auction house
Gavel-wielding establishment
An auction house is a business that organizes and conducts auctions, taking items on consignment and selling them to the highest bidder.
Major auction houses like Christie's and Sotheby's handle fine art, antiques, and collectibles, while others specialize in estates, livestock, or industrial equipment.
The house typically takes a commission from both buyer and seller.
Flat-bladed water tool
- gavelSmall ceremonial hammer
- lotLarge amount or portion
- reserveSupply kept back
- hammer priceWinning auction bid amount
increment · bidder · proxy · outbid · estimate · opening bid · going once · going twice
Movable room objects
- porcelainTranslucent fired clay
- vintageQuality from past eras
- collectiblesItems people amass
- VictorianOf a prim era
heirloom · rarities · ephemera · timepieces · silverware · tapestries · chandeliers · jewelry
Record of ownership
- legacyWhat's passed down
- historyRecord of past events
- preservationMaintaining something's condition
- conservationPreventing waste or loss
restoration · ancestry · lineage · archives · patrimony · custodianship · repatriation · looted art
Space for displaying artwork
- masterpieceSupreme artistic achievement
- paintingPigment on canvas
- sculptureShaped three-dimensional art
- Old MastersPre-modern European artists
contemporary · impressionism · modernism · curator · canvas · portraiture · landscape · abstract
Polished ornamental minerals
- jewelryOrnamental personal accessories
- goldElement seventy-nine
- diamondsPrecious crystallized carbon
- watchesPortable personal clocks
luxury · precious · numismatics · philately · wine · handbags · automobiles · memorabilia
paddle
Flat-bladed water tool
hammer price · increment · bidder · proxy · outbid · estimate · opening bid · going once · going twice · sold
furniture
Movable room objects
- porcelainTranslucent fired clay
- vintageQuality from past eras
- collectiblesItems people amass
Victorian · heirloom · rarities · ephemera · timepieces · silverware · tapestries · chandeliers · jewelry · decanters
provenance
Record of ownership
- legacyWhat's passed down
- historyRecord of past events
- preservationMaintaining something's condition
conservation · restoration · ancestry · lineage · archives · patrimony · custodianship · repatriation · looted art · restitution
gallery
Space for displaying artwork
- masterpieceSupreme artistic achievement
- paintingPigment on canvas
- sculptureShaped three-dimensional art
Old Masters · contemporary · impressionism · modernism · curator · canvas · portraiture · landscape · abstract · realism
gemstones
Polished ornamental minerals
watches · luxury · precious · numismatics · philately · wine · handbags · automobiles · memorabilia · Fabergé
- trade marketswholesale market, farmers market, commodity market, produce market, livestock market
- consumer exchangesflea market, swap meet, garage sale, yard sale, thrift store
- horse salesbill of sale, purchase price, buyer rights, title transfer, horse trade
- art worldartist, painter, painting, paintings, sculpture
- auctionsbidding, bid, bidder, hammer price, gavel
- fishing industrycommercial fishing, fishing fleet, fishing vessels, fishing ports, fishing port
auction housedepartment store
Large multi-section retail establishment
supermarket · boutique · retail store · retail shop · big-box store
auction housebuyer
One who acquires things
purchasing agent · museum collection · private collector · wholesale buyer · pawnshop
auction houseflea market
Outdoor secondhand goods venue
dollar store · thrift store · garage sale · Walmart · discount store
house, household, auction, housekeeper, auctions, auctioneer, auctioning, auctioned, auction houses