A signed copy of “To Kill a Mockingbird,” one of the largest chunks of moon rock on earth, and a painting of Picasso’s mistress: This week’s auction block roundup
Each week Quartz highlights the upcoming and ongoing sales at auction houses across the world. Among the items available are works of art, historical artifacts, and pop culture memorabilia that collectors won’t want to miss out on. While some of these objects go for millions, others are simultaneously affordable and unforgettable.
You can read previous weeks’ roundups here and here.
Continue reading to see the most fascinating objects being sold at auction in the coming weeks.
Julien’s: Banksy Hand Cut Stencil
Legendary graffiti artist, Banksy, created this hand cut stencil featuring a rat holding a drill in a motorboat. Its current owner is Steve Lazarides, a British artist and a Banksy-associate. Bidding has already begun on this stencil, which is worth an estimated $100,000 to $200,000.
Julien’s: Tony Bennett’s Rolex
This 18-karat gold and diamond Rolex was a gift from Tony Bennett to his wife Susan. The timepiece’s features include automatic, self winding mechanical movement, magnified window for date, and gold hands. Originally valued between $4,000 and $6,000, bidding on the watch has already exceeded $10,000.
Swann Auction Galleries: Shakespeare’s Second Folio
This edition of Shakespeare’s Second Folio is one of just 13 known copies made for a 1632 imprint of the text. The second folio is historically significant for containing revisions that set the stage for generations of interpretations and reinterpretations of Shakespeare’s writing. This copy of the second folio is worth an estimated $120,000 to $180,000.
Swann Auction Galleries: Signed and Inscribed First Edition of “To Kill a Mockingbird”
This first edition, first printing of “To Kill a Mockingbird” has a personal inscription from Harper Lee to Michael and Joy Brown, the prominent literary couple who funded Lee’s life for a year, while she was writing debut novel. This copy of “To Kill a Mockingbird” is worth an estimated $10,000 to $15,000.
Doyle Auctions: Grandma Moses painting
Beloved American folk artist Anna Mary Robertson – better known by her nickname, Grandma Moses – painted this piece in 1959. The oil painting, Ice Houses, depicts a country village in the summer. The work is worth an estimated $20,000 to $40,000.
Christie’s: Massive lunar meteorite
This 4.41 pound slab of meteorite is the second-largest cut and polished piece of moon rock on Earth. Discovered in the Sahara Desert, the rock fell to Earth after an asteroid knocked it into our planet’s orbit. The out-of-this-world find is worth an estimated $280,910 to $421,366.
Christie’s: Picasso’s weeping woman
This 1937 Pablo Picasso painting was the first in a series of paintings entitled “the Weeping Woman,” that depicted the legendary artist’s mistress. The series was created during the same period as Picasso’s masterpiece “Guernica” and many art historians have identified thematic connections between the pieces. “The Weeping Woman” is worth an estimated $1,200,000 to $1,800,000.