s premium, a sum that doubled its high estimate.

A Lunar Bible that flew to the moon twice, on Apollo 13 and again on Apollo 14, achieved $60,000 plus the buyer’s premium in May 2014. Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions and LiveAuctioneers.

A Lunar Bible that flew to the moon twice, on Apollo 13 and again on Apollo 14, achieved $60,000 plus the buyer’s premium in May 2014. Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions and LiveAuctioneers.

Did it fly in space?

When NASA planned the Apollo missions, it took care to provide for the astronauts’ needs, including their spiritual needs. It allowed those who wished to do so to place a Bible in their personal preference kit (PKK), a small bag in which they could stash items they wanted to carry into space. Because a full-size Bible would have been too heavy to make the cut, a special edition was made that measured 1.5 by 1.5 inches. It was dubbed the Lunar Bible.

In May 2014, Heritage Auctions in Dallas offered a Lunar Bible that had flown to the moon twice – first on the Apollo 13 mission, and again on Apollo 14, in the PPK of astronaut Edgar Mitchell. At some point after its return to Earth, it was ensconced in a handmade solid gold reliquary. It realized $60,000 plus the buyer’s premium.

A pocket Bible that saved the life of Union private Edwin C. Hall during the Battle of Sailor’s Creek in April 1865, and still has a bullet lodged in it, sold for $13,000 plus the buyer’s premium in March 2012. Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions and LiveAuctioneers.

A pocket Bible that saved the life of Union private Edwin C. Hall during the Battle of Sailor’s Creek in April 1865, and still has a bullet lodged in it, sold for $13,000 plus the buyer’s premium in March 2012. Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions and LiveAuctioneers.

Did it save a life?

You’ve probably heard stories of people who cheated death when the Bible in their pocket stopped a bullet. While many of those tales are apocryphal, at least one is not. Union soldier Edwin C. Hall was hit by a so-called “minnie ball” at the Battle of Sailor’s Creek in April 1865 and lived thanks to the Book of Common Prayer he had stashed on his person. We know it was a Confederate minnie ball (properly known as a Minie ball, after Claude Etienne Minie, designer of the rifle that fires it) that hit Hall because it’s still lodged firmly within the book. The Civil War veteran expressed his gratitude in an 1898 letter that includes the lines, “This prayer-book saved my life by stopping a musket ball at Sailor’s Creek. I hope you may use it in your museum. I have always put my trust in the Lord, and he has done work always come through for me … Edwin Hall late 5th Vermont Inf.” Heritage offered both the Bible and the letter as a single lot in December 2012. It sold for $13,000 plus the buyer’s premium.

A late 17th-century Bible featuring a later binding of red morocco tooled with gilt and fitted with silver clasps and corner-pieces realized £6,000 (about $8,000) plus the buyer’s premium in June 2020. Image courtesy of Forum Auctions and LiveAuctioneers.

A late 17th-century Bible featuring a later binding of red morocco tooled with gilt and fitted with silver clasps and corner-pieces realized £6,000 (about $8,000) plus the buyer’s premium in June 2020. Image courtesy of Forum Auctions and LiveAuctioneers.

Is its binding pretty? Really pretty?

The New Testament of the Bible focuses on the life of Jesus Christ, whose followers believe he is the son of God. He counseled modesty and humility, and took a dim view of the excesses of the rich. But his clear and unambiguous statements on the subject didn’t stop wealthy Christians from commissioning luxurious Bibles from bookbinders. Still, it’s hard to scorn artisans who summon their considerable talents to express their piety in the form of a breathtakingly beautiful object.

Two among countless examples along these lines is an undated Armenian Bible with a silver repousse cover showing a scene of Christ on the cross, flanked by the Virgin Mary and Joseph. Its spine is silver mesh, and its back features a Nativity scene. It realized $40,000 plus the buyer’s premium against an estimate of $3,000-$5,000 at a Fontaine’s Auction Gallery sale in Pittsfield, Massachusetts in January 2020. Also of note is a late 17th-century Bible plus a Book of Psalms with a jaw-dropping later binding elaborately tooled in gilt and fitted with silver clasps and corner-pieces. Offered in June 2020 at Forum Auctions in London, it achieved £6,000, or roughly $8,000, plus the buyer’s premium.

