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A snake pin owned by a secretary of state, notable snuff bottles, Meissen ewers with celebrity provenance, vintage cameras, and elegant silver flatware are among the choice lots WorthPoint’s Industry Partners are offering in several May auctions.
After Madeleine Albright (1937–2022) criticized Saddam Hussein when she was the US Ambassador to the United Nations, his poet-in-residence called her an “unparalleled serpent.” The next time she met with Iraqi officials, Albright wore a snake pin, sending a diplomatic message: “Don’t tread on me,” proving that a well-chosen piece of jewelry can literally be a statement piece.
Statement brooches continued to be Albright’s sartorial signature after she became the first woman to serve as the US secretary of state under former president Bill Clinton from 1997 to 2001.
On May 7, Freeman’s | Hindman is presenting The Private Collection of Secretary Madeleine K. Albright in New York featuring some of her celebrated pins, including lot 1, a green and white rhinestone snake pin by renowned costume jewelry designer Kenneth Jay Lane, whose work is always in demand with collectors.
Though this snake pin is not the piece she wore for Iraqi officials, it was gifted to her. It is now part of the Read My Pins exhibit of her jewelry that debuted in 2009 at the National Museum of American Diplomacy and reflects her career and life.
First produced in China during the 18th century, snuff bottles were designed as containers to hold ground tobacco. They were initially made for royalty but eventually produced in greater quantities for the public and have fascinated Asian and Western collectors ever since.
On May 9, Eldred’s is offering nearly eighty of these miniature beauties in its live auction, Snuff Bottles: From the Grandchildren of Ruth and Carl Barron, in Hanover, Massachusetts. This includes lot 9540, a Chinese famille rose bottle from the 19th century, featuring Peking enamel, a decoration of figures in a landscape, and a gold metal stopper.
The late Ruth and Carl Barron were members of the International Chinese Snuff Bottle Society and two of the most well-known and respected collectors of these objects.
Snuff bottles, which measure between one-and-a-half and three inches high, are admired by collectors for their fine craftsmanship, intricate symbolism, and clever use of every imaginable type of material. The interest in collecting them has not waned since the days of the Qing dynasty.
The German company Meissen, the first porcelain manufacturer in Europe, is one of the most popular and sought-after porcelain makers. Over the centuries, it has attracted collectors for its high quality, whimsical creations and elegant designs.
Four-time Grammy Award-winning international superstar Vikki Carr was also a fan, and Vogt Auction Galleries is offering an impressive pair of porcelain ewers from her Texas home at its May 11 auction, The Collection of Vikki Carr, in San Antonio, Texas.
Lot 174 is a set of two Meissen “element” ewers from the 19th century, representing Air and Earth and featuring applied relief figures of putti and various Greek gods and goddesses.
These Meissen element ewers, which also included representations of Fire and Water, were first designed around 1735 by Johann Joachim Kändler, a German sculptor who became Meissen’s most important modeler. Impressive in both artistry and size, the ewers are the pinnacle of his work and are considered to be among the most spectacular examples of Meissen porcelain ever produced.
In today’s world, where every moment is captured with digital precision, antique and vintage cameras still hold much appeal. These timeless objects evoke nostalgia, and some also have significant value, making them sought-after treasures for collectors and enthusiasts alike. Even cameras no longer in working condition can be valuable for repair and restoration or as decorative pieces.
Flints Auctions of Thatcher, England, specialists in antique and vintage cameras, is offering a selection of cameras, lenses, and photographic equipment at its Fine Photographica auction on May 21. One item is lot 206, a 1972 Hasselblad 500C/M medium-format camera outfit from the maker’s revolutionary 500 line of cameras.
Swedish camera maker Hasselblad has made a long and colorful contribution to the history of photography. As film photography is thriving again, many collectors are focusing on vintage Hasselblad models, including the 500 series, which began with the 500C, one of the most revolutionary cameras in photographic history.
First launched in 1957, the Hasselblad 500C had a leaf shutter design with a range of high-quality Carl Zeiss lenses and was considered a marvel of technology. Astronaut Walter Schirra made the camera famous after taking it with him on the Mercury rocket in 1962. Hasselblad 500s also quickly became the camera of choice for professional studio, portrait, and wedding photographers and remain classics today.
The 500C has had various modifications over the years, including the Hasselblad 500C/M, the third medium-format variation produced from 1970 to 1994.
Dining was elevated to an art form during the economic prosperity of the late 19th and early 20th centuries when companies like Towle Silversmiths of Massachusetts began producing elaborate flatware that was a beautiful blend of form and function. The timeless appeal of these flatware sets still delights collectors today as they continue to add sparkle to dining tables.
Towle produced many unique and sophisticated flatware designs, like lot 12, which is being offered in Gold River Auction Co.’s online-only Antique and Collectible Auction on May 22 from Overland Park, Kansas.
This Towle sterling silver flatware set, with a red-lined storage case, includes ninety-five pieces in the Old Colonial pattern. First issued in 1895 and inspired by the historic Newburyport area of Massachusetts, Old Colonial is lavishly decorated with graceful curves that flow down a beaded and scrolled handle. Representing the height of craftsmanship, this flatware will add an elegant touch to any dining table.
Adina K. Francis has been a writer and editor in the antiques and collectibles field for more than 20 years. She has a bit of an obsession with the Victorians and thinks that dogs are one of life’s greatest gifts.
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