Auctions

THE CHINALAIS | A 50-YEAR COLLECTION Vichai and Lee Chinalai No one is more astonished at the title of this auction than we are. A 50-year collection! It all began when we were living in Thailand in the early 1970s. After having a baby and building a house designed by Vichai, a young architect with a brand-new office, we didn’t have much money left over to buy anything extra. Even so, little by little we managed to acquire pieces of antique Hill Tribe silver jewelry and Shan, Chinese and Cambodian embossed silver boxes. You will see some of them in this auction. It didn’t take long for us to become entranced with antique tribal art. The older work was created with spontaneity and rich with stories. It contained a spirit that was individual, cultural, and communal. It had, in short, both beauty and soul. Then, in the late 70s and early 80s, Vichai had several architectural projects in Bahrain and we moved there. He set up a branch office and, for fun, we opened the first indoor plant shop on the island. The business took off and we added gifts, crafts, and antiques, and later a restaurant (plus [...]

THE CHINALAIS | A 50-YEAR COLLECTION 420 Lots | No Reserves Including Rarely Seen Masterpieces of Asian and Ethnographic Art, Textiles, Jewelry, Objects, Paintings Live Showroom Auction: Tuesday, May 19, 2026, 11AM ET Public Exhibition: May 17-18, 11AM-4PM JOIN US! Sunday, May 17, for Refreshments and a Featured Talk by Lee Chinalai at 1PM: “Objects in Motion: Highlights from the Chinalai Collection“   Vichai and Lee Chinalai No one is more astonished at the title of this auction than we are. A 50-year collection! It all began when we were living in Thailand in the early 1970s. After having a baby and building a house designed by Vichai, a young architect with a brand-new office, we didn’t have much money left over to buy anything extra. Even so, little by little we managed to acquire pieces of antique Hill Tribe silver jewelry and Shan, Chinese and Cambodian embossed silver boxes. You will see some of them in this auction. It didn’t take long for us to become entranced with antique tribal art. The older work was created with spontaneity and rich with stories. It contained a spirit that was individual, cultural, and communal. It had, in [...]

SPRING ESTATES Day 2: Textile Arts & Rugs ~ 363 Lots | No Reserves ~ Live Showroom Auction: Wednesday, April 15, 2026, 11 AM EST Public Exhibition: April 12-13, 11 AM-4 PM BUYER’S PREMIUM: IN-HOUSE, PHONE, ABSENTEE: 25% Absentee Bid Form | Telephone Bid Form | Terms and Conditions (PDF) Browse the Auction Catalog and Bid Live Online: Online Bidding Also Available on these Portals: NOTE: There Are No Hidden or Confidential Reserves; All Acceptable Bidding Commences at the Online Start Price. We Sell Approximately 60-80 Lots Per Hour. Shown below are a small sampling of lots. Please go to one of the online portal links above to view the entire auction catalog.    

SPRING ESTATES Day 1: Fine Art, Folk & Outsider Art, Ethnographic Works, Antiques & Decorative Arts ~ 456 Lots | No Reserves ~ Live Showroom Auction: Tuesday, April 14, 2026, 11 AM EST Public Exhibition: April 12-13, 11 AM-4 PM BUYER’S PREMIUM: IN-HOUSE, PHONE, ABSENTEE: 25% Absentee Bid Form | Telephone Bid Form | Terms and Conditions (PDF) Browse the Auction Catalog and Bid Live Online: Online Bidding Also Available on these Portals: NOTE: There Are No Hidden or Confidential Reserves; All Acceptable Bidding Commences at the Online Start Price. We Sell Approximately 60-80 Lots Per Hour. Shown below are a small sampling of lots. Please go to one of the online portal links above to view the entire auction catalog.  

ORIENTAL RUGS FROM AMERICAN ESTATES | 79 372 Lots | No Reserves Live Showroom Auction: Wednesday, March 25, 2026, 11AM EST Public Exhibition: March 23-24, 11AM-4PM BUYER’S PREMIUM: IN-HOUSE, PHONE, ABSENTEE: 25% Absentee Bid Form | Telephone Bid Form | Terms and Conditions (PDF) Browse the Auction Catalog and Bid Live Online: Online Bidding Also Available on these Portals: NOTE: There Are No Hidden or Confidential Reserves; All Acceptable Bidding Commences at the Online Start Price. We Sell Approximately 60-80 Lots Per Hour. Shown below are a small sampling of lots. Please go to one of the online portal links above to view the entire auction catalog.