A single leaf, or page, from the New Testament of the Bible printed in the mid-15th century by Johannes Gutenberg achieved $65,000 plus the buyer’s premium in September 2020. Image courtesy of Freeman’s and LiveAuctioneers.

A single leaf, or page, from the New Testament of the Bible printed in the mid-15th century by Johannes Gutenberg achieved $65,000 plus the buyer’s premium in September 2020. Image courtesy of Freeman’s and LiveAuctioneers.

Did Gutenberg print it?

As noted above, incunabula — books produced during the infancy of the printing press — have inherent value. It should come as no surprise that the first of firsts, the Bible printed by Johannes Gutenberg himself, is forever in demand. Single pages from his exceptionally early edition sell for more than exquisite and complete Bibles printed decades or centuries later. Freeman’s, the Philadelphia-based auction house, proved the point in September 2020 when it presented a single leaf, or page, from the second volume of the New Testament printed by Gutenberg in the mid-15th century. It achieved $65,000 plus the buyer’s premium.

The English Bible, a five-volume version published in the early 20th century in an edition of 500 by the legendary Doves Press, sold for $14,000 plus the buyer’s premium in September 2017. Image courtesy of PBA Galleries and LiveAuctioneers.


The English Bible, a five-volume version published in the early 20th century in an edition of 500 by the legendary Doves Press, sold for $14,000 plus the buyer’s premium in September 2017. Image courtesy of PBA Galleries and LiveAuctioneers.

Did a beloved small press print it?

Elite bookbinders raised the profession to an art form. It became common and almost routine for ambitious artistic small presses to cement their reputations by following Gutenberg’s lead and publishing their own renditions of the Christian holy book. Few small presses have earned the renown accorded to the Doves Press, which lasted fewer than two decades but truly died in March 1913 when co-founder T.J. Cobden-Sanderson pitched the first bundle of matrices of the press’s distinctive Doves Type font into the Thames River. The Doves Press five-volume English Bible, released between 1903 and 1905 in an edition of 500, is widely regarded as its finest work. PBA Galleries of Berkeley, California, offered a set in September 2017 with an estimate of $7,000-$10,000. It rose to $14,000 plus the buyer’s premium.

A Bible published in 1901 and signed and inscribed by magician Harry Houdini, who also had it gimmicked for use in mind-reading tricks, achieved $85,000 plus the buyer’s premium in December 2021. Image courtesy of Potter & Potter Auctions and LiveAuctioneers

A Bible published in 1901 and signed and inscribed by magician Harry Houdini, who also had it gimmicked for use in mind-reading tricks, achieved $85,000 plus the buyer’s premium in December 2021. Image courtesy of Potter & Potter Auctions and LiveAuctioneers

Did a famous person own it?

Provenance matters in the realm of collectible Bibles. In December 2021, Potter & Potter Auctions in Chicago featured a 1901 American Red Letter Edition printing that had belonged to Harry Houdini and bore an inscription from him to Joseph Dunninger, a magician who performed as a mentalist, or mind-reader. The book was one of four Bibles traceable to Houdini, and the only one with his signature. It might seem curious for him to have owned a Bible in light of the fact that he was Jewish, and the son of a rabbi. But it is clear that Houdini used it as a magic prop. The lot notes explain it was “prepared in a manner so as to allow the magician to read the mind of a spectator; when the volunteer flipped to any page in the bible, the mind reader could instantly determine which chapter and verse the reader was gazing upon with unfailing accuracy.” Its dual purpose as a working book and a holy book definitely made it more interesting, but its Houdini connection trumped all. Estimated at $15,000-$25,000, it achieved $85,000 plus the buyer’s premium.

Emeralds, sapphires and other coveted stones highlight Aug. 23 sale

On Tuesday, August 23, starting at 1 pm Eastern time, Jasper52 will conduct a sale of Classic to Modern Jewelry and Stones. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

Outsize gemstones, some loose but most set into jewelry, appear throughout the 300-lot auction. Of particular note is a massive 140.01-carat aquamarine strung on an 18K white gold necklace with a platinum frame; a 49.73-carat unheated star sapphire in a sugarloaf cut, showcased in an 18K white gold ring; another ring of the same precious metal, centering a sapphire, this one a deep green-blue 17.64-carat natural stone in an octagonal emerald cut; and an absolutely huge loose cushion cut natural aquamarine that weighs 157.55 carats.

Platinum estate pin with diamonds and six carats of Colombian emeralds, est. $12,000-$14,000

View the auction here.

