Last November, a $200 million collection of Impressionist artworks belonging to late Dallas oil tycoon Edwin L. Cox sold for a record-breaking $332 million through Christie's Auction House. Now, the rest of his treasures are up for grabs.
Chicago-based Hindman Auctions is offering property from the Estate of Edwin L. Cox across four auctions from January to March of 2022.
Bidders will have multiple chances to acquire hundreds of items from Cox's estate — from furniture to paintings to wine glasses — beginning January 13. The full schedule is:
- Chicago Collections auction on January 13-14.
- European Furniture & Decorative Arts auction on February 2-3.
- Asian Works of Arts auction on March 25.
- Chinese & Himalayan Works of Art auction on March 29.
“Hindman is known for marketing single-owner collections in a way that tells the entire story of a person’s collecting legacy,” says Hindman Vice President and Senior Specialist of European Furniture and Decorative Arts Corbin Horn in a release. “Cox left a distinct mark through his consummate collection. We are pleased to be able to offer Cox’s decorative arts, which are as intriguing as his collection of Impressionist art, across several sales categories during the next few months.”
Highlights from the Cox Estate at Hindman include works of art by Peter Ellenshaw and Constantin Kluge, as well as Chinese famille verte porcelain, fine carpets, and a variety of European decorative arts, they say.
Cox, a Dallas oil and gas tycoon for whom the SMU business school is named, died November 5, 2020 at the age of 99. He was a renowned philanthropist and businessman, a distinguished entrepreneur in the American energy industry, and a fervent benefactor of major cultural institutions.
In his lifetime, he assembled a collection of works by Vincent Van Gogh, Gustave, Caillebotte, Paul Cézanne, and more that Christie's called "one of the finest collections of Impressionist art to ever come to auction."
But his collection also included an impressive and influential assemblage of decorative arts, Hindman says.
Specific highlights include:
- Path Through the Moors, 1975, by Peter Ellenshaw (British, 1913-2007), oil on canvas, signed by the artist. (Estimate: $1,500-$2,500)
- River Scene by Constantin Kluge (French, 1912-2003), oil on canvas, signed by the artist. (Estimate: $1,500-$2,500)
- An Italian Silver Dog Figure by Romeo Miracoli e Figlio, Milan, 20th Century, marked 'R. Miracoli' and hallmarked for Sterling on underside. (Estimate: $600-$800)
- An Italian Silver Pumpkin-Form Box Retailed by Tiffany & Co. Fratelli Cacchione, Milan, 20th Century, together with a pair of Mexican silver-plate pumpkin-form boxes. (Estimate: $1,500 -$2,500)
- A Chinese Famille Verte Biscuit Porcelain 'Piggyback' Group (1654-1722). (Estimate: $2,000-$3,000)
It's great fun scrolling through the Chicago Collections catalogue and imagining how collections of silver spoons, champagne flutes, and carved animals (some of which are surprisingly affordable for the masses) might look in a non-billionaire's house.
Bidding will be available online through Hindman’s Digital Bid Room. Information on the collection and how to bid can be found here.
Edwin L. Cox’s Beverly House, Artist Unknown, 20th Century.