JUNE: WORLD TRADITIONS Now seeking consignments for a month of curated Vetted Select auctions and exhibitions presenting exceptional works from global cultural traditions. Contact: expert@materialculture.com ARTS OF INDIA Live Showroom Auction: Tuesday, June 9, 2026 Public Exhibition: June 7–8 Consignments accepted until May 1 ARTS OF ASIA & THE WORLD Day 1: Chinese & Asian Arts Day 2: Tribal, Ethnographic & Textile Arts Live Showroom Auction: June 23–24, 2026 Public Exhibition: June 21–23 Consignments accepted until May 15 Presenting a Survey of Past Auction Results

INTERNATIONAL TEXTILE ARTS | 25 500 Lots | No Reserves Live Showroom Auction: Wednesday, February 25, 2026, 10AM EST Public Exhibition: February 22-23, 11AM-4PM BUYER’S PREMIUM: IN-HOUSE, PHONE, ABSENTEE: 25% Absentee Bid Form | Telephone Bid Form | Terms and Conditions (PDF) Browse the Auction Catalog and Bid Live Online: Online Bidding Also Available on these Portals: NOTE: There Are No Hidden or Confidential Reserves; All Acceptable Bidding Commences at the Online Start Price. We Sell Approximately 60-80 Lots Per Hour. Shown below are a small sampling of lots. Please go to one of the online portal links above to view the entire auction catalog.    

WINTER ESTATES Folk & Fine Art, Antiques, Decorative Arts, Oriental Rugs & Much More! 549 Lots | No Reserves Live Showroom Auction: Tuesday, February 3, 2026, 10AM EST Public Exhibition: February 1-2, 11AM-4PM BUYER’S PREMIUM: IN-HOUSE, PHONE, ABSENTEE: 25% Absentee Bid Form | Telephone Bid Form | Terms and Conditions (PDF) Browse the Auction Catalog and Bid Live Online: Online Bidding Also Available on these Portals: NOTE: There Are No Hidden or Confidential Reserves; All Acceptable Bidding Commences at the Online Start Price. We Sell Approximately 60-80 Lots Per Hour. Shown below are a small sampling of lots. Please go to one of the online portal links above to view the entire auction catalog.  

VETTED SELECT | AFRICAN & OCEANIC TRIBAL ART 341 Lots | No Reserves Live Showroom Auction: Monday, January 14, 2026, 11AM EST Public Exhibition: January 11-13, 11AM – 4PM Guest Curator: Amyas Naegele JOIN US: Special Exhibition Reception & Refreshments, Sunday, January 11, Noon – 3PM BUYER’S PREMIUM: IN-HOUSE, PHONE, ABSENTEE: 25% Absentee Bid Form | Telephone Bid Form | Terms and Conditions (PDF) Browse the Auction Catalog and Bid Live Online: Online Bidding Also Available on these Portals: NOTE: There Are No Hidden or Confidential Reserves; All Acceptable Bidding Commences at the Online Start Price. We Sell Approximately 60-80 Lots Per Hour. Shown below are a small sampling of lots. Please go to one of the online portal links above to view the entire auction catalog.

MATERIAL CULTURE FROM THE ERA OF MAO 50 Years of Chinese Art and Artifacts – The Battledore Collection 398 Lots | No Reserves Live Showroom Auction: Monday, December 8, 2025, 10AM EST Public Exhibition: December 5-7, 11AM – 4PM Join Us! Special Exhibition Reception & Refreshments, Sunday, December 7, Noon – 3PM BUYER’S PREMIUM: IN-HOUSE, PHONE, ABSENTEE: 25% Absentee Bid Form | Telephone Bid Form | Terms and Conditions (PDF) Browse the Auction Catalog and Bid Live Online: Online Bidding Also Available on these Portals: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Justin G. Schiller Material Culture is proud to announce “Material Culture from the Era of Mao: 50 Years of Chinese Art and Artifacts – The Battledore Collection,” an extraordinary auction presenting the personal collection of Justin G. Schiller, internationally celebrated art-book dealer, collector, and cultural historian. Spanning four decades of collecting, this exceptional group of paintings, posters, ceramics, sculptures, textiles, and artifacts from China’s Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) reflects Schiller’s lifelong fascination with visual storytelling and cultural history in its many forms. Assembled with scholarly care and aesthetic curiosity, the Battledore Collection—named after Schiller’s pioneering gallery devoted to illustrated art and children’s literature—illuminates the intersection of art, ideology, and design during one of [...]