Antique

Academics are desperate to get their hands on a collection of letters that once belonged to author Franz Kafka, the genius behind "The Metamorphosis" and "The Trial." But, their efforts have been stymied by Have Hoffe and her sister, Ruth Wisler. The two ladies received the documents from their mother two years ago (when she died at the age of 101). Previously, the materials belonged to Max Brod, a German author who wrote a biography of Kafka. Brod died in 1968 and left the letters to Hoffe's and Wisler's mother, Esther.

The battle over the literary booty is on its way to Tel Aviv Family Court. The letters currently sit in two bank vaults, though scholars are worried that they aren't being stored properly. They see in the letters a potential treasure map: they may indicate the location of some notebooks confiscated from Kafka by the Gestapo. The issue became a legal matter when the sisters sought to ratify their mother's will, at which point the Israeli government became involved. Esther Hoffe only allowed a handful of researchers to view the letters and didn't make them available to the public -- a sore spot for interested scholars.

Had Kafka's wishes been respected, there would be no problem right now. The letters would have been burned.

All year, I've sifted through story after story in which auctions either miss or barely attain low-end estimates. So, the action at Bukowskis auction house in Stockholm easily caught my attention. The chess set (probably) used in the match against Death in Ingmar Bergman's 1957 film "The Seventh Seal" sold for a whopping 100 times the minimum. So, where bidders are committed, there is still plenty of life in the auction market.

The pieces, made from wood and plaster, went for $143,270 shortly after midnight (local) on Tuesday morning. The low-end for the chess set was between $1,400 and $2,100. In total, 339 lots sold at the Bukowskis auction, resulting in $2.5 million, 8.5 times the minimum aggregate asking price of $285,000. Bergman's writing desk, designed by Carl Malmsten, moved for nearly $23,000, and a pair of night tables adorned with scribbled personal notes by Bergman sold for just over $48,000 – despite the commencement of bidding at $2,800.

Depending on the estate, it seems, the auction market is coming back.

Although they may have an antique appearance, there is nothing old fashioned about the Meneghini refrigerators. The fridges are produced by Robeys out of materials that range from aged cherry wood to Lebanese cedar and mahogany, with solid brass handles that are sturdy and timelessly beautiful. On top of the stunning finishes, or rather within them, lie ultra-modern interiors, with natural lighting, glass shelves and even appliances (optional), including coffee makers, microwaves, ice makers and even ovens. Appliancist has some apparently exclusive photos of one of the newer models. We don't have an exact price on these units, especially since there is a lot of customization involved, but don't be surprised to see them at upwards of £20,000.

Click past the jump to see what types of interiors we would love to see in our fridges:

The "space" in the name of the Metallic Space Curtain is likely to refer to the fact that the unusual curtain can be used to divide a space into two separate areas, rather than resemble something that is from outer space, although the glimmering piece could very well have been inspired by the night sky. The curtain is composed of over 2,000 individual squares of thin, platinum-colored metal. It measures 99"x99" and can be used either as a divider or as a wall covering. The piece was designed by Paco Rabanne Sofwear around 1970 for Baumann AG, Switzerland. Price: $14,000.