DOYLE NEW YORK TO AUCTION IMPORTANT ESTATE JEWELRY ON SEPTEMBER 29, 2010

Showcasing Creations by Cartier, David Webb, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Tiffany & Co.

Featuring Jewelry from the Estate of the Hon. Florence Perlow Shientag

On Wednesday, September 29, 2010, Doyle New York will hold an auction of Important Estate Jewelry from a variety of prominent estates and collections. The sale will offer dazzling jewelry spanning the Antique, Victorian, Edwardian, Art Nouveau, Art Deco and Modern eras by some of the world’s most prestigious makers, including Cartier, David Webb, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Tiffany & Co. Also featured will be objets de vertu, including elegant compacts, cigarette cases and cufflinks, and watches by Patek Philippe, Cartier and Rolex.

THE ESTATE OF THE HONORABLE FLORENCE PERLOW SHIENTAG
Doyle New York is honored to auction jewelry from the Estate of the Honorable Florence Perlow Shientag (1908-2009). During her 101 years, Judge Shientag led an extraordinarily rich and accomplished life pioneering the role of women in law, mentoring women lawyers, and protecting the rights of filmmakers and artists.

Born in 1908, Judge Shientag received a Bachelor of Science from New York University, followed by a law degree from New York University School of Law in 1933 – a time when most law schools, including Columbia University, did not accept women applicants. In 1934, Judge Shientag, together with three other women attorneys, established the New York Women's Bar Association (NYWBA), and in 1935, she was a signatory on the Association's Certificate of Incorporation.

Judge Shientag began her career as Law Secretary to the Honorable Fiorello LaGuardia, Mayor of New York City. She was a close ally to the Mayor and friend to his wife and family. During her time in the Mayor’s office, she drafted legislation, vetted appointees for public office, represented the Mayor at hearings, and even shared in the experience of renovating Gracie Mansion into the Mayoral Residence. Leaving the Mayor’s Office, she became Law Aide to New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey. In 1941, she was appointed Justice of the Domestic Relations Court, and in 1943, she was named Assistant United States Attorney of the Southern District of New York -- the first female federal prosecutor in New York State and one of the first in the country.

In 1952, Judge Shientag established a private law practice specializing in domestic relations and representation of artists and others. She eventually had offices not only in New York, but also in London, Paris, Rome and in later years, Florida. In 1953, she took on a precedent-setting case involving the banned French film, La Ronde. The case made its way to United States Supreme Court, where she personally briefed and argued the case, resulting in a unanimous landmark opinion that "struck down the ban and the distinction between movies and other forms of communication.”

The right to freedom of expression was very important to Judge Shientag, not only as a legal matter, but also because she was an artist herself and a patron of the arts. Her life-long home on Park Avenue and 71st Street, as wellas her homes in Palm Beach and West Hampton, were filled with art. She was a great friend to many artists, including the sculptor Henry Moore, and in particular Pablo Picasso, whom she knew well and visited regularly.

Dedicated to furthering the practice of law, she established the NYWBA’s Florence Perlow Shientag Award, a scholarship awarded to the law student with the most distinguished essay on constitutional law. She also contributed generously to the New York Women's Bar Association.

Judge Shientag was a highly attractive woman who had strong opinions about women. She said during an interview to the British media, "Being a career woman is no good if you finish up as an imitation man. I believe women should look, feel, smell like women." This philosophy carried her through both her professional life and personal life with a vivacious sense of style.

Jewelry from the Estate of the Honorable Florence Perlow Shientag comprises fifteen lots in the auction. With their boldness of color, scale and design, the pieces reflect the personality of a woman of remarkable intellect, courage and grace.

The free, fully illustrated Internet catalogue will be available in early September.

Images and interviews are available upon request.

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