The first jewelry auction of the fall season, the Important Jewels sale this September offers an abundance of beautiful and very wearable signed pieces from every key style and period.  Collectors of iconic Art Deco jewels will discover one of Cartier’s rarest works, an exquisite “Tutti Frutti” bracelet made in the late 1920’s, featured on the catalogue cover.  A selection of David Webb jewels from an American collector comprises both diamond-set pieces and bold enameled designs.  Also highlighting the sale are the decorative jewels from the estate of Mrs. Walter Matthau.  An array of top quality white and fancy colored diamonds is offered this September — led by a classic emerald-cut diamond ring, 9.19 carats, D color, set by Van Cleef & Arpels and a 2.59 carat pear-shaped fancy intense blue diamond mounted in a pendant-necklace.  Whether one gravitates to fine stones or beautiful signed jewels, this sale offers enticing options for every collector.

This sale will draw together some of the finest exponents of printmaking across five centuries, encompassing a variety of styles and techniques.

Highlights from the Old Master section include Albrecht Dürer’s engraving Saint Jerome in his Study. Together with Melencolia, also in the sale, this engraving represents the pinnacle of Dürer’s achievement in this medium. Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn is featured by a very fine and atmospheric impression of the first state of Faust.

The Modern section comprises an interesting group of works by Pablo Picasso including a series of etchings from his early period in Paris, known as La Suite des Saltimbanques.

The printed work of Joan Miró is represented by a number of rare artist’s proofs which illustrate his collaboration with the printer Mourlot. These were acquired by the present owner directly from the famous French printer who became a reference point for important 20th Century artists.

Eminent artists such as Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, as well as Keith Haring, Richard Hamilton and Damien Hirst feature in the Pop and Contemporary section.

On September 21st, Sotheby’s New York will present A Midcentury Eye: The Collection of Colleen Sullivan, a window into the vibrant and unique aesthetic of this private collector.  This auction of European and American furniture, ceramics, glass and carpets from the 1930s -1960s, assembled with a curatorial eye by Ms. Sullivan in her Chicago apartment over the last decade, includes works by Jean Royere, Georges Jouve, Rene Herbst, Helge Vestergaard Jensen, and Samuel Marx.  With the majority of the pieces estimated between $5,000 and $30,000, the auction represents a rare opportunity for both new and established collectors to acquire sought after works from influential designers at an accessible price.

Sotheby’s is pleased to introduce S2, a newly-constructed private gallery space within our York Avenue headquarters that is dedicated to special selling exhibitions of contemporary art. Designed by architect Richard Gluckman, who also created the celebrated auction galleries on the 10th floor of our building, S2 will host unique shows that focus on singular artists and themes within the contemporary genre. All of the works on display will be available for private sale, offering a new and exciting dimension to the Sotheby’s experience.

This autumn Sotheby’s is pleased to announce an evening sale of Arts of the Islamic World, taking place on 4 October. Comprising 44 lots, the sale features an exceptional selection of ceramics from the Harvey B. Plotnick Collection. Assembled over the past 20 years, the collection focuses principally on the cultures of Persia and Mesopotamia, as well as the trade routes between the Mediterranean and Central Asia.

Among the pieces are a fabulous polychrome floral mosaic tile panel originating from 15th-century Transoxiana, and a beautiful and rare Kashan lustre dish depicting an onager, a wild Asian ass native to the deserts of the Middle East, Persia and India. The evening sale will also include a number of masterpieces of Muslim craftsmanship from across the Islamic world, including an important gilded and enamelled glass candlestick, displaying the luxurious quality of courtly wares of the Mamluk period in Egypt and Syria.