Learn more about the auction on Auction Central News.

Jasper52 hosts Luxury Fashion auction, Aug. 24

An Hermes Birkin 35 in fuchsia hammered leather, a vintage Emilio Pucci mini-dress, and a gold quilted Chanel handbag will likely earn top lot status at Jasper52’s Luxury Fashion Auction, which will be presented on Wednesday, August 24 at 6 pm Eastern time. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

The auction features almost 600 lots, including numerous other pieces by Hermes, among them a Kelly 28 black leather handbag; a Kelly 25 in red togo leather; a double sens Clemence 45 blue and gray leather tote shopping bag; a Sac Mallette handbag in tan leather, with gold metal studs; a yellow cashmere and wool scarf with leather fringes; and a vintage blue suede jacket, size small.

Hermes Birkin 35 Epsom Rose Tyrien handbag, est. $21,000-$22,000

View the auction here.

Learn more about the auction on Auction Central News.

Handmade tiles pave the way for an artful collection

A four-panel peacock tile, made in 1910 by Frederick Hurten Rhead as a personal gift for a friend and colleague, achieved $510,000 plus the buyer’s premium in October 2012. Image courtesy of Rago Arts and Auction Center and LiveAuctioneers

Handmade decorative tiles are like snowflakes: no two are exactly alike. But unlike snowflakes, tiles are able to survive for centuries and delight generations of appreciative owners.

Saied Hussain, the only producer of handmade decorative cement tiles left in Egypt, testified to the powerful sensation that comes with their creation. “When you do it, you feel like you’re an artist,” Hussain said in a recent interview with Business Insider. 

A circa-1920 handmade glazed earthenware landscape tile frieze by the Mueller Mosaic Co. earned $8,500 plus the buyer’s premium in January 2022. Image courtesy of Rago Arts and Auction Center and LiveAuctioneers

As a building material, cement – which comes from the Roman word caementicium – can be traced back to ancient Greece, Macedonia and Rome. These regions’ inhabitants relied on a cement recipe of crushed volcanic ash and lime, which delivered the makings of long-lasting roads, aqueducts and the open dome of the Pantheon. By the 18th century, however, cement had evolved into two separate types: non-hydraulic and hydraulic with their setting processes dictating their uses.

This unglazed handmade ceramic tile depicts Elbert Hubbard, the founder of the Roycroft Arts and Craft community, rendered in bas relief by Roycroft sculptor Jerome Connor. It sold for $450 plus the buyer’s premium in June 2020. Image courtesy of California Historical Design and LiveAuctioneers

Non-hydraulic cement needs carbon dioxide in the air to cure, which limits its applications because it takes weeks to set. It is primarily used for indoor stone or brick work. Hydraulic cement, which is also known as Portland cement, cures within days, thanks to a chemical reaction between lime, silicates and aggregates. Its faster curing time makes it suitable for handmade tiles, but such tiles require an additional step: they must be fired at high heat to render them as encaustic tiles and ensure their hardiness.

This Danish teak coffee table from HASLEV, with handmade tiles embedded in its table top, reached a top bid of $1,000 plus the buyer’s premium in September 2021. Image courtesy of Uniques and Antiques, Inc and LiveAuctioneers

The process by which Hussain creates his encaustic tiles has not changed since cement became a favored building material in the 19th century, when factories that produced handmade tiles were much more prevalent. But encaustic tiles, whose name is derived from the Greek infinitive meaning “to burn,” date back to the 5th century and they were made in much the same way.

The first step involves sifting white cement powder to remove any heavier material. Dry background pigments are gently mixed with the sifted cement and water, then stirred to a well-blended consistency. After that, one color at a time is painstakingly poured into each section of an elaborate metal pattern set within a sturdy mold. Artisans shake the mold to make sure all of the pigments are set completely before they lift the metal pattern to reveal the final, colorful design. Finally, the whole is covered with a mixture of sand, cement and limestone to keep the pigment in place and then tightly tamped down by a press (Hussain uses a hydraulic one) to form a hard-packed tile ready for firing. Finished cement tiles are typically destined to become floor pavers for indoor and outdoor spaces.

A handmade encaustic tile featuring a yellow lion outlined in black against a dark blue field, made by the American Encaustic Tile Company, sold for $30 plus the buyer’s premium in January 2021. Image courtesy of Vintage Accents Auction and LiveAuctioneers

The American Encaustic Tile Company (AETCO), which thrived in Zanesville, Ohio from 1892 to 1935, was the major producer of handmade encaustic tile during the Arts and Crafts Movement, and its products sometimes appear at auction. Encaustic cement tiles are generally not as bright as other handmade tiles because the pigments shine through on their own, rendering glazes superfluous. But other types of handmade tiles cannot be completed without glazing.

Portuguese artist A. Paula hand-crafted and hand-painted a 12-tile ceramic mural of a Portuguese ship named ‘Navio Sec. XVII.’ It sold as a framed piece for $500 plus the buyer’s premium in August 2021. Image courtesy of Estates Consignment and LiveAuctioneers

Handmade ceramic tiles are almost always glazed. Instead of sifted cement, their base ingredient is organic clay, which is molded and cut into shape – a less time-consuming process than that of cement tiles. Ceramics must be fired at very high temperatures but, as noted above, they also require a glaze, which can include ash, lead, salt or even tin. This extra step yields a hard, brick-like surface with an impermeable layer that protects the tile from moisture and decay. And of course, glazes can add a welcome splash of color. Ceramic tiles are more delicate than porcelain, but have a wider range of indoor uses than their cement cousins. 

These French handmade decorative porcelain tiles with white bas-relief motifs of a man with a bull and a woman with a cow realized $360 (as one lot) plus the buyer’s premium in August 2021. Image courtesy of Akiba Antiques and LiveAuctioneers

Porcelain tiles are made from organic clay, as well. Their decorations come from colored glazes that penetrate deeply into the clay. When the feldspar within the clay melts in the heat of the kiln, it renders a tile that is harder and more impermeable than a ceramic tile, but not as hard as an encaustic one. And because the glaze runs deeper, a scratch or a missing piece isn’t as noticeable as in ceramic tiles, which gain their glazes as thin, applied layers.

A vintage handmade pottery tile depicting a galloping knight on a horse with an oversize bird of prey, probably a hawk, made $150 plus the buyer’ premium in April 2016. Image courtesy of Great Expectations Auction Company and LiveAuctioneers

Yet another popular form of handmade tiles is fashioned from pottery clay and hand-painted to accent fireplaces, tables and countertops or serve as wall decorations. Pottery tiles are fired at high heat to maintain their glazes, and they resemble ceramic tiles in their hardness and permeability. 

Artist Andrew Hull used the sgraffito process to create this set of handmade tiles titled ‘Wrong Turn’ and ‘Pipefish and Friends.’ Together they earned $1,700 plus the buyer’s premium in March 2021. Image courtesy of Lion and Unicorn and LiveAuctioneers

Lastly, there is sgraffito, an ancient artistic tile made in a manner not unlike that of fresco painting. The finished clay is fired with layers of different color pigments, with the design etched or incised directly into the tile before firing to give it its unique design. Sgraffito (an Italian word meaning “to scratch,” which gave rise to the word “graffiti”) has been around since at least the 15th century and became prevalent during the Arts and Crafts Movement of the late-19th and early 20th centuries, most notably on building facades and as wall decorations. 

Taken together, the range of different types of handmade tiles allows the collector to amass a visually stunning collection that is one of a kind. Auctions feature vintage and contemporary artistic choices in an array of styles, and each is, in its own way, special because it is the work of a human hand, and not a machine.

“If you’re not an artist, you will not be able to do this job,” Hussain said. “Maybe, God willing, this craft will last for a hundred more years.” As long as masters continue to make tiles by hand, and as long as collectors embrace their masterpieces, Hussain’s craft should continue to thrive.

Elvis, Bowie and more in Gravures and Heliogravures sale, Aug. 16

On Tuesday, August 16, starting at 4 pm Eastern time, Jasper52 will conduct its next sale of Gravures and Heliogravures. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

Images of celebrities abound in the sale lineup, including Herb Ritts’s iconic 1986 portrait of Madonna; Edward Steichen’s 1924 portrait of Gloria Swanson; a 1997 black-and-white portrait of David Bowie by Antonin Kratochvil; a 1956 Alfred Wertheimer image of Elvis Presley, taken in New York; a Cecil Beaton photo of Audrey Hepburn in a costume from My Fair Lady, shot in 1963 for Vogue magazine; an Eve Arnold portrait of Marilyn Monroe in bed; Philippe Halsman’s 1955 image of a leaping Brigitte Bardot; and a charming 2002 black-and-white of Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson, shot in Turin by Guido Harari.

Alfred Wertheimer, ‘Elvis Presley, New York, 1956,’ est. $200-$300

View the auction here.

Learn more about the auction on Auction Central News.

Books from the dawn of print on offer at Jasper52, Aug. 17

Comedies by the Roman playwright Terence, a book of sermons by Franciscus de Maioranis, and a Bible printed in 1616 will likely earn top lot status at Jasper52’s 15th to 19th Century Antique Books Collection sale, which will take place on Wednesday, August 17 at 7 pm Eastern time. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

Other lots in the sale include numerous Bibles from across the ages, as well as a Torah scroll fragment on vellum and a 19th-century Sharia law book, handwritten in Arabic; several 18th-century publications in varied languages on the voyages of Captain James Cook; a 1580 Italian-language printing of Ovid’s Metamorphosis; and an illustrated 1777 book of the writings of Erasmus, translated into French.

Pages from a 1499 illustrated volume of comedic plays by Terence, est. $12,000-$14,000

View the auction here.

Learn more about the auction on Auction Central News.

Bamboo, rattan and wicker: firmly planted in history

A set of furniture from Gabriella Crespi’s Rising Sun series – six chairs and two armchairs made from bamboo, wicker and fabric – achieved €41,000 (about $41,800) plus the buyer’s premium in July 2022. Image courtesy of Piasa and LiveAuctioneers

Bamboo and rattan test the limits of belief. The former is a grass which, when used as a building material, can be stronger than mahogany, while the latter is a vine that can be fashioned into comfortable and stylish furniture. When woven together, bamboo and rattan become a third wonderful material: wicker. These seemingly fragile plants are remarkably versatile, and they are also the stuff of beautiful, museum-quality artwork.

An undated carved Chinese bamboo vase earned $47,500 plus the buyer’s premium in June 2017. Image courtesy of Clars Auction Gallery and LiveAuctioneers

Bamboo is considered an evergreen perennial of the grass family poaceae.  Genetically, it’s not unlike the grass on your lawn or in nearby meadows. Giant bamboo, a subspecies strong enough for use in construction, is harvested by hand in Asia. It can grow to 30 meters, or nearly 100 feet, at the rate of an inch and a half per hour, making it the fastest-growing plant in the world. As mentioned above, mature bamboo can match or exceed the strength of mahogany. Because it is hollow, it cannot be bent, even under extreme heat.

A mottled bamboo tea ceremony shelf attained $47,500 plus the buyer’s premium against an estimate of $1,500-$3,500 in July 2020. Image courtesy of Cardale Auctioneers and LiveAuctioneers

More than 600 species of bamboo grow throughout Japan. Traditionally, it has been used for drainpipes and general framing as well as religious and social purposes, such as in tea services (sets) made entirely from the hardy grass. Several dedicated bamboo guilds in Japan are recognized for their artistic works in the organic medium, which extends to musical instruments, textiles and even martial arts.

This set of eight mid-century slat-leg rattan chairs realized $55,000 plus the buyer’s premium in May 2022. Image courtesy of Bidhaus and LiveAuctioneers

Rattan is a vine, or more accurately, a climbing palm of the subfamily calamoideae. Rattan roots itself in the ground and uses spines to attach to trees so it can climb upward to seek sunlight. Found mostly in the wild tropical forests of Southeast Asia, rattan can only be harvested by hand, a task embraced by small, independent farmers. Rattan’s diameter is never more than about two inches wide and it is solid throughout, yet it is as strong as bamboo. The key difference between the two is rattan is thinner and can be bent and shaped when subjected to extreme heat, which makes it suitable for furniture production.

An Hermes Mini Picnic Kelly in osier, aka wicker, adorned with rouge de couer swift leather and palladium hardware, brought $40,000 plus the buyer’s premium in July 2020. Image courtesy of Greenwich Luxury Auctions and LiveAuctioneers

Wicker, which takes the best qualities of both bamboo and rattan, in used in a myriad of products. Possibly taking its name from the Swedish verb meaning “to fold,” wicker is created by using the outer layer of the rattan vine, known as the cane, to bind the bamboo and the rattan into one piece. Wicker is not a plant in and of itself; it is an ancient means of weaving.

Wicker is only one expression of the strength and beauty of bamboo and rattan. Over the centuries, both plant materials have been featured in paintings, sculpture, carvings, tableware, jewelry and a wide range of objets d’art. 

Japanese literature celebrates the plum, pinecone and bamboo as the ‘Three Friends of Winter’ for their ability to withstand the bitter cold. This blue and white ceramic baluster jar depicting the Three Friends of Winter sold for €11,000 (about $11,200) plus the buyer’s premium in October 2021. Image courtesy of Galerie Zacke and LiveAuctioneers

Celebrated in Japanese literature as a symbol for steadfastness, bamboo, along with the pine cone and the plum, is one of the “Three Friends of Winter,” a trio famed for its hardiness during cold winter months. China recognizes bamboo as a symbol of uprightness and celebrates it as one of the “Four Gentleman,” or the four seasons, which also include the plum blossom, the chrysanthemum and the orchid. Bamboo has been a part of everyday Chinese life since antiquity, and is lionized in Chinese poetry as a symbol of personal strength. About 300 species of bamboo appear throughout China, where they are used to create baskets, housing, fences, traditional medicines, and a broad range of household furnishings. 

A rattan monkey sculpture by Mario Lopez Torres earned $1,100 plus the buyer’s premium in June 2022. Image courtesy of DejaVu Estate Sales and Auctions, LLC and LiveAuctioneers

Rattan possesses thorns that make it tricky to harvest, and it is hard to reach as well, growing deep within the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. Would-be rattan harvesters must also contend with resident wild animals. Despite these challenges, rattan is relied upon for making mundane goods such as baskets, furniture, incense sticks, walking canes and serving tools. It is also transformed into polo mallets and beaten into textiles that ultimately become clothing.

In addition to their practical uses, there is a thriving contemporary art market for bamboo and rattan sculpture at auction. Sopheap Pich, a former painter, now creates one-of-a-kind pieces for exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Guggenheim Museum. When an interviewer from theculturetrip.com asked the Cambodian artist why he enjoys working with bamboo and rattan, Pich said, “Making a three-dimensional object is different for me in that I am making something real as opposed to making a kind of illusion on a flat surface … I was concentrating on learning how to build a sculpture and testing my ability to bring something to the finished work.” 

Sculptor Tom Dixon combined rattan and bamboo to create a full-scale wicker Harley-Davidson motorcycle complete with saddlebags. It sold for $950 plus the buyer’s premium in September 2020. Note how the bamboo remains straight and unbroken, while the rattan easily creates round curves, with cane holding the shapes in place. Image courtesy of Billings and LiveAuctioneers

Another contemporary artist who works in bamboo and rattan is Tom Dixon, a Palm Beach, Florida, resident who earned fame for creating a wicker sculpture replicating a full-scale Harley-Davidson motorcycle, complete with saddlebags. The piece is so realistic, it’s easy to imagine yourself donning a helmet, hopping aboard and driving off. 

Hayakawa Shokosai V, a fifth-generation weaver of bamboo and rattan, created this basket and dubbed it ‘Line Constructed Layered Rings.’ It realized $15,000 plus the buyer’s premium in May 2018. Image courtesy of Rago Arts and Auction Center and LiveAuctioneers

Notable artists who have worked with bamboo and rattan include Hayakawa Shokusai I, a 19th-century basket weaver who twisted thin bamboo strands into unique shapes. He also signed his work, a practice his namesake sons and grandsons continue with their own bamboo work. Another well-respected name in this realm is contemporary Japanese artist Tanaka Kyokusho, who juxtaposes bamboo and black accents in forms that reflect the ancient art of bamboo sculpture. 

A pair of Paavo Tynell-designed floor lamps made from rattan, brass and wood strips commanded €71,000 ($72,490) plus the buyer’s premium against an estimate of €14,000-€18,000 ($14,295-$18,380) in March 2022. Image courtesy of Piasa and LiveAuctioneers

Depictions of wicker, bamboo and rattan in paintings, haiku, glassware, porcelain and even furniture showcase them as symbols of strength and adaptability that persevere in the most trying of circumstances. The hardy grasses of bamboo and the sturdy vines of rattan endure the hardships inflicted by nature, and we can honor their strength by employing them as renewable resources. 

Whether made from bamboo, rattan, or a weave that transforms the two into wicker, we can all enjoy works made from these plants, no matter where we are from or how sophisticated we might be.