Absentee bids let you place your maximum bid on an item before the live auction begins. During the live show, we’ll continue bidding on your behalf up to your max bid — just like leaving a bid with a traditional auctioneer.
When you place an absentee bid, you’ll choose a bid strategy. Your chosen strategy determines how the current bid will be set at the time your bid is placed. Your maximum bid always remains confidential.
The available strategies are:
🐢 Slow & Steady — starts your bid low and lets others chase you.
⚡💥 Power Bid — starts at about half your max to show intent without revealing your top number.
♥️♠️ All In ♦️♣️ — sets the current bid to your full bid amount right away.
The current bid shown on each lot reflects all confirmed absentee bids and updates automatically as new bids come in.
When the live auction starts, bidding will begin at the current bid. The auctioneer will continue bidding on behalf of absentee bidders up to their max bids.
Because absentee bids can arrive seconds apart, the current bid you see may not always include bids still being processed. Refresh the page for the most up-to-date information.
For our full absentee bid policy, please click here.
Bidding Quick Facts
How bidding works
All items have a minimum bid of $1.00.
When "No Bids" is displayed, it means no absentee bids have been placed on this item yet.
Once bids are placed, the current bid will be displayed instead.
For more information on the bidding process, please click here.
Bid Successfully Submitted!
Your absentee bid for Lot 003 - Antique Russian Folk Art Cigarette Box With Pyrography Wood Burned Nude Woman, Windmill Scene, 1923, Post Russian Civil War was successfully submitted—thank you for bidding with us!
The current bid displayed will not update immediately. You will receive a confirmation email shortly.
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For our full absentee bid policy, please review the Auction Rules.
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Lot 003 - Antique Russian Folk Art Cigarette Box With Pyrography Wood Burned Nude Woman, Windmill Scene, 1923, Post Russian Civil War
Pre-Auction Notes: Note that one of the corners where the hinge is has a slight crack that shifts slightly when opening and closing the box. Possibility for future damage. Appears to have been glued, See photos. Here is a summary of the likely significance of the text from ChatGPT: The inscription reads:
"На добрую память / моему брату и товарищу / А. З. р. ц. п. Г. / от / Лаша Шустера / 1923 г."
Here’s a translation and interpretation of the text:
"На добрую память" means "In kind remembrance" or "As a keepsake."
"моему брату и товарищу" means "to my brother and comrade."
"А. З. р. ц. п. Г." likely represents initials or abbreviations, possibly indicating a rank, title, or location.
"от Лаша Шустера" translates to "from Lasha Shuster."
"1923 г." indicates the year 1923.
In summary, the inscription is a dedication from someone named Lasha Shuster to a close friend or brother, possibly a military or social comrade, in 1923. The use of Russian suggests the giver or recipient may have been Russian-speaking, and the abbreviations could imply a military or formal connection between them.