What a find at auction! A fantastic Tiffany Favrile vase.

This is something that doesn’t happen every day. An auction gallery thinks so little of a vase that it’s not advertised, combined with a Baccarat vase to raise the value of the lot, sold near the end of the auction, estimated at $1/150, and sold for $28,200. Now for the whole story.

Clarke auction lot #358, photo from their website

Clarke auction lot #358, photo from their website

Clarke Auction of Larchmont, NY, held an auction on September 15, 2009. Buried at the end of the auction was lot #358 of a total of 435 lots. The lot was listed as ‘Baccarat Vase along with an Arts & Crafts Vase. From a Purchase home. Dimensions: 12″ and 9 1/2″‘

The “Arts & Crafts Vase” was not Arts & Crafts, but rather Art Nouveau, and more importantly a fantastic, stupendous, incredible Tiffany Studios Favrile, wheel-carved cameo vase. The vase was not signed, only numbered, so the auctioneer had a slight excuse for not knowing the true origin. However, the QUALITY was so fantastic that the auctioneer was negligent in not advertising the vase. Had he included a photo of the vase in his advertising, the cognoscenti would have recognized it, with a better result for both the consignor and the auction house.

We have a situation where the auctioneer is proud of his achievement, as evidenced in an article entitled “Kitchen Discovery – Tiffany Bowl Brings $28,200 at Clarke’s”, printed in the October 16, 2009 edition of Antiques and The Arts Weekly (known as The Newtown Bee), on page 14. The auctioneer should be embarrassed. He did a disservice to his consignor, selling a $100,000 Tiffany vase for $28,200. Congratulations to the bidders at the auction who recognized the vase and bid accordingly. Big sigh! I wish I had known and been one of them!

Tiffany Studios cameo vase

Tiffany Studios cameo vase

Just look at the quality of this vase. The flowers have been padded with molten glass in the making. After the vase cooled, it was extensively wheel-carved over the entirety of the vase to achieve the fantastic details. Folks, it doesn’t get any better than this. It’s a Tiffany masterpiece.

Knowledge is power. Sir Francis Bacon, Religious Meditations, Of Heresies, 1597.

Please send me your suggestions or questions about art glass, lamps, Louis Icart, shows, auctions, etc. If it’s interesting, I’ll answer your question in a future blog entry.

Call or write and let me know what you would like to buy, sell, or trade. philchasen@gmail.com or 516-922-2090. And please visit my website. chasenantiques.com

The changing antiques market

I’ve been pondering the changing nature of the antiques business. After 35 years, I have the luxury of being able to stand back and look dispassionately at the changes.

One of the major changes I’ve noticed is that there are fewer collectors today. That hasn’t necessarily hurt the value of antiques, as many people are still decorating with antiques. I meet people at shows who have a spot for a lamp or a vase or a painting and then they’re finished. Previously I encountered many more people who were looking to accumulate collections.

Daum winter scenic bowl

Daum winter scenic bowl

A lady from Florida wanted only to collect Daum winter scenes. She would see me at a show and ask me if I had any new shapes. She would only buy from me if I had a vase in a shape she didn’t have. By the time she finished, she had collected 72 different Daum winter scenic vases and lamps. It was quite an impressive collection.

Sam Maloof furniture from a 2006 exhibit at the Oceanside Museum of Art

Sam Maloof furniture from a 2006 exhibit at the Oceanside Museum of Art

Another big change has to do with what is collectible today — and that’s constantly changing as time goes by. For example, most Victorian glass has gone down in value, as there are fewer collectors today. Just on the face of it, it seems that when certain antiques get “too old”, interest in them lessens. Maybe people want to collect items from their childhoods or their parent’s or grandparent’s childhoods. Older than that and the items are unfamiliar. Modernism has become more and more popular as the years go by. The collectors are mostly younger and the items they like are no older than from the ’50s, and much of it is much newer. For example, Sam Maloof furniture is highly collectible. Sam was making furniture until his death in May, 2009.

So what will happen as time passes? I wish I had the answer. I do know that whatever happens is not inevitable. Publicity can work wonders. After a traveling exhibition in the 1980s in Japan of the works of Louis Icart, interest in Japan soared. So how about a few important exhibitions for Tiffany or French cameo glass? I’d love to see some.

What’s your opinion? Please post comments.

Please send me your suggestions or questions about art glass, lamps, Louis Icart, shows, auctions, etc. If it’s interesting, I’ll answer your question in a future blog entry.

Call or write and let me know what you would like to buy, sell, or trade. philchasen@gmail.com or 516-922-2090. And please visit my website. chasenantiques.com

The Charles Martignette collection of American Illustration Art, part II

I’ve previously written about the Charles Martignette collection of American Illustration Art, but I’m writing again because this time I’m giving you advance notice of an upcoming auction, being held by Heritage Galleries on Oct 27, 2009, where you will have the opportunity to buy paintings from his collection. Charles had accumulated one of the best American illustration art collections in the world before his untimely death in February, 2008.

Norman Rockwell, Heritage lot #96253

Norman Rockwell, Heritage lot #96253

Norman Rockwell will be represented with several lots. Rockwell has sold for over a million dollars for some of his famous magazine cover illustrations, but this colored pencil on board from 1955, for Scott Tissue, is estimated to sell for $8,000 – $12,000.

Howard Chandler Christy, Heritage #96058

Howard Chandler Christy, Heritage lot #96058

Howard Chandler Christy is another fabulous artist who will be well represented at the sale with several lots, including a stupendous oil on canvas of several nudes, entitled In the Garden of Eden, dated 1925. This very large painting, 28″ x 71″, has a pre-sale estimate of $40,000 – $60,000.

Cafe des Artistes, showing several Howard Chandler Christy paintings

Cafe des Artistes, showing several Howard Chandler Christy paintings

Christy painted all of the paintings that decorated the interior of Cafe des Artistes, a quintessentially New York restaurant and a wonderful place for Sunday brunch. Unfortunately the restaurant closed this past summer and has since filed for bankruptcy. Hopefully the paintings will still be available for viewing at some point in the future.

The Heritage sale has many other paintings with lower estimates, but I suspect that the actual selling prices will be significantly higher. Remember what I’ve repeated in many of my blog entries — auctions always do well with fresh to the market items priced below fair value. I’ll write about the sale after it’s over and we’ll see if I’m right about my prediction. If you’re interested, here’s the link to the auction. Heritage Signature