Clars Auctions is proud to offer an iconic piece of Hollywood history: a Maltese Falcon prop from the legendary 1941 film noir classic The Maltese Falcon, starring Humphrey Bogart in his breakthrough role as the hard-boiled detective Sam Spade.

Directed by John Huston and based on the novel by Dashiell Hammett, the film is celebrated as one of the greatest detective movies ever made and a cornerstone of the film noir genre.

The Maltese Falcon statue — central to the film’s twisting plot — is a symbol of greed, mystery, and obsession. This particular prop, meticulously crafted and rich in cinematic lore, offers a rare connection to Hollywood’s golden age. While several versions were created for the production, this example stands as a striking representation of one of film’s most enduring icons.

This collectible will be offered at auction on Friday, October 17th at Clars. For film buffs and memorabilia collectors alike, it represents a remarkable opportunity to own a piece of cinematic legend. Don’t miss your chance to own a piece of classic Hollywood.

Hank Risan’s musical instrument collection included more than 750 examples of fine 19th and 20th century acoustic instruments. On October 17th, we are happy to offer over 50 of these magnificent guitars and mandolins.

Risan owns an 1835 Martin 2½-17 guitar that is believed to have accompanied Mark Twain (born Samuel Clemens) throughout his life. During a 1999 appearance on National Public Radio’s (NPR) All Things Considered program, Risan played an arrangement of the Stephen Foster classic, Old Susannah, on the Twain guitar.

In 2014, Risan placed 265 of his classic guitars on the block with boutique auction house Guernsey’s in New York. The auction was called The Artistry of the Guitar. However, many of the guitars, including the Martin — which was ultimately purchased by The Martin Guitar Company — did not reach their pre-auction estimates or reserves.

In our September 20th auction, many jazz items and ephemera caught bidders’ attention. On November 21st we are excited to present Session II of the collection.

Included in Session II is an of an extensive collection of early jazz items, including an Ella Fitzgerald signed recording agreement with Clef Records, a rare handwritten music sheet by Charlie Christian, a Billie Holiday signed contract to perform at the Loop Lounge in Cleveland, 1956, a Surrogates Court Order related to the estate of Billie Holiday, and a collection of Billie Holiday original orchestral arrangement sheets. Additional artists represented in the auction include Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Lester Young, and Fats Waller, among others.

Clars Auctions’ Senior Vice President, Deric Torres, was honored to participate in a truly special celebration hosted by The Menlo Park Historical Association and The Museum of American Heritage — the 125th Wedding Anniversary of Helen Hopkins & Augustus Taylor on Saturday September 13th.

Held in the historic mansion where their grand 1900 society wedding originally took place. Helen Hopkins — grandniece of railroad magnate Mark Hopkins — was part of a legacy that helped shape California’s Gilded Age.

Guests enjoyed Antiques Roadshow-style valuation sessions with Deric Torres, who brought his decades of expertise in furniture and decorative arts to this elegant and educational afternoon. History, heritage, and heirlooms — all under one roof.

On June 19th, Clars is proud to present the Estate of Eddi Van Auken at our Fine Curiosities Auction. Eddi was a San Francisco Bay Area antique historian, collector, artist, and author who spent over 30 years acquiring, researching, and cataloguing antique walking sticks from around the world.

It was actually an accident in her home that ignited her foray into walking sticks: she fell down the stairs, fractured her tailbone, and needed a cane to walk. Pharmacy canes wouldn’t suffice — and she thought, surely there had to be other, more artistic options. And thus, a collection of unparalleled breadth and quality was born — and continued to grow, long after her injury healed.

Eddi started life as “Ethel Sady,” named for a beloved grandmother and then subsequently renamed Eddi by college friends who felt the name better suited her gorgeous, sassy, and brilliant personality. Despite her petite 5’4″ frame, she lit up any room with her vibrant presence, catching the attention of Wendell “Van” Van Auken, whom she married at 19 (he was 21) before they drove west in a green Corvette to California.

In the Bay Area, Eddi fully developed her extraordinary gift for finding beauty in the everyday and transforming the mundane into the magnificent, designing a family home that showcased her impeccable taste through unexpected combinations of chic, edgy, whimsical, and vintage pieces. As her collection of antique walking sticks grew, she authored a respected compendium on walking sticks titled Vertical Art and was working on a second book, Masterpieces, when she passed away. Beyond her artistic pursuits, Eddi was deeply committed to empowering women across all fields and supported initiatives promoting early lung cancer detection. She had a way of making everyone feel welcome, seen, and appreciated. Eddi passed away peacefully in August 2024, at age 77 from complications arising from metastatic lung cancer, leaving behind a legacy as vibrant as her personality.

