Bonhams Sells Sandy Lerner's Feline Masterpieces

A significant private collection of cat-related art and collectibles will be sold at Bonhams in New York City and Massachusetts later this year. The Sandy Lerner Collection, assembled by American philanthropist and businesswoman Sandy Lerner, includes pieces by notable artists such as Édouard Manet, Fernando Botero, and Henri Matisse.

The collection also features jewelry from Tiffany & Co and Boucheron, a Diego Giacometti bronze, and oil paintings by Japanese-French artist Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita. The estimated value of the lots ranges from $10,000 to $60,000.

Lerner, co-founder of Cisco Systems and founder of beauty giant Urban Decay, curated the collection with a focus on celebrating the 'joyful, life-affirming presence of cats'. She has documented the collection in her 1987 book, Caticons: 4,000 Years of Art Imitating Cats.

The first live auction will take place at Bonhams' new US headquarters on September 30, featuring 66 lots. The second phase of sales will begin with a live auction in Massachusetts on October 28, coinciding with an online auction from October 18-29.