Christmas Card by Ernest Shepard

CHRISTMAS GREETINGS from Norah and Ernest Shepard: "This pen and ink drawing of Eeyore with holly, Pooh with a jar of honey and Piglet with a Christmas cracker comprises the original illustration for the only known Christmas card ever created by E.H. Shepard featuring the A.A. Milne characters." Offered for sale by Sotheby's in 1997. Sold for 30,000 GBP

What a treat it would have been to receive this Christmas card!

Winnie The Pooh Map Illustration

Winnie the Pooh Map Illustration Sets a Major New Auction Record

This original illustration sold for $570,000 and is the most expensive book illustration ever sold. Drawn in 1926 by illustrator E.H. Shepard, the map depicts the homes of beloved characters from the story, such as Christopher Robin, Pooh Bear, Piglet, Owl, Eeyore, and Kanga and Roo, in addition to other local spots.

An illustration of Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh walking through the Hundred Acre Wood, which sold at Sotheby's London. The illustration was offered alongside four other original Winnie the Pooh drawings, also created by Shepard, all of which have been out of the public eye for nearly 50 years. Combined, the five illustrations were sold for a total of $1.2 million, though they were estimated to only fetch between $412,000 and $584,000. 

Read the entire article here. Photos from Sotheby's

Beatrix Potter: Rabbits in Snow w/ Sleds

Beatrix Potter watercolors.

So Charming!

I never get tired of her images, do you?

via and google images

NYC: Townhouse of Bunny Mellon

Bunny Mellon's NYC townhouse at 125 East 70th Street. See the Sotheby's real estate listing with numerous photos, both inside and out, here. Meet the buyer.

Beatrix Potter Rabbits w/ Sled in Snow

Another Beatrix Potter watercolor that's new to me.

Potter, Beatrix
TWO RABBITS WITH A SLEDGE IN THE SNOW
via Sotheby's

Video: Bunny Mellon's Collection Displayed at Sotheby's

I can't get enough. This is old news but it still interests me immensely. Read the article and see more photos in a slide show @ Architectural Digest

Guests of Architectural Digest celebrate the collection of Mrs. Paul Bunny Mellon at Sotheby's. 

http://www.architecturaldigest.com/video/2014/celebrating-bunny-mellon-collection-video

Click on the link above to open the Architectural Digest video and then click to start it. Enjoy!

Beatrix Potter Original Watercolors "This Pig Went to Market"

Sotheby's London, English Literature, History, Children's Books and Illustrations, 10 July 2012. Potter, Beatrix, Complete Set of Four Watercolours (on Three Sheets) for 'This Pig Went to Market,' £61,250.

I keep finding more and more unknown Beatrix Potter artwork. I'm happy about that and hope you are too.

The illustrations were originally published in "Cecily Parsley's Nursery Rhymes," published in 1922. The first drawings shows a colonial looking pig riding a horse and cart to the market while another pig lounges on the fence with the intent of staying home. To accompany the text "This Pig had a bit of Meat; This Pig had none," the second illustration shows a grandmotherly pig frying meat (we're hoping it's not pork), while another pig-companion peels potatoes. A third drawing brings the rhyme to a close, depicting an adorable weeping pig who can't find its way home.

Images and text found here.

View full-size images at the Sotheby's site here - use arrow > to see all three.

You are welcome.

xo

Rabbits and Christmas Buns by Beatrix Potter

Merry Christmas and Plenty of Buns

An entirely unknown drawing showing an inventive use of lettering on the jars, bag and label on the set of keys. The message reads: “A Merry Christmas and Plenty of Buns H.B.P.”

Beatrix Potter's full name was Helen Beatrix Potter. Since her mother's name was also Helen, she went by Beatrix.

Fine ink and watercolor drawing heightened with gouache signed lower right [within key label]. Sold at Sotheby's London July 2008 for 42,050 GBP 

Happy Christmas Eve. I'm having dinner with friends. See you on Christmas morning. xo

World's Most Expensive Book | Audubon's Birds of America | Sotheby's London

A rare copy of John James Audubon's "Birds of America" is heading to the auction block and is expected to fetch between $6.2 million and $9.2million.

Billed as the world's most expensive book, it is one of only 119 copies in existence.

The 2-by-3-foot tome consists of 435 hand-colored prints of Audubon's famous illustrations. It comes from the collection of a British baron who died in 1955. Sotheby's London



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Chatsworth's Attic Sale | Auctions

BBC News - Today - In pictures: Chatsworth's 'attic sale'

Hundreds of items from the attics of The Duke of Devonshire's house at Chatsworth in Derbyshire are to go under the hammer at Sotheby's in October. Let's go, shall we? This will be the best attic sale ever . . . for sure!




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American Silver Punch Bowl Sells For $5.9M

A HIGHLY IMPORTANT AMERICAN SILVER PUNCH BOWL
Made by CORNELIUS KIERSTEDE, NEW YORK, 1700-1710

Pre-auction estimate $400,000 - $800,000
Sold January 22, 2010 Sotheby's New York.
Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: $5,906,500 USD
This is wonderful news for dealers and American Coin Silver collectors alike.

"Take care of your antiques and they'll take care of you."

Doesn't this make you want to polish your sterling hollowware? Read more about Cornelius Kierstede, the colonial silversmith.




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