PhilaCulturati - Rago Auctions offer Rare & Unusual Holiday Gifts

Rago Auctions offer Rare & Unusual Holiday Gifts

Published on November 23rd, 2009 by PhilaCulturati in Art Exhibition

MOVE OVER NEIMAN MARCUS. THE RARE AND UNUSUAL ARE AT AUCTION FOR HOLIDAY GIVING.RAGO AUCTIONS LOADS SURPRISES AMONG THE SILVER, PAINTINGS, JEWELRY AND ART IN IT’S DECEMBER 5th AND 6th ESTATE AUCTION.

Looking for a one-of-a-kind gift for the holidays? From a Cartier Walt Disney watch to a Buddhist throne, extraordinary gifts are just a bid away at Rago Auctions (www.ragoarts.com). Among our favorite surprises from David Rago:

For the child with everything:

- A mid-20th Century barber chair with a figural horse’s head to ride. Bidding opens at $300.

For Boomer children:

- A Walt Disney “Fantasia – Dance of the Hours” watch pin byCartier in platinum and diamonds, ca. 1940. Bidding opens at $8,000.

- A set of six Mr. Peanut martini glasses. Bidding opens at $400.

For Mad Men:

- A 24 inch high statuette of Esquire Magazine’s icon, Eskie. Bidding opens at $300.

- An 18k Patek Philippe T150 retailed by Tiffany & Co, one of just 150 produced in yellow gold, in the original box.

For ice cream addicts:

- An enameled silver sherbet set from Moscow, ca. 1896-1908, ornamented with the coat of arms of Russian cities. Bidding opens at $6,000.

For animal lovers and sports enthusiasts:

- A 14k goldhorse racing trophycupButterfly in 1955. Bidding opens at $5,000.

- A pair of brilliant cloisonné elephants. Opening bid, $2,000.

- An 1861 enamel portrait brooch of afox. Bidding opens at $500

For contemplative friends:

- A Buddhist meditation throne from Burma with inlaid glass and gold leaf. Bidding opens at $750.

For the lawyer in your life:

- An English barrister wig in a 19th C. Toleware box, gilt stenciled with the name Gardner S. Bazleye. Bidding opens at $250.

For those who long for a gentler day and age:

- A rare pair of Regency style tortoiseshell chairs and a museum quality silver bowl in which to pass jam. Each carries an opening bid of $4,000.

- A three-wheeled bath house chair in which to take the air. Bidding opens at $3,000.

For Madeleine Albright (or aspirants):

- A Cartier NY Stars and Stripes platinum brooch, ca. 1923, in the shape of a shielded eagle with diamonds, rubies and sapphires. The bidding opens at $1,000.

For Republicans or Presidential Historians:

- A Tiffany & Co. Richard Nixon silver presidential presentation tray with a gilded presidential seal. The opening bid is $200.

For railroad buffs:

- A 50 foot long mural dating from the 1920s or 1930s, depicting the Reading Terminal in Philadelphia and station stops rolling through towns and countryside. Bidding opens at $2,500.