Sotheby's Sale Catalog, James Naismith's Founding Rules of Basketball, 1st Ed

Sotheby's Catalog, An Important Russian Imperial Jewel. Geneva 17 November 2005. 1st Ed hardcover. "An impressive and highly important diamond ornament from the collection of the Russian Imperial Family, Russia, second half of the 18th century. This diamond necklace with bowknot clasp is not only a remarkable jewel in itself, but its Russian royal provenance puts it in a class of its own. It evokes the blinding splendour of Catherine II, Empress of Russia: the magnificence of her court, her parks, her palaces, her art collections, and monuments. The most striking and colourful figure on the stage of European political life, for thirty four years she ruled a mighty empire which stretched from Siberia to Poland and left it stronger, larger and richer than when she came to the throne in 1762. After her death in 1796, her friend the Prince de Ligne, who had named her Catherine the Great, declared that this title- which has never been lost- resumed all her genius, courage, sense of justice, and force of character. Using her court as a stage, she played the part of an autocratic but enlightened ruler to perfection, imposing in her public appearances, kind and charming in private. The French ambassador, the Comte de Ségur who noticed how “her majestic head and brow, proud look and dignified deportment made her seem taller than she was”, was also impressed by her feminine grace “ her aquiline nose, well shaped mouth, Saxe blue eyes beneath dark lashes, gentle glance and seductive smile”. In spite of her success, she once confided to the Prince de Ligne that she could have served Russia better if she had been born a man. Ever the courtier, he assured her that being a woman was a positive advantage. “Believe me, you are so much more impressive in your beautiful embroidered orange red velvet dolman or tunic than a man decked out in boots and shoulder sash can ever be. In addition the five huge diamonds blazing out from your hair are far more effective than a man’s hat which is either ridiculously small or ridiculously big”. He was right. Her diamond jewellery proclaimed her power and her rank as Empress and appealed to the Russian taste for sumptuous goods. It impressed the Rev. William Coxe, visiting St. Petersburg in 1778: “the glory and the splendor of the clothing of the court and abundance of precious stones leave the opulence of other European courts far behind” and his opinion was shared by the acute Madame de Stael...

Sotheby's Art at Auction - The Art Market in Review 1993-1994 by Sotheby's. Hightlights: "The Property of a Lady" by Ian Fleming a James Bond short story (commissioned by Sotheby's in 1963), Klimt (Dame mit Facher), David Smith (Cubi V), Harry Winston diamond necklace...

Sotheby's London 2019 Auction Catalog Qing Imperial Porcelain. 1st Ed hardcover. This is a collection of fine imperial porcelains carefully assembled by a discerning private collec...

Art at Auction : The Year at Sotheby's 1981-1982. Published by Sotheby Parke Bernet, 1982. 1st Ed hardcover with dust jacket. This annual reference work provides a view of the year's...

Art at Auction: The Year at Sotheby's, 1985-1986, Edit by Georgia Fogg. Printed by Sotheby's, London. 1st Ed hardcover with dust jacket. This annual reference work provides a view of...

Art at Auction: The Year at Sotheby's, 1985-86, Edit by Georgia Fogg. Printed by Sotheby's, London. 1st Ed hardcover with dust jacket. This annual reference work provides a view of t...

A collection of 15 Sotheby's Auction Catalog's . Most in the (Important 20 Th Century Decorative works of Art ) All in great condition from a collector of Art Deco . 100,s more . Man...

The Greta Garbo Collection, Sale 6098 - November 1990 Sotheby's NY. Glossy orange patterned hard cover book w/ dust wrapper and slipcase. Colored photographic illustrations of Impres...

A group of seven Sotheby's New York Pre-Columbian sales catalogs with lavish color photos. An invaluable reference for the collector, scholar or anyone interested in Pre-Columbian a...

Basquiat Man Made exhibition catalog 2013: Rare 2013 exhibition catalog to Sotheby's S/2 Basquiat "Man Made" exhibition sale featuring over 30 works by Jean-Michel Basquiat. The cata...

Sotheby's catalogues from the Duke and Duchess of Windsor Auction from September 11-19, 1997. New York: Sotheby's, 1997. First edition ...

Sotheby's New York, catalogue from November 1990. Profusely illustrated throughout, mostly in colour. In a very good dust jacket with a glossy orange slipcase. Hardback catalogue for...