In December, the Chicago-based auction house Hindman will host the first of two sales featuring jewelry from the personal collection of Ernest and Ella Brummer. Ernest was an art dealer who, with his brother Joseph, in 1921 founded Brummer Galleries, which became a vital source for connecting the American and European art worlds in New York and Paris in the mid 20th century.
“These auctions not only showcase exceptional pieces but also serve as a tribute to the Brummer legacy,” said Jacob Coley, Hindman’s director and senior specialist of antiquities and ancient art, in a statement. “The carefully curated collection, spanning various artistic periods and styles, embodies the Brummers’ discerning taste and passion for art. We are thrilled to honor this legacy and provide a unique platform for art enthusiasts and collectors to acquire these remarkable pieces, thereby continuing the legacy of appreciation and scholarship that the Brummer Galleries so ardently championed.”
Hindman’s Important Jewelry sale on Dec. 6 will offer 13 pieces that were owned by the Brummers, including several figural and architectural jewels dating back to the 16th century. Among the multigem and polychromatic enamel pieces are a Renaissance-period pendant set in 18k gold that depicts a person holding a flower stem (estimated at $4,000 to $6,000); a Renaissance-style brooch of a “pelican in her piety”—that is, feeding her young, which represents self-sacrifice and charity (expected to fetch between $2,000 and $4,000); and an antique Austro-Hungarian mermaid pendant made with baroque pearls (estimated $5,000–$7,000).
A second sale, scheduled for March 19, 2024, will feature additional rarities from the Brummer collection, including Sasanian stamp seals that have been painstakingly preserved to showcase this delicate artistry of ancient times. There’s more to come on this Jewelry Through the Ages sale, but it promises historical and important objects and jewels that truly were wearable works of art.
Top: Centuries-old pendants and brooches up for auction in the Dec. 6 Important Jewelry sale at Hindman (photos courtesy of Hindman)
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