ALAMEDA, CA.- Michaan’s monthly Gallery Auction is an event for all: serious collectors and casual browsers, investors and bargain hunters alike. Each auction features property from fine estates and collections, appraised and catalogued by Michaan’s specialists. The diversity and quality of the auction property are the only common factors from month to month; each sale brings entirely new delights and discoveries. On January 11, Michaan’s bidders will vie for heirloom jewels, fine art and exemplary furnishings and decorations. Art glass, designer bags, fine art photographs and luxury timepieces are just a few of the treasures in store. The live auction event is augmented by online bidding and phone bidding.

“The old mine-cut diamond is a prize sought by every fine jeweler,” notes Michaan’s specialist and GIA gemologist Elise Coronado. Mine-cut faceting showcases the quality of a stone in all its glory. In January Michaan’s offers a Victorian locket brooch that centers an old mine-cut diamond of approximately 4.25 carats, estimated at $5,000-$7,000. Another estate brooch ($600-$800) features an elegant floral and ribbon design composed of diamonds in platinum. Diamonds surround a large sapphire in the white and yellow gold ring ($2,000-$3,000). 18k gold ear clips by Bulgari ($700-$900) are festooned with diamonds, and the sapphire and diamond bracelet ($2,000-$3,000) has Art Deco sophistication.

Designer timepieces by luxury jewelers are leading highlights of January’s Gallery Auction. The ladies’ 18k yellow gold Rolex with roller is $3,000-$5,000. From Chopard, the open faced pocket watch is $1,000-$1,500. The men’s Piaget wristwatch (also $1,000-$1,500) is 18k gold with a leather band. Gentlemen’s jewelry includes silver cufflinks by Hermès, the lot of two pairs offered at $300-$500.

Beautiful things brighten every corner of Michaan’s auction gallery in January. The Gallé scenic vase ($3,000-$5,000) and lovely cameo vase ($2,000-$2,500) await collectors, alongside the Steuben ‘Rosaline’ etched vase ($1,200-$1,800) decorated with Chinese motifs and patterns. An 1892 Winchester rifle and a beautiful Bébé Jumeau doll ($3,000-$4,000) are among the special finds for collectors, who may contact Gabe Herzog, Michaan’s Department Manager, furniture and decorative arts (gabe@michaans.com) for condition reports on these fine auction lots. January furniture includes the Midcentury Modern oak table ($3,000-$4,000) by Espenet, the esteemed studio furniture maker.

Among January’s uncommon discoveries is the set of French glass slides, ten boxes in all, that present a historical record of daily life in China, 1910-1920. This tumultuous period was the definitive moment in the creation of modern China. Images range from scenic spots and landscapes to staggering scenes of war, including execution. This extraordinary find for scholars and collectors is estimated at $3,000-$4,000.

The maritime painter Antonio Jacobsen (1850-1921), esteemed painter of schooners and steam vessels, is revered by aficionados of American maritime history. Jacobsen’s framed oil on board of a clipper ship is offered by Michaan’s in January at $3,000-$5,000. Another fine art highlight is “Li River, Misty Mountain and Fisherman with Hut” by Xiao Shunzhi ($3,000-$5,000), the prominent contemporary Chinese painter. Also at $3,000-$5,000 is “Gallery” by glass artist and sculptor Emily Brock (b. 1945), who creates small-scale environments in great detail, using many different materials and techniques.

Photographs by Herb Greene (b. 1942) are among January’s highlights. Greene‘s personal friendships with many luminaries in American rock and roll gave him access to create their intimate photographic portraits. He chronicled the Grateful Dead for over 50 years. Many of Herb Greene’s photos hang in Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Greene’s portraits of Jerry Garcia and Janis Joplin are offered at Michaan’s in January, each estimated at $800$1,200.

Many wonderful late 20th Century paintings and works on paper will be sold on January 11. These include Richard Ryan’s 1996 “Still Life with Mask,” and works from the 1960s by Elmer Bischoff and Walter Kuhlman. The auction features Asian art treasures presented by Michaan’s specialist Annie Zeng. Fine Chinese porcelains and textiles, images of Buddha, and other Asian antiques sold well throughout 2019 and will be abundant in Michaan’s 2020 auctions.