Silver Gilt Roman Drinking Cups

The Museum Docent - Series

In the Princeton University Art Museum Ancient Art section a 1st century A.D. Roman drinking cup is currently on view. The cup with Bacchic motifs in high relief was purchased by the museum in 2000 from the Fowler McCormick Fund . The silver gilt cup was signed on the foot by its owner, Sisimis. The cup is made in five pieces consisting of two handles, one foot, an interior straight undecorated flat stock of silver, and one exterior repousee of high relief… read the entire article: The Making of Silver Gilt Roman Drinking Cups

Collecting Civil War Era Newspapers

The First Emancipation Proclamation and the First South Carolina Colored Regiment

The following is a wonderful 1862 contemporary newspaper report from the New York Tribune. It is the true story of the events surrounding the birth of the “1st South Carolina Colored Regiment,” how it was formed and organized, along with a complete list of its commanding officers as they existed on June 5, 1862. As far as we know, this is the first time this eye witness account has seen the light of day since it was published nearly 150 years ago, on Saturday, June 21, 1862. In fact, the specific information contained in this story was heretofore unknown, and especially as it relates to the specific record of the officers who served in the 1st South Carolina Colored Regiment. As a result, many of the officers’ official war records are incomplete–save brief mentions for a few who are referenced in some databases as having being assigned to “colored troop detail.”

So, let’s dig into this historical piece and see what we can learn about the first Emancipation Proclamation and about what the Union Army referred to as an “experiment” which was to utilize the untapped resources of what was termed the “loyal Southern slaves” …read the entire article: The Joy of Collecting Civil War Era Newspapers #2

Auction House Risk Factors to Consider

Business of Art, series

Auction houses have been cracking down on bidders in terms of their ability to pay. Internet and telephone bidding on an international scale places bidders under a cloak of invisibility in knowing whether such bidders are willing and able to make good on their bids. Newly developing nations not secure in the rule of law places the auction house in a no-win situation since collecting debts or enforcing contracts only works if a given country has the structures and system to obey international law. No rule of law means that deadbeat bidders can operate undaunted because they face only lip service in being prosecuted or being required to pay their bills. Countries incapable of legal follow through have pushed auction houses to require solid credentials to have the privilege of bidding on works. Escrow payments, prior to bidding, serve to protect all from worthless bids and inefficient litigation to collect from deadbeat bidders. Further, unlike dealers and galleries which may sell unbeknownst to the consignor, auction houses are transparent such that consignors may be provided a greater level of comfort knowing how much, when, where, and to whom a given work was processed…

Read the entire article: The Auction House - Know Your Risk Factors

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