The estate of Barbara Sinatra will be sold during a series of auctions in December by Sotheby’s in New York.
Sotheby’s sales will open for public exhibition in its New York galleries Nov. 30. The auctions are slated for Dec. 4 and 6, and an online auction will take place Nov. 27 through Dec. 7.
A reference to Barbara Sinatra’s best-selling memoir, Lady Blue Eyes: Property of Barbara and Frank Sinatra will offer a rare window into the personal lives of the famed couple, through hundreds of works that Barbara and Frank assembled and lived with together throughout their 22-year marriage. Drawn primarily from the Sinatras’ residences in Rancho Mirage, Los Angeles and Malibu, Sotheby’s sales will offer fine art, decorative art and furniture collected by the couple, as well as objects and memorabilia left to Barbara upon her husband’s passing – in addition to her dazzling personal collection of jewelry and accessories.
Together, the auctions will illuminate the two worlds that the Sinatras’ occupied: the fashionable lifestyle of a beloved entertainer and philanthropist, and the home life where the couple surrounded themselves with the people and objects they loved.
Highlights of Sotheby’s December sales will include: film and entertainment memorabilia, including Frank Sinatra’s personal copies of scripts from movies and projects across his career; fine art including a Norman Rockwell portrait of Frank, works by Pablo Picasso and Childe Hassam, and a number of paintings by Frank himself; jewelry collected by Barbara Sinatra from iconic houses including Van Cleef & Arpels, Bulgari and Marina B; a wealth of political and presidential memorabilia, including autographed books, awards and photographs related to presidents spanning from Harry Truman to Bill Clinton; a selection of personal effects, including photographs with fellow Rat Pack members and other entertainment elite; furniture and decorative art from their residences in Rancho Mirage, Los Angeles and Malibu; and more.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY THE ESTATE OF BARBARA SINATRA
The sale of jewels will feature a spectacular selection of pieces from Barbara Sinatra’s personal collection. The jewels reflect Barbara’s style and taste, and together reveal a passionate and careful collector. The group is led by a spectacular Emerald-cut 20.60-carat Diamond Ring, as well as classic designs by Van Cleef & Arpels, Bulgari and David Webb.
The collection features a broad selection of quintessential 1970s and ‘80s jewels by Marina B – one of her favorite designers – including a Pair of Sapphire, Colored Sapphire and Diamond Earclips and a Diamond, Turquoise and Onyx Parure comprising a choker, bracelet and earclips. Many of the pieces were fashioned to Barbara’s personal specifications by her jewelers of choice, and a number of them were picked out and gifted to Barbara by Mr. Sinatra himself, who enjoyed surprising his wife with luxurious jewels and gemstones.
A portion of the proceeds from the December auctions will benefit the Barbara Sinatra Children's Center in Rancho Mirage, a nonprofit organization founded by the couple in 1986, which seeks to provide counseling for victims of physical, sexual and emotional child abuse.
View some of the auction items below. Photographs courtesy Barbara Sinatra Estate unless otherwise noted.
