Lark Mason Associates is pleased to present “Property from the Collection of Anthony Bourdain,” a one-of-a-kind auction that will open for bidding online at www.igavelauctions.com starting October 9 and running through October 30. The auction showcases nearly 200 lots that Anthony Bourdain personally acquired during his life and it includes some of his most valued possessions: artwork, books, home and decorative furnishings, knives, wristwatches, apparel, and more. A significant portion of the proceeds will benefit the Anthony Bourdain Legacy Scholarship at his alma mater, The Culinary Institute of America. The scholarship was established—in the spirit of Bourdain himself—to support CIA students pursuing a semester abroad or taking part in one of the college’s global cuisines and cultures international programs. The remaining proceeds will go to the estate of Anthony Bourdain.
“We are extremely delighted to join forces with the Bourdain family and The Culinary Institute of America to sponsor this auction of uniquely personal items from the Anthony Bourdain estate,” says Lark Mason. “He was a larger-than-life personality with so many interests other than food and this sale reflects his multidimensional persona. We have kept the estimates low so that everyone who loved Tony will have the opportunity to purchase something from this sale and know that part of the proceeds will be going to a good cause.”
The sale is divided into categories that reflect Bourdain’s multifarious interests: film, art, cooking, travel, writing, and his endless observations of world culture. Exhibitions of select items will run concurrently at Lark Mason Associates in New Braunfels, TX, Gallery, 210 West Mill Street and in New York City at 227 East 120th Street; as well as at Everard and Company in Savannah, GA, at 2436 Waters Avenue, Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Further details are available at iGavelauctions.com.
Among the highlights are:
- Brad Phillips (Canadian), Cristine and Me as Still-Life, oil on canvas, 2016 (Est: $2,000–$4,000)
- John Lurie (American, born 1952), This Party Sucks, watercolor on paper (Est: $1,000–$2,000)
- Peter Lovig Nielsen teak flip-top desk, Denmark, 20th century (Est: $800–$1,200)
- Custom Bob Kramer steel and meteorite chef’s knife (Est: $4,000–$6,000)
- Chrome duck press from the Paris episode of The Layover (Est: $200–$300)
- A Vietnamese blue-and-white ceramic tall bottle form vase, with cover (Est: $250–$450)
An original typed manuscript of an early draft for A Bone in the Throat by Anthony Bourdain (Est: $700–$1,000) as well as The Simpsons script for “The Food Wife,” with signed inscriptions to Bourdain (Est.: $800–$1,200) are also on offer.
The auction will continue Anthony Bourdain’s interest in education via the Anthony Bourdain Legacy Scholarship at the CIA. Donations from the sale, equal to 40% of the hammer price, will be made by the Bourdain family. Chef Bourdain graduated from the CIA in 1978. In 2017, he received an honorary Doctor of Human Letters in Culinary Arts, presented by CIA President Tim Ryan, who acknowledged his importance as “possibly the most recognizable food personality on the planet.”
“We are deeply honored that the Bourdain family has chosen to further Anthony’s curiosity and passion for learning through this generous donation that will support CIA students in their journeys,” says Dr. Ryan. “The ability to travel and experience other cuisines and cultures first-hand is a priceless gift that will ensure that his legacy lives on in the future leaders of the food world.”
Wrote his biographer and assistant Laurie Woolever: Tony was an enthusiast—of film, of literature, good sharp knives, meaningful mementos of his travels, comedy, contemporary art, and of observing the ways that people lived, ate, and loved all over the world. He never failed to be astonished by his good fortune, which allowed him to collaborate with some of his idols—a book cover drawn by the great illustrator Ralph Steadman, for instance, and a GQ photo shoot with rock idol Iggy Pop. Tony loved a well-cut suit, bespoke shoes, a spy novel, a simple omelet, odd medical instruments, old maps, and a tale well-told. He died in 2018 at the age of 61 in France.