Clars is pleased to announce Fine Curiosities: The Estate of Eddi Van Auken, an extraordinary single-owner auction to be held on Thursday, June 19th. This event features a distinctive and eclectic array of antiques, decorative arts, architectural elements, and folk treasures assembled over decades by the late Eddi Van Auken, a passionate and discerning collector.

Among the standout lots is a remarkable selection of walking canes, featuring examples in Folk Art, French, and Russian styles, each boasting unique handles and craftsmanship. These pieces, estimated between $300–$800, reflect both utility and artistry. Equally intriguing is a group of English ironstone advertising display stands, early commercial relics that today serve as charming decorative objects, estimated at $500–$700.

A centerpiece of the auction is an imposing Belle Époque silvered bronze nine-light chandelier, a grand and luminous statement from turn-of-the-century France. With its elegant form and refined detailing, it is expected to realize between $4,000–$6,000. From the realm of classical architecture come two large carved Corinthian capitals, ideal as sculptural décor or for restoration purposes, with an estimate of $800–$1,200.

Further bridging history and function is a rare clock tower movement, a mechanical marvel with sculptural appeal estimated at $600–$800. For design aficionados, a pair of Art Deco lounge chairs represents 1930s elegance and modernity, also carrying estimates of $600–$800.

Rustic charm is found in a pair of 18th-century French carved walnut cutting boards, rich with patina and history, expected to bring $800–$1,200. A highlight of devotional art in the sale is a Spanish Colonial polychromed wood Santos figure of a woman, distinguished by its expressive carving and colorful finish. It stands as a testament to colonial craftsmanship.

For collectors of luxury objects d’art, a French walking cane with a 22k gold handle adorned with turquoise and amethyst offers a fusion of opulence and curiosity. Estimated at $800–$1,200, it is one of the more refined personal accessories in the sale. Folk Art also takes a whimsical turn with a painted canvas ‘Pin the Tail on the Donkey’ game, a playful and nostalgic piece valued at $400–$600.

Additional curiosities include a collection of factice (dummy) perfume bottles, once used for advertising, now charming collectibles with an estimate of $400–$600. A group of seven Mexican cowrie shell souvenir baskets and a whimsical pair of carved wood heeled clogs continue the theme of cultural craft and novelty, estimated at $400–$600 and $300–$500 respectively.

A collector favorite is a Wemyss Ware ceramic seated pig, hand-painted by Joseph Nekola, a delightful example of Scottish ceramic artistry estimated at $500–$700. For those with a taste for the anatomical and academic, a carved écorché study of a man’s head stands out as a rare and introspective piece, estimated at $300–$500.

Rounding out the collection is a Black Forest carved lindenwood pedestal jardinière, richly detailed and ideal for interior display, estimated at $500–$700, and a notable group of full-size religious figures from French, Spanish Colonial, and Italian traditions, together estimated between $1,200–$2,500. These figures display the range of devotional artistry across continents and centuries.

“This auction reflects the truly personal and passionate collecting style of Eddi Van Auken,” said Suzy Pai, Senior Specialist of Furniture & Decorative Arts at Clars. “Each object tells a story, and together they offer a rare and whimsical journey through centuries of design, craftsmanship, and eccentric beauty.”

This April we are honored to present the extraordinary art collection of Lila Mae “Peggy” Azad — a woman whose lifelong devotion to the arts lives on through her legacy.

Peggy once wrote: “I am the temporary custodian. In exchange for the privilege of living with and caring for my objects I am leaving them all for a museum or art gallery for the ‘public’ to enjoy after Manouch and I are no longer alive.” Her wish was to ensure that her collection would one day be shared with the world.

This significant collection includes over 90 Chinese and Japanese ivory sculptures and more than 114 diverse works from around the globe — spanning American, Chinese, French, Iranian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Native American, Russian, Thai, and Vietnamese origins. The pieces vary in form and material, including porcelain, cloisonné, glass vases, plates, bowls, bronze and carved alabaster sculptures, a Russian brass samovar, Japanese woodblock prints, and hand-woven Iranian silk tapestry panels threaded with gold and silver.

Notably, the collection features works by renowned Iranian artists Parviz Tanavoli and Sia Armajani, reflecting Peggy’s deep connection to both international and Iranian art and culture.

Born on May 5, 1933, in her family’s home in St. Paul, Minnesota, to Jesse Joseph Schneider and Laura Harriette Ronning Schneider, Peggy — known to many simply as Peggy Azad — lived a life filled with purpose, passion, and artistic appreciation.

