We are currently seeking consignments for our upcoming auction of Asian Arts, Antique Oriental Rugs and Textiles Auction: Sunday, March 22, 2015, 10am est Consignments accepted until February 6 Learn about selling at Material Culture auctions or Contact a specialist
Winter Estates: Art, Antiques, Americana, Oriental Rugs, Asian & Decorative Arts Auction: Saturday, December 20, 2014, 10am est Exhibition: December 18-19, 11am-5pm Browse the Auction Catalog and Bid Live on LiveAuctioneers.com Browse the Virtual Print Catalog Absentee Bid Form | Telephone Bid Form | Terms and Conditions (PDF) In the middle of the holiday season, Material Culture will host a Winter Estates sale subtitled “Art, Antiques, Decorative and Ethnographic Arts.” Over 700 lots come fresh to the market in this December 20 sale, including fine art, Oriental rugs, Asian decorative arts, and American advertising, ephemera and decorative arts. With a broad range of collectibles, a fine selection of vintage postcards, antique Continental ceramics, art books, and more, the auction promises to have tempting lots for almost every kind of collector. Fine art at the auction presents pieces in many different genres. Oil pantings on canvas, such as “Bathing Boys” (lot 29), by Indonesian painter I.W.J. Munut (b. 1941) are on offer in the sale. A color woodcut by Luigi Rist (American, 1888-1959), titled “We Repeat (Still life with Radishes)” (lot 400) is charming with a hint of the surreal. Sculpture is led by a Curtis Jere tabletop sculpture of birds, rendered in [...]
Material Culture Presents: The Afghan Peace Rug Project For the past 30 years, Afghan war rugs have been highly valued and internationally collected as pieces of modern folk art. These rugs, woven by Afghan village artisans since 1979 following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, depict images of the wars and conflict that have been a trademark of this country for the past three decades. In an effort to both revitalize the Afghan economy and reshape its image from one of war to one of peace, Material Culture has partnered with a group of village rug producers in Afghanistan to launch the Peace Rug Project. Working with the same village artisans who have been weaving images of tanks, guns and hand grenades for years, the Peace Rug Project has challenged these artisans to leave behind this imagery and weave instead images of peace. Small, folk-art sized wool carpets using natural dyes and depicting images of flowers, birds, animals, village life, and all manner of personal expression, have begun to emerge from Afghan villages and Material Culture is proud to bring them to the international market. This series of unique, one of a kind rugs, each depicting the weaver's vision of the peaceful [...]
The Peacebomb collection by ARTICLE 22, a jewelry line designed from weapons of mass destruction, is now on sale at Material Culture and will be featured in our "Give Peace" for the Holidays event on December 14th ARTICLE 22 has been recognized by global consumers and press as pioneering the transformation of weapons to jewelry and, more generally, the tangible value of transformation through fashion. Driven dually by design and development, ARTICLE 22 cultivates the untapped talents of artisans in forgotten or off-the-beaten-track places, promoting entrepreneurship and community development. ARTICLE 22 designs beautiful and meaningful collections that tell unknown stories and give back. PEACEBOMB, the first collection, is jewelry made from Vietnam War era bombs by Laotian artisans. ARTICLE 22 seeks to embody a new luxury that intimately relates our objects and ideas. As appropriate, additional giveback benefits a broader cause. For PEACEBOMB, each bracelet sold demines 3m2 of bomb littered land. The collections are composed of modern artifacts with a distinct hand feel. They are designed for those concerned by authenticity and quality, those curious to discover. Article 22 “I Love Peace” bangles are currently featured in the “My Favorite Things” holiday gift promotion giveaway to 10 lucky winners, sponsored by the Philadelphia Daily News (click for details) [...]
We'd like to thank everyone who helped make our Supper Club on November 22nd a great time for all who attended!
Exhibition, November 22nd-February 28th, 2015 Selections from the Isabella de la Houssaye and David Crane Collection The population of Africa is one of the most diverse in the world with more than 3000 distinct ethnic groups and over 2100 spoken languages. Prior to colonization, each of these ethnic groups had distinct customs and artistic traditions that were reflected in both their costume and currency. Although these ethnic groups are now organized into "countries" and many have adopted western dress and traditions, to truly understand the political and cultural history of Africa you have to have some understanding of the different ethnic groups that populate these countries. This exhibition attempts to illustrate visually through items of traditional costume and currency the differences and similarities among many of these African ethnic groups. It examines how artistic and cultural traditions informed the costume and currency of the different tribes while also exploring what the costume and currency communicated about the people who wore/used it. Prior to trade with the Europeans, traditional costume was made primarily from materials at hand—leather from animals, hand-woven textiles, textiles made from natural fibers, feathers and seeds, and objects fabricated from metals. The use of beads to make and [...]
