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Company Overview:Located in Boston’s historic Back Bay, Skinner is one of the nation’s leading auction houses for antiques and fine art, and the only full-service auction house headquartered in New England. Skinner conducts over 60 auctions and events year round and has achieved world-record prices for many pieces sold at auction. Company History:Skinner was founded by antiques connoisseur and dealer Robert Skinner, who believed that Boston, with its long history as an international arts center, was a fitting location for a world-class auction house. The company began operations in the 1960s and was incorporated in 1971 in Bolton. Skinner’s Boston gallery, initially opened in 1978, reflects Robert Skinner’s original vision – to tout a wide variety of exceptional items and garner the highest prices possible for our consignors. The gallery’s urban look and eclectic collections are a far cry from New England’s perceived conservatism, offering antiques ranging from exceedingly rare examples of early American furniture, to Impressionist paintings extracted from Parisian castles, to jewelry hand-crafted by ancient Egyptians, to modern art sculptures crafted by contemporary artists, to utilitarian artifacts made and used by Native American peoples and early scientific instruments.The Skinner Difference:No other full-service auction houses provide Skinner’s wide range of items, specialized expertise, high quality merchandise and catalogues, and personalized one-on-one service. Such unique characteristics in combination with Skinner’s availability of "one-of-a-kind" items and a solid reputation come together to distinguish Skinner as an exceptional auction house and a resource for collectors, dealers, museums, and retail buyers worldwide. Skinner draws the interest of buyers from all over the world, and is widely regarded as one of the most trusted names in the auction business. Skinner auctions include live internet bidding capabilities, and interested buyers can preview all lots in an auction online, leave bids, and order catalogs online at skinnerinc.com.Services Provided:Skinner holds auctions year-round in both its Boston and Bolton, Mass. Galleries. Integral Skinner services such as insurance and estate appraisals are also offered. Skinner offers a complete range of fine art and antique appraisal services keyed to the needs of individual property owners, banks, estate executors and institutions. Skinner also provides auction estimates (verbal evaluations) free of charge and appointments with Skinner specialists can be arranged in both our Boston and Bolton galleries. Photographs of individual items also can be sent to the appropriate departments for examination. When deemed appropriate, Skinner representatives will visit potential consignors in their homes. Skinner staff members take part in appraisal forums, conduct public lectures, and host benefit auctions throughout New England and across the nation.Areas of Expertise :With expertise in over 20 specialty collecting areas, Skinner’s appraisal experts regularly appear on the PBS-TV series, Antiques Roadshow, and other arts and culture programs. Specialty departments include American Furniture & Decorative Arts, American & European Paintings & Prints, European Furniture & Decorative Arts, Fine Ceramics, Fine Jewelry, Couture, 20th Century Design, Fine Musical Instruments, Asian Works of Art, Fine Judaica, Science & Technology, Rare Books & Manuscripts, Fine Silver, Antique Motor Vehicles, American Indian & Ethnographic Art, Fine Clocks, Fine Wines, Oriental Rugs & Carpets, Textiles & Couture, Toys, Dolls & Collectibles, and Discovery. Skinner has received world-record prices for many pieces sold at auction. Recent prices realized include: * Fitz Henry Lane’s Manchester Harbor sold for a world record $5.5 million, besting it’s previous record by over $1.5 million * Previously undiscovered Boston Japanned high chest sold for over $1.8 million. The chest not only set a new high for a single lot sold in a Skinner Americana auction, it was also the most expensive piece of furniture ever auctioned in New England. * 18th century Chippendale mahogany carved scroll-top bombe chest-on-chest made on Boston’s North shore sold for over $1.7 million. * Fine and Important Stradivarius Violin made in Cremona, Italy circa 1721 sold for $1.46 million. * Molded copper touring car with driver weather vane, made in Boston circa 1910 sold for $941,000. * 19th century Korean Folding Screen depicting a dragon in a landscape sold for $831,000. * A rare and historically important previously undiscovered broadside copy of the Declaration of Independence sold for $693,500. * 1958/63 Gibson Explorer Electric Guitar sold for $611,000 -- a world record price for a Gibson guitar. * Exceptional pair of life-sized Jean Roulet Blackamoore musician automata sold for a world record price of $501,000. * A late 19th century plains and beaded, quilled and painted hide war shirt sold for $303,000. * Harry Winston pear-shaped diamond solitaire weighing 4.53 carats sold for $171,000. * Extremely rare John Wilkes Booth letter sold for $79,900. * A late 19th century American painted snakes and ladders game board sold for over $64,000, setting a new world record for a game board sold at auction.