FALLS CHURCH, VA.- A unique work by 20th-century German artist Joseph Heinrich Beuys and a painting by American artist Ida Kohlmeyer are expected to be the top draws at Quinn’s Jan. 27 Fine & Decorative Arts Auction. The 460-lot selection features an impressive offering of contemporary, modern, and Chinese works in addition to traditional art, furniture, silver, and unique lacquer boxes. Absentee and Internet live bidding is available through LiveAuctioneers.

Beuys’ mixed-media construction consists of nine paper labels wired together within a double-framed presentation. Each label is printed with the name of an Italian place of business and phone number, and is signed by the artist on verso. The provenance backing this unique artwork includes Totem Gallery, Venice, Italy. It has a $20,000-$30,000 estimate.

Titled Carousel, Ida Kohlmeyer’s gaily colored mixed-media painting on canvas is signed and dated 1983 at the lower left. This quintessential representation of Kohlmeyer’s distinctive style measures 20¼ by 36 inches and is the larger of two Kohlmeyer paintings entered in the auction. It is expected to make $15,000-$25,000.

The market has been very strong for Harry Bertoia (Italian/American, 1915-1978) metal sculptures. Quinn’s will present at its auction an unusual Bertoia welded bronze sculpture that measures 16 by 13 by 6 inches, inclusive of wood block-form base. An outstanding example by a premier mid-20th-century artist, it is expected to sell for $4,000-$6,000.

A 1968 serigraph in vibrant neon colors by Niki de Saint Phalle (French/American, 1930-2002) is titled My Love, My Love and pencil-signed and numbered 93/100 in the lower margin. In fine condition, the artwork is estimated at $2,000-$4,000.

Signed and dated 1974 by Trung Nguyen/Zhong Ruan (Vietnamese), a 1974 oil-on-canvas reflects both French and Asian influences. Its moody subject matter consists of an almond-eyed young woman carrying a bunch of redolent flowers on her head, against a blue and green gradient ground. With a framed size of 32 x 32 inches square, it comes to auction with a $3,000-$5,000 estimate.

Several lots of desirable Chinese jade objets d’art from a noteworthy private collection will be available to bidders, among them a set of 10 carved white jade bells on a two-tiered carved stand, $12,000-$16,000; and a white jade pillar-form relief carving of a scholar standing over a bridge under pine trees, with a temple overlooking mountains in the background, $2,000-$4,000. Another exquisite piece is a 15¾ by 18 by 9-inch carved jadeite mountainscape with a scholar and boy in a setting of bamboo, pine and floral trees amid swirling clouds. Its estimate is $1,500-$2,500.

One of several beautiful Chinese boxes to be auctioned, Lot 445 is decorated in Qiangjin style with a flying-dragon motif in green, brown, yellow and teal on a red ground. It has a nicely detailed metal plate and lock on its façade that overlaps the box’s lid and body. It is estimated at $300-$500.

A timeless Tiffany & Co. Art Deco sterling silver bowl in the Tomato pattern would add understated elegance to any table. Of highest quality and artistry, it weighs .26ozt and carries a pre-sale estimate of $600-$900.

There are many other discoveries to be made in this auction, some of them historical, such as an Olympic relay torch from the 1936 Summer Games in Berlin. German industrial giant and arms manufacturer Krupp produced more than 3,800 of these torches for the 1936 event – the first instance in which the iconic objects were used. More than 3,300 runners dressed in Ancient Greek tradition transported the Olympic flame from Olympia in Greece to the Berlin site. The runners’ route is inscribed on the torch, with several cities noted, such as Budapest, Vienna, Prague and Dresden. The first-ever torch-relay ceremony, in which the auction torch was used, was designed to further Hitler's nationalist propaganda. The torch in Quinn’s auction is estimated at $4,000-$6,000.

Stylish travelers will want to take note of several English fitted vanity boxes, each with fitted compartments and a variety of luxury containers. Lot 206, for example, is an early 19th-century production of burled walnut with Greek Key marquetry bands. Inside, it houses glass bottles and boxes with sterling silver lids, and pearl-handled vanity tools. Estimate: $500-$700

Quinn’s Saturday, January 27, 2018 Fine & Decorative Arts Auction will begin at 11 a.m. Eastern Time at the company’s gallery located at 360 S. Washington St., Falls Church, VA 22046.