An Edgar Degas (French, 1834-1917) pencil on rose papier drawing titled “Three Busts of Dancers” will command center stage at Quinn & Farmer’s Jan. 19 catalog auction. The event will be held at the company’s Charlottesville gallery, with Internet live bidding provided by LiveAuctioneers.com.

The 1874 Degas artwork is numbered “22” at lower right and displays signature and fleur-de-lis stamps at lower right. A pencil notation on verso includes the title and date the artwork was created, and the phrase “Coll. Marcel Bing, Paris.” [Bing was a member of a prosperous German family known for its influential art dealings.] The 12½ by 9¼ inch Degas drawing shows three dancers in various poses: one with arms akimbo, the second with a pensive expression, and the third in profile. It is expected to make $15,000-$25,000 at auction.

An example of graceful 18th-century American furniture at its best is the rare circa 1760-1780 three-piece Connecticut Queen Anne cherry secretary/bookcase on frame. It features a bonnet top with three finials, cabinet doors that open to a five-compartment interior, and a fall-front desk that opens to envelope slots and small drawers. The piece also has four graduated drawers with brass pulls, a carved shell skirt and claw-and-ball feet. It stands 50 5/8 inches tall and is estimated at $10,000-$15,000.

The 377-lot auction opens with a wonderful selection of antique, vintage and custom-designed jewelry valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars. A star lot is the pair of signed Cartier platinum, diamond and sapphire drop earrings. The focal point of the design is the two natural, unheated, matched blue Ceylon sapphire briolettes, weighing 9.20 carats and 10.42 carats, respectively. They are enhanced by two square diamonds, each weighing approximately .12 carats, and 109 single-cut diamonds, each with a .80 carat weight. The exquisitely designed earrings may realize $20,000-$30,000 at auction.