A variety of work by artists from the Center for Creative Works, including paintings, drawings, ceramics and mixed media pieces, are featured at an exhibition and sale in our mezzanine gallery. Exhibition and Sale: Now through November 2nd, 2014 Opening Reception: Saturday, October 25th, 1-3 pm About Center for Creative Works Clyde Henry "Friends" The Center for Creative Works is a progressive art and design studio in Wynnewood PA. CCW provides guidance in materials and techniques to adults with developmental disabilities. Professional artists work to encourage participants to build portfolios, exhibit and sell their work. CCW promotes their work through our website, exhibitions, and other venues. A participant can find self-expression here using mediums ranging from painting and sculpture to video or music and does so in a supportive, self-directed environment free from criticism and pressure. These participant artists show their work throughout the region and have participated in Outsider Art Fairs in New York and St Louis as well. Design work of CCW artists is used in in-house generated creative products such as cards, textiles, ceramics and wood working. CCW strives to offer our artists opportunities to define themselves through their artistic expression and contribute to the greater community by sharing their unique human experience though visual expression. Artists' [...]
Purvis Young Auction: Sunday, October 26, 10am est Exhibition: October 24-25, 11am-5pm Browse the Auction Catalog on LiveAuctioneers.com Browse the Virtual Print Catalog Absentee Bid Form | Telephone Bid Form | | Terms and Conditions (PDF) In its sale "Folk, Self-Taught and Outsider Art," Material Culture will bring together a rich compendium of artistic works across these categories. A leader in self-taught art, the auction house once again showcases some of the top names in this increasingly popular field, offering excellent opportunities for both established and new collectors. Presenting works by American artists such as Purvis Young, Victor Joseph Gatto, Howard Finster, Justin McCarthy and Rex Clawson, and international stars such as Prince Twins Seven Seven, Jacques-Enguerrand Gourgue and Georges Liautaud, along with many others, this auction is a testament to the vitality of individual vision. The over 320 lots in the sale also offer a wealth of ethnographic and folk art and artifacts. The auction commences at 10AM on Sunday, October 26, 2014, with LiveAuctioneers.com facilitating live Internet bidding. The painting, sculpture, and folk art pieces in the sale will be on view in Material Culture’s dedicated gallery space October 24 and 25, from 11AM to 5PM. Admittance is [...]
Material Culture to auction superb silver, jewelry and objets de vertu from Princeton’s long-revered retail establishment The Silver Shop, Weekend Two, Sunday, Oct. 12 For 77 years, The Silver Shop played low-key host to a discriminating celebrity clientele Weekend Two--ONE DAY ONLY– Auction in Philadelphia: October 12, Sunday, 11am est Exhibition: October 9-11, 11am-5pm Browse the Catalog on LiveAuctioneers.com Browse the Virtual Print Catalog Absentee Bid Form | Telephone Bid Form | | Terms and Conditions (PDF) Since 1937, The Silver Shop in Princeton, New Jersey, has catered to a selective clientele that included not only blue-blooded Princetonians but also celebrities, politicians and design luminaries from around the world. America’s oldest retail silver specialist in continuous operation, The Silver Shop was the sort of quietly elite establishment where, in its earlier days, one might bump into Sir Laurence Olivier, Albert Einstein or members of the Guggenheim family browsing the upscale wares. Later, it became a favored gift emporium for numerous New Jersey governors, and tastemakers like Frank Gehry, Martha Stewart and Michael Graves. The Silver Shop also welcomed among its high-profile guests Bruce Springsteen, who would purchase gifts for his mother; and Brooke Shields, who actually lived above the shop while a [...]
Material Culture Proudly Presents: Nicholas Toth, The Last Helmet Maker Award Winning Artist and National Heritage Fellow, Nicholas Toth, Presents a Gallery Talk and Exhibition Gallery Talk, Saturday, July 19, 2pm Exhibition, July 16-19 Free, Open to the Public Exhibited Items Available for Purchase As the guest artist and Master Helmet Maker, Nicholas Toth will be showcasing his copper and brass art work and his masterfully designed copper and brass diving helmets. As a highly skilled metal artist and craftsman, Nicholas has been featured both nationally and internationally, with his work included in permanent museum exhibits and national archives. Nicholas is a National Heritage Fellow, receiving this prestigious award in 2003 from the National Endowment for the Arts. In 2006 he was recognized by the Historical Diving Society US Chapter for his significant contributions, receiving the ER Cross Award. In 2008 he was awarded the Florida Folk Heritage Award, presented by the Department of State, Division of Historical Resources and in 2012 Nicholas was once again honored by the State of Florida, receiving his second Florida Individual Artist Fellowship. With over 30 years of experience and a lifelong exposure and immersion in the culture and mysteries of the historic gulf [...]