Big moment on Pawn Stars! Our very own appraiser, Deric Torres from Clars Auctions, helped a customer who thought she had a rare Oscar Bach Hall telephone table worth a fortune. After closely inspecting the piece, Deric revealed it wasn’t authentic — here’s why:

…because the casting was not well done, not marked, and not executed in the same manner one would expect on a well-documented authentic example. Below is information about the history of the firm, and Bach’s bitter break up with business partner Bertram Segar — who is infamous for making poor reproductions of designs created by Bach.

Oscar Bach was a technically adept, stylistically diverse, and commercially successful master metalsmith. Born in Germany, he studied at both the Royal Academy and Imperial Academy of Art in Berlin before becoming the artistic director of a metallic arts firm in Hamburg. In 1911, Bach won the Grand Prix at the World’s Exposition in Turin for a bed he designed for Kaiser Wilhelm II. That same year, he moved to the United State to establish a business with his brother Max in New York City.

The brothers quickly opened a metal design studio and flourished throughout the 1920s and 30s, with Oscar creating beautiful objects for wealthy New York clientele and custom architectural elements for country estates. He designed a multitude of domestic objects and grand commissions, including the lobby panel for the Empire State Building and monumental plaques for Radio City Music Hall — created in collaboration with Hildreth Meiere. Bach was awarded the prestigious Medal of Honor in 1926 from the Architectural League of New York for a set of bronze doors he designed for their club room. Not just a talented designer, but a savvy marketer and self-promoter, Bach enjoyed a long and successful career. His work can be found in the permanent collections of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Minneapolis Museum of Art, The Wolfsonian, and Reynolda House.

In April of 1923, upon an acrimonious split with a third business partner named Bertram Segar, the Bach brothers moved to a new studio at 511 West 42nd Street and renamed their firm Oscar B. Bach and Associated Craftsmen. Bertram Segar remained in the West 17th Street studio, renaming it The Segar Studios. There, Bertram Segar continued to reproduce many of Bach’s original designs and variations on Bach’s designs, either selling them in an unmarked state or stamping them with his SEGAR STUDIOS mark.

Desperate to set the record straight, Bach put full page advertisements in multiple issues of Arts & Decorations stating that, “All products designed and executed in my studios bear my facsimile signature, and no other articles are genuine.” And, “It is distressing to find other things — ugly things that I could not create, put before the public with the insinuation that they are my work. It is not only distressing but a fraud on the public.”

This is why the conclusion of it not being authentic was determined. Watch the full story unfold and how Deric gently let the buyer down easy (we hope). Catch the episode and let us know what you think!

In our upcoming March 21st Auction, we will be offering a Chamberlains Worcester armorial porcelain part dinner service made for the Scott Family of Great Barr Hall, early 19th century.

Sir Joseph Scott of Great Barr Hall, Worcester’s parliamentary representative, was granted a baronetcy in 1806. This armorial service, created for him, was appropriately crafted by the Chamberlains Worcester factory, highlighting the connection between the patron and the local craftsmanship.

Clars Auctions is delighted to present a collection of Japanese and Western art from the esteemed Mitsui (Koishikawa) family, a prominent business dynasty with roots dating back to the Edo period, in our October 18th Auction.

The Mitsui family’s legacy began in 1673 as a kimono shop and evolved into the influential Mitsui Group, a zaibatsu (conglomerate) that has played a pivotal role in Japan’s economic development from the Edo period to present day.

Their impact on commerce and culture is well-documented, notably in the book Mitsui: Three Centuries of Japanese Business. A remarkable 1930 article in Fortune magazine noted, “There is no business enterprise anywhere which is at once so diverse as the house of Mitsui in Japan.” This diversity is beautifully reflected in the collection we are proud to offer.

Spanning the 20th century, the collection showcases a blend of traditional craftsmanship and contemporary innovation, allowing art enthusiasts to immerse themselves in the rich narrative of Japanese culture. Among its highlights are exquisite gifts exchanged during the marriage of Princess Hiroko (1897–1983), of the Shimazu Clan, and Mr. Takanaga Mitsui (1892– 1962), of the Mitsui Koishikawa clan, symbolizing the family’s appreciation for art and culture.

The collection features a diverse range of early 20th-century Western decorative arts, including Tiffany Studios glass and a bronze sculpture acquired directly from the renowned artist, Antoine Bourdelle, in Paris, reflecting the Mitsui family’s global perspective to fine art. Additionally, the collection proudly highlights works by contemporary Japanese artists Morino Taimei and Kyohei Fujita, showcasing their mastery of ceramics and glass.