Joan Rivers’s Art Collection and Jewelry Head to Christie’s

It includes everything from Cartier jewelry to a truly bizarre dog painting.

Joan Rivers (2012).
Photo: Courtesy of Patrick McMullan.

In an upcoming sale of Joan Rivers’s art collection and prized possessions, fans have an opportunity to take a closer look at the late fashion icon’s artistic tastes.

The Associated Press reports that the celebrity’s daughter, Melissa Rivers, revealed that over 200 of her mother’s personal items will be heading to Christie’s.

Rivers said in a statement to People that “her generosity to charitable causes is something I will continue to honor.” It was announced that a portion of the sales will be donated to Guide Dogs for the Blind. Another portion will be given to New York City’s non-sectarian organization God’s Love We Deliver.

M. Molyneux, <em>Snow</em> ( 20th Century).<br>Photo: Courtesy of Christie's.

M. Molyneux, Snow.
Photo: Courtesy of Christie’s.

The items will be culled from Rivers’s New York penthouse on Fifth Avenue, which sold last year for $28 million. According to a Christie’s press release, estimates on the items range from $500 to $200,000. Their sale will be broken into two auctions held at Christie’s: the first will be an online auction with approximately 80 lots offered that begins June 16, followed by a June 22 live auction in New York offering over 200 lots.

Her personal objects include an Edouard Vuillard painting estimated at $120,000-180,000 and a nephrite study of a Lily of the Valley leaf by Fabergé that’s expected to fetch between $200,000-300,000. And if you’re on the market for a silver Tiffany dog bowl, you might be in luck: Christie’s estimates the dish to be in the  $500-800 range.

In a statement on the Christie’s website regarding the sale of her previous possessions, the comedienne said about her art collecting practice: “I found “Snow” in a tiny antiques shop and just loved him. I’ve kept him just as I first saw him in his original frame with his nameplate below. I travel a great deal when I’m doing concerts, and when I spot an interesting shop, it’s like ‘stop, pull over.’ I’ve found some fantastic finds in Montana or in Nebraska. It’s so wonderful to bring these things back and give them a new home.”

Recent sales of prized celebrity possessions include last month’s auction of Sting‘s art collection, which boasted works by Henri Matisse and Ben Nicholson. As we saw at this year’s edition of the Armory Show, Drew Barrymore is also no stranger to collecting; she owns works by John Baldessari, Raymond Pettibone, and Karl Lagerfeld.


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