Art
A 19th-Century Illustrated Guide to Bizarre British Games, Including Hot Cockles and Hoodman’s Blind
In 1801, British writer and engraver Joseph Strutt published a compendium of bizarre medieval pastimes.
Auctions
Art
A 1792 Mexican Novel Shows Early Day of the Dead Iconography
Engravings by Francisco Agüera Bustamante in The Astounding Life of Death show the bony figure in a variety of roles, from a baby to a king.
Art
From a Table of Phalluses to a Ménage à Trois Watercolor, Erotic Art Heads to Auction
Sotheby's first-ever auction of erotic artworks, timed to Valentine's Day, features a delightful range of objects, including a rare homoerotic painting from 18th-century Turkey.
Art
19th-Century Stereoviews of Hell
In these stereoviews populated by skeletons, hell is host to boating races, parties, and even a lavish boudoir for one "Madame Satan."
News
The Raw Expression of a Rare, Emaciated Buddha
A number of rare sculptures illustrate how starved Buddha would have been after fasting for seven weeks. One of them is being seen publicly for the first time this week ahead of auction.
Art
Tiny Tomes from the World's First All-Miniature Bookstore
Tokyo's Lilliput Oval Saloon closed last year and now part its inventory of miniature books, bookshelves, and lecterns is headed to auction.
Art
Nothing Is Off-Limits in Hirokage’s Humorous Ukiyo-e Prints
Utagawa Hirokage has a special humor, which, though at times edging on corny, is often sly and even tinged with eroticism.
News
Two Max Ernst Paintings Go to Auction, Including One Never Shown Before
Two works by Max Ernst from the collection of his widow, the artist Dorothea Tanning, are going under the hammer.
News
A Utah Schoolteacher's Exceptional Collection of Cat Art Is Meow for Sale
Patrick Eddington wrote to countless writers and artists, from Kiki Smith to Marcel Dzama to Ray Bradbury, asking them to send him cat-related works. They did.
News
From Dürer to Ensor, a Collection of Prints Gives Us Grim Reminders of Death
The 54 lots in this Christie's online auction span from the 15th to the 20th century and demonstrate an array of European attitudes towards death.
Art
The Transporting Promise of 20th-Century Travel Posters
An auction at Swann Galleries offers over 200 posters that capture the thrill of increased globalization and emerging modes of travel.
Art
This Is Your Chance to Become a Rabid Rabologist
Much more than a practical device, the walking stick was a popular fashion accessory particularly during the 17th through 19th centuries, when they approached the quality of fine art.