BOSTON, MASS.- Bonhams Skinner will offer an exciting series of sales in April across a number of collecting categories. Kicking off the month, European Furniture & Decorative Arts will feature a wide selection of material including an exceptional Spanish bone Inlaid two-part Bargueño. Collector's Choice: Wedgwood & Silver will present a strong selection of continental European silver including a Fabergé .875 silver kettle on a stand and tray. The Fine Wines sale is highlighted by a 3-liter bottle of Domaine de la Romanee Conti La Tache from 1971 and running online simultaneously, the Rare Spirits sale will feature a 1986 Booker’s Bourbon, likely one of the few that still exist. Jim Dixon: Woven Gardens will offer beautiful silk rugs from East Turkestan, many rare and early examples from the Caucasus, and extraordinary and early fragments ranging from Turkey to China. Fine Books and Rare Manuscripts features a copy of the American classic Little Women signed and inscribed by Louisa May Alcott, handwritten musical scores by Stephen Sondheim, and a World War II poster by a young Dr. Seuss. Finally, the Historic Militaria & Sporting Arms auction will feature over three hundred lots of collectible arms and related militaria spanning the mid-18th century through the late 20th century.

European Furniture & Decorative Arts
April 10 - 20

From April 10 – 20, Bonhams Skinner’s European Furniture & Decorative Arts sale will present a wide-range of material including Faberge and Faberge-type carvings, several bronzes as well as an extensive private collection of furniture and decorative arts and a large assemblage of Doulton stoneware. A highlight of the sale is a French Deco bronze woman with a dog, Femme au Levrier, by Raymond Leon Rivoire (1884-1966), estimated at $4,000 – 8,000. Also of note in the selection of furniture is a Spanish bone Inlaid two-part Bargueño, estimated at $8,000 – 12,000. Works of Fine Art are also well represented including Rosa Hugonis, pastel on paper, by Laura Coombs Hills (1859-1952), estimated at $2,000 – 4,000.

Collector's Choice: Wedgwood & Silver
April 19

Collector's Choice: Wedgwood & Silver on April 19 will present a strong selection of continental European silver including a pair of Georg Jensen sterling silver candelabra designed c. 1930 by Harald Nielsen (1892-1977), estimated at $6,000 – 8,000, and a Fabergé .875 silver kettle on a stand and tray, estimated at $12,000 – 18,000. The sale will also feature approximately 150 lots of Wedgwood from a Philadelphia collector with wares including jasper, black basalt and fairyland lustre and spanning 260 years of production. Highlights include a black basalt Newton, Master of The Universe figure taken from an original bronze sculpture by Sir Eduardo Paolozzi, estimated at $2,000 – 4,000, and a fairyland lustre punch bowl with a Poplar Tree exterior and a Mermaid center, estimated at $2,000 – 4,000.

Fine Wines
April 16 – 26

A jeroboam bottle of Domaine de la Romanee Conti La Tache from 1971 is the highlight of the Fine Wines auction from April 16 – 26. Estimated at $50,000 – 80,000, the bottle was one of a limited number of three liter bottles produced and was purchased in the late 1970s from a well-known San Francisco wine retailer. The sale will also offer three bottles of Screaming Eagle from 2018, estimated at $7,000 – 11,000, and three bottles from 2019, estimated at $6,800 – 11,000. Sold only through the winery, Screaming Eagle is commonly regarded as the single greatest American Cabernet Sauvignon and rivals many of the top producers in the world. Also of note are four bottles of 2002 Jacques Selosse Millesime, estimated at $4,000 – 6,000. The bottle, often considered to be the best Champagne produced in the historic 2002 vintage, is also constantly mentioned when discussing the greatest Selosse wines.

Rare Spirits
April 17 – 27

The Rare Spirits auction running online from April 17 – 27 will be highlighted by a bottle of WhistlePig Boss Hog I, estimated at $8,500 – 10,000. Founded in 2007 and based in Vermont, WhistlePig has quickly cemented itself as a premier maker of American Rye and each year produces this signature bottling called The Boss Hog. Additionally, the sale will feature a bottle of Booker’s Bourbon, estimated at $3,000 – 4,000 and bottled in 1986 before the general release in 1987. The bourbon in these bottles was distilled and blended by Booker Noe, grandson of Jim Beam. With production limited to less than 2400 bottles and gifted to VIPs only, it is likely that after 37 years only a handful still exist.

Woven Gardens | The Jim Dixon Collection
April 27

On April 27, Bonhams Skinner will present an additional auction of rugs from the extensive collection of Jim Dixon. A sophisticated collector, Dixon focused on the elevation of the artistry and historical significance of his rugs above the traditional considerations of size and condition. The resulting collection includes a vast number of rare, colorful, and aesthetically important rugs and carpets with many pieces truly unique examples of their types. The Jim Dixon: Woven Gardens sale will offer beautiful silk rugs from East Turkestan, many rare and early examples from the Caucasus, and extraordinary and early fragments ranging from Turkey to as far away as China. Many pieces date as far back as the 17th century, and everything has significant age. Highlights include an Ivory Field Beshir Prayer rug, Turkestan c. 1870, estimated at $800 – 1200, and a Pomegranate Design Khotan rug, East Turkestan c. first half 19th century, estimated at $700 – 900.

Fine Books & Rare Manuscripts
April 23 – May 3

A copy of the American classic Little Women signed and inscribed by Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888) and accompanied by a handwritten Christmas card is a highlight of Fine Books & Rare Manuscripts from April 23 – May 3. Estimated at $4,000 – 6,000, the book and card are addressed to Alcott’s cousin Lucy Ellen Sewall (1837-1890), one of the first women in the United States to become a medical doctor. The sale will also present a group of musical manuscripts, estimated at $12,000 – 18,000, from American composer Stephen Sondheim (1930-2021) including material from early unproduced shows.

Historic Militaria & Sporting Arms
April 24 – May 4

The Historic Militaria & Sporting Arms auction online from April 24 – May 4 features over three hundred lots of collectible arms and related militaria spanning the mid-18th century through the late 20th century. Highlights include a rare, decorated powder horn carved at Crown Point, New York, in 1761, estimated at $2,000 – 4,000, and an important Revolutionary War British Long Land Pattern musket with markings indicating use by the 20th Regiment of the American Continental Army, estimated at $5,000 – 7,000. The sale will also feature a selection of early 19th century American eagle pommel swords, a wide offering of Civil War swords, muskets, and revolvers, World War I and II American and European military rifles, and modern sporting and target arms.