Antiques and Books Auction

The year begins with an invitation to look at the past with fresh eyes. Our first auction of Antiques and Books opens 2026 by celebrating a cycle of outstanding results and reaffirming the place this department has built thanks to the trust of our collectors. It’s a fresh start, yet carries the weight and charm of centuries of history brought together in a single journey.

This edition features an exceptional group of sacred art from New Spain that sets the tone for the auction: a work by Cristóbal de Villalpando, published in his catalogue raisonné; a Saint Jerome by the masterful hand of Antonio de Torres; and an imposing late-17th-century Saint Catherine of Alexandria, radiant in both symbolism and execution. Three pieces that not only embody the artistic splendor of New Spain, but also offer an immediate entry into a universe where devotion, craftsmanship, and beauty remain fully intact.

Added to this is a robust militaria section, with decorations, uniforms, and pieces that speak to the honor and hierarchies of other times. Among them, the charro suits that belonged to Luis Aguilar stand out—material witnesses to a Mexico also shaped through cinema, music, and popular memory—alongside a variety of military uniforms that would enrich any collection.

But the piece that steals every gaze is an extraordinary cigarette case, or snuffbox, bearing an inscription that attributes its ownership to Emperor Agustín de Iturbide. Its enameled plaque, crowned with an early-era Order of Guadalupe, turns this object into a true historical reliquary—at once intimate and majestic.

We invite you to join us for this first auction of the year, to continue building new chapters of success together, and to enjoy a tour through the history of art, books, and objects that have shaped our past. At Morton, we begin the year by celebrating the joy of collecting.

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