Alderfer Auction To Offer Important Historical Biometric Prosthetics As Part Of Collectors Auction
On July 24, 2025 Alderfer Auction, as part of Alderfer’s Collectors auction, will offer a pair of prototypes of biometric prosthetic arms that were developed in the late 1960’s/early 1970’s to provide a working mechanical limb for soldiers that had lost limbs due to injuries received in military actions during the Vietnam War.
Raymond Rocklin: A Visionary Voice in Sculpture and Studio Jewelry Returns to Auction
On July 24th, 2025, Alderfer Auction presents a significant opportunity for collectors, institutions, and enthusiasts of modern American art to acquire the work of Raymond Rocklin—an artist whose legacy bridges fine art, wearable design, and philosophical exploration. This curated offering includes both sculpture and studio jewelry and reflects the renewed attention to Rocklin’s contributions as a seminal, though often underrecognized, figure in American Abstract Expressionism and artist-made jewelry.
A Life Rooted in Adversity, Art, and Resilience
Paul McCobb’s Influence on American Mid-Century Interiors
Paul McCobb (1917–1969) stands as a seminal figure in the landscape of 20th-century American design. While his name may not have reached the same level of popular familiarity as Charles and Ray Eames or George Nelson, his impact was arguably broader and more accessible.
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A Study in Elegance: John Singer Sargent’s Enduring Allure
A previously unknown, signed oil portrait by John Singer Sargent – depicting a refined young woman in profile – has surfaced as one of the highlights of Alderfer Auction’s June 12 Fine and Decorative Arts sale. Anonymously donated to a local charity, this painting offers a rare convergence of fine art and philanthropy. The subject sits in serene profile, bathed in soft illumination as Sargent’s masterful brush captures the spirit of Gilded Age elegance. The canvas (about 30 inches high by 25 inches wide) exhibits Sargent’s hallmarks: an effortless command of light, lush yet loose brushwork, and informal grace. It draws viewers into a bygone era of society glamour while demonstrating why Sargent’s allure remains timeless.
Mourning and Memory in Georgian and Early American Decorative Arts
In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, people on both sides of the Atlantic found powerful ways to remember lost loved ones through art and craft. Mourning became not just a private grief but a public ritual expressed in decorative arts – from delicate gold brooches containing a loved one’s hair to elaborate needlework scenes of figures weeping under willows. In this article, we explore how mourning and memory intertwined in British and American objects of this era, through three compelling examples from the upcoming Weiss-Harmon Single Owner Auction: a 1790 English mourning brooch for a husband and wife, an 1806 American silk memorial embroidery for a young child, and a mid-18th-century English sampler with biblical motifs. Each piece illuminates the emotional, social, and religious dimensions of grief in its time, and together they trace a shift from traditional religious iconography to the sentimental neoclassical imagery that came to dominate mourning art.
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How to Read a Rug: Motifs, Symbols, and Structure in the Weiss-Harmen Persian Carpets
At first glance, a Persian rug might seem like just a beautiful floor covering—but for collectors, curators, and historians, each knot holds a deeper story. The artistry of these handwoven textiles reflects centuries of tradition, regional identity, and symbolic meaning. The Weiss-Harmen Single Owner Auction, taking place May 29th, 2025 at AlderferAuction.com, offers a chance to explore this visual language through a curated selection of Persian carpets and textiles—each one rich with history and significance.
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Mothers of Silver: Celebrating the Legacy of 18th- and 19th-Century Female Silversmiths in the Weis
This Mother’s Day season, as we reflect on the legacy of the women who shaped our lives, Alderfer Auction invites collectors, curators, and historians to discover the often-unsung mothers of silverwork. Our upcoming Single Owner Weiss-Harmen Auction on May 29th, 2025, features a remarkable lineup of works by 18th- and 19th-century female silversmiths, each representing a story of resilience, craftsmanship, and artistic excellence.
