On Jan. 27, Sotheby's to auction 'Portrait of a Lady as Pomona,' once owned by collector Jules Strauss; the work's long journey is the subject of a book by Pauline Baer de Perignon

Shaped like Hamsa palm symbol, 'The Engima' is believed to have come from outer space; Sotheby's expects gem to sell for $6.8 million

4 artworks sell for more than $50 million each; extensive collection went on the block after couple unable to agree on valuation in acrimonious split

Efforts made to stop auction, as some call on France to declare book a national treasure; sale to private collector points to precarious state of some public Judaica collections

'Girl with a Balloon' was retitled 'Love is in the Bin' and sold at a Sotheby's auction for close to 20 times the price of the original artwork

More than 100 items of Meissen porcelain, recovered by the famed 'Monuments Men,' are set to be sold next week at Sotheby's in New York

Luzzatto High Holiday Machzor is oldest Hebrew prayerbook ever to be sold at auction; French Jewish organization will use proceeds for education and scholarships

L.A. Mayer Museum of Jerusalem was set to auction rare pieces to raise cash, but Al Thani Collection, a foundation funded by Qatar's ruling family, steps in with financial aid

Though President Rivlin declared the cultural assets should stay in Israel, a lawyer for the foundation that supports the museum still insists Sotheby's sale would be best outcome

Decorative pieces, made of silver and attributed to artisan Elimelekh Tzoref of Stanislav, are among 68-item trove from the Sassoon family to be sold by Sotheby's