LET LOVE RULE WITH ROMANTIC FINDS FOR COLLECTORS OF ALL KINDS
By Rhonda Reinhart
While you can’t go wrong with flowers, cards and chocolates, finding a gift tailor-made for your special someone is a surefire way to show your sweetheart how much you care. So make Cupid proud this Valentine’s Day with these 10 heartwarming finds from a wide range of Heritage categories.
FINE JEWELRY
A coral heart marks the spot for a golden arrow adorned with glittering rose-cut diamonds in this whimsical Cartier brooch (estimate: $8,000-$10,000), so you’ll be right on target if you score this gem for your Valentine.
Auction: Luxe Jewels Auction, Feb. 3
PRINTS & MULTIPLES
Throughout his lengthy career, American artist Jim Dine has returned time and again to the iconic form of the perfectly symmetrical heart, once saying that a heart functions as a “sign that one can care, that there is a constant presence of feeling.” In this piece, Louisiana Hearts, 1982 (estimate: $2,000-$3,000), he proves that two hearts are better than one.
Auction: Prints & Multiples Showcase Auction, Feb. 23
FINE & DECORATIVE ARTS
This Valentine’s Day, all you need is love – specifically, Love, 2008 by Peter Max (estimate: $1,500-$2,500). The artist is well known for using vibrant colors in his work, and this brightly hued piece is no exception.
Auction: Fine & Decorative Arts Showcase Auction, Feb. 10
LUXURY ACCESSORIES
What’s not to love about this limited-edition Louis Vuitton Sac Coeur Heart Bag (estimate: $4,000-$6,000)? Part of the 2021 Louis Vuitton Cruise Collection, the heart-shaped bag features a red Louis Vuitton signature on one side and a red LV logo enclosed in a red heart on the other. Also red: the interior microfiber lining.
Auction: Winter Luxury Accessories Spotlight Auction, Feb. 13
ANIMATION ART
Make Valentine’s Day a royal affair with this original concept painting of the Queen of Hearts’ castle from Alice in Wonderland. Awash in bright reds and pinks, the heart-bedecked work was created by Disney legend Mary Blair for the 1951 classic.
Auction: Animation Art Signature® Auction, Feb. 4-7
COMICS & COMIC ART
Romance is alive and well in this copy of Super Spectacular Love Stories No. 5, graded CGC Very Fine- 7.5. As the cover proclaims, the 100-page book, published in 1971, is DC Comics’ “Biggest Love Mag Ever!”
Buy Now: Available for immediate purchase; ask price is $1,000.
URBAN ART
Love is in the air in this 2019 Mr. Brainwash screenprint featuring a single floating heart balloon in eye-catching crimson. The title of the piece says it all: Follow Your Love.
Auction: Urban Art Showcase Auction, Feb. 2
WESTERN ART
While it’s difficult to determine the exact emotion being depicted in Sherry Harrington’s Promises to Keep, 1996 (estimate: $1,500-$2,500), one partner’s crossed arms paired with the other’s handful of wildflowers leads one to believe that an apology was necessary. If you find yourself in a similar situation this Valentine’s Day, this painting could be just the gift you need.
Auction: Art of the West Showcase Auction, Feb. 25
NATURE & SCIENCE
The color pink has long been associated with romance, which makes rose quartz an ideal choice for the mineral lover in your life. This cluster of rose quartz crystals (estimate: $500+), which hails from Brazil, has the added bonus of being shaped like a flower.
Auction: Rock H. Currier Collection of Fine Minerals Part 2 Signature® Auction, Feb. 7
URBAN COLLECTIBLES
If you’d like to keep things playful this Valentine’s Day, consider Love Gloves (Unity Hands), 2021. The aptly named sculpture, which features two cartoonish gloved hands – one black, one white – coming together to form a heart, is by American urban and graffiti artist OG Slick.
Auction: Urban Collectibles Showcase Auction, Feb. 16
RHONDA REINHART is editor of Intelligent Collector.