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The Black Label Ballerina Butterfly brooch.

The link between jewellery designer Cindy Chao, actress Sarah Jessica Parker and the New York City Ballet is the Ballerina Butterfly brooch to be auctioned in October.  Sotheby’s will sell the brooch, designed by Chao and Parker, to benefit the New York City Ballet in Hong Kong on October 7.  The Black Label Ballerina Butterfly brooch was completed over the course of two years, melding together Chao’s exceptional craftsmanship along with Parker’s discerning eye for style and design. The resulting creation is a diamond and conch pearl brooch featuring a 26.27 carat cushion-cut fancy brown diamond, three rough brown diamond slices, three pieces of conch pearls surrounded by 4,698 diamonds and fancy coloured diamonds. Inspired by the graceful beauty of ballet it can be worn either right-side up or upside-down to create two silhouettes.  It is estimated at US$750,000-950,000.

The Black Label Masterpiece Butterflies are one of Chao’s coveted motifs and revered by collectors worldwide. This is Chao’s first art jewel collaboration.  “Sarah Jessica and I are two very different creative minds sharing the same artistic vision and passion” Chao said. “She truly appreciates the essence and soul of my creations, and I admire her innovative yet classic view of fashion and style”.

UPDATE: IT MADE HK$9.4 million.

A County Antrim collection of  18th and early 19th century glass, which includes decanters from Bushmills, will be offered at Dreweatts and Bloomsbury’s Summer Sale at Donnington Priory, Newbury, Berkshire on August 28.  The single owner collection was begun in the mind-1980’s with a focus on Dutch and Irish glass.  There is a late 19th century set of three cut and engraved spirit decanters from Bushmills, widely regarded as the oldest licensed distillery in the world.  The set, probably made for a tantalus, is inscribed:  The Bushmills Old Distillery Pure Malt, Co. Antrim, Ireland.  A pot still, the company’s original trade mark, is engraved in the centre.  It is estimated at £300-500.  A Dutch diamond engraved marriage goblet by Adam Frederik van Schurman (1730-1783), an amateur engraver related to the  engraver Anna Maria van Schurman (1607-1678), dates from 1757 and is estimated at £6,000-8,000.

An Irish cut glass pedestal bowl c1800 (£200-300).  UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR £450

A set of three Bushmills cut and engraved spirit decanters (£300-500).  UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR £550

A Waterloo, Cork, decanter and stopper (£300-500). UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR £600

An Irish decanter, possibly by Cork Glass Company, c1800 – cracked (£100.150).  UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR £170

A Dutch marriage goblet signed and dated by A.F. Schurman 1757 (£6,000-8,000).  UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD

Album of mounted photographs showing the daily progress of the building of a 54 ton trolley wagon for a rail gun at Gateshead Works dated September 13, 1914.  UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD

One of the images.

One of the more collectible lot at Dolan’s August auction in Clifden is a century old album of mounted photographs relating to the manufacture of armaments for World War 1.   The on trend lot of 47 photographs depicts the manufacture of a 54 ton trolley for a rail gun at Gateshead Works.

Dated September 13, 1914 the photos cover the entire manufacturing process which got underway almost exactly a century ago on September 1, 1914.  The Great War officially started on June 28 1914 with the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austria Hungary throne.  This album shows the building of the rail gun wagon at Gateshead just over two months later.  It shows the different crews employed and the finished carriage with canon and is estimated at 1,000-1,500. Silver, furniture, paintings, books and affordable Irish art will all come under the hammer at this two day auction in Connemara on August 4 and 5. Furniture, art and collectibles – including the World War album – will be offered on August Monday, with Irish art, rugs and outdoor effects on the following day. Both sales get underway at 12.30 p.m.  Included in the sale will be paintings and furniture from the collection of artist Kenneth Webb.