Africans have valued cowrie-shell and bone beads since well before written history. Tribes eagerly accepted the sleek, shiny glass beads that 15th-century European traders offered in exchange for commodities such as salt, gold, palm oil or ivory. Because trade beads were typically produced on demand to suit the tastes of those on the receiving end, […]
We can’t all go to space, even if we desperately want to. The Federation Aeronautique Internationale, the governing body that defines space flight, states that as of July 2021, only 574 individuals from 41 countries have made it to outer space, which is defined as traveling higher than 100 miles or 62 kilometers. Of those […]
On Wednesday, October 20, starting at 11 am Eastern time, Jasper52 will conduct a 426-lot sale with the title of Designer Jewelry & Watches. Treasures on offer include a Cartier Byzantine 18K gold bracelet with diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds; a Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra 18K yellow gold, coral, and diamond ring; a Bulgari […]
Sure, contemporary jewelry is fun, but vintage jewelry has a sparkle all its own. Pieces fashioned in the Art Deco, Art Nouveau, and Retro styles still speak to us, even though they could have been worn by our grandparents or great-grandparents when they were new. On Wednesday, October 20, starting at 4 pm Eastern time, […]
Humankind has marveled at the beauty of the heavens since well before written history. To the ancients, the sun was not merely a natural phenomenon, but also a god. Its daily journey across the horizon symbolized fertility and rebirth as well as strength and power. Luminous stars, which helped sailors and other travelers orient and […]
On Thursday, October 14 at 6 pm Eastern time, Jasper52 will hold a sale titled New Hampshire Antiques Dealers: Americana, featuring 345 lots in all. As always, the auction is curated by Clifford Wallach, an expert on tramp art, folk art, and Americana. View the auction here. Learn more about the auction on Auction Central […]
NEW YORK – Jewelry is great; designer jewelry and signed pieces of jewelry are better still. On Wednesday, October 13, starting at 8 pm Eastern time, Jasper52 will conduct a sale of Designer and Signed Jewelry. The generous selection of 246 lots features a trove of treasures ranging from brooches by Cartier to bangles by […]
Misconceptions can be stubborn things. The Pilgrims didn’t initially land on a rock at Plymouth Harbor. Betsy Ross didn’t sew the first American Flag. The Mercury dime doesn’t feature an image of the Roman god Mercury on its obverse side. Yet these ideas persist, and coin collectors continue to call the early 20th century American […]
Comic books were never meant to be anything but ephemeral. Printed on cheap paper and priced to fit the budget of a 10-year-old, they nonetheless delivered entertaining stories about characters that still hold our interest today. These publications delivered so well that grownups who once lavished their allowances on the newest releases from DC, Marvel, […]
On Tuesday, October 5, starting at 8 pm Eastern time, Jasper52 will hold an 131-lot auction of Maps from a Seller’s Private Collection. While the consignor has declined to be named, he is comfortable revealing that he is a map dealer from Ohio, and is offering his private collection. All lots in the sale represent […]