It’s not just gold that lies in them thar hills. A startling number of treasures lurk beneath the surface of the Earth, including crystals, minerals, and semiprecious stones, and to be frank, you might like them more than gold. Some of these beauties have tough, rugged surfaces that challenge carving tools, while others yield to […]
Jewelry that was created generations before your great-grandparents appeared on the scene isn’t just alluring or beautiful. Nor are these pieces mere baubles. See them with the right mindset, and they become vehicles for time travel. Jewelry from Roman, Viking, and medieval times show us how styles endure and change, and how the drive to […]
For more than a century, Rolex has been a pioneer of excellence, distinction, elegance and accuracy in timepieces. Its products are worthy of being worn in any setting, even the most extreme. A Rolex has been carried to the top of Mount Everest, traveled to the depths of the Marianas Trench while strapped to the […]
Few can match the quality and the reputation of the members of the New Hampshire Antiques Dealers Association (NHADA). Once again, Jasper52 will devote a sale to wares from these dealers. The 299-lot auction kicks off at 6 pm Eastern time on July 22. As always, it is curated by Clifford Wallach, an expert in […]
Maps represent the ultimate marriage of art and science. Yes, they must be reasonably accurate – if they’re not, they’re useless – but given a choice between a map that is perfectly correct and one that’s correct but also has mermaids and monsters and fancy old ships swimming in its seas and an area marked […]
According to legend, ruby-red glass was discovered when a noble tossed a gold coin into a batch of molten glass. In reality, it probably happened when glassworkers unintentionally contaminated batches with traces of gold residue or gold nanoparticles that were components of silver additives. The earliest known ruby glass vessels date from the late Roman […]
When the last dessert course had been served, and the servants finished delivering digestifs and cigars, lucky male guests of centuries past might be invited to view their esteemed host’s cabinet of curiosity. While it might be a literal single cabinet, the richer and high-ranking the host was, the more likely it was to be […]
Many companies – storied, well-respected companies – produce handbags. But among collectors, and in particular, within the realm of the secondary market for handbags, it’s all about Hermes. Caitlin Donovan, Christie’s New York head of sales for handbags and accessories, told Galerie magazine in 2020 that “Eighty percent of the handbag department is Hermes.” Hermes […]
It is the tallest dome in the world. At nearly 450 feet high, the Dome of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican is awash in color with scenes depicting the 2,000-year-old history of the Catholic church. Near the top, the Latin inscription proclaims, “…upon this rock, I will build my church,” which is ironic, considering […]
The realms of Americana, Folk Art, and Outsider Art covers a startlingly wide range of objects and artifacts. Source materials range from silver, ceramics, cloth, glass, brass, iron, cardboard, wood, tin, paper, and stone. Items that can qualify include board games, trade signs, wind-up toys, fireplace tools, paintings, prints, drawings, carvings, pitchers, plates, paperweights, carnival […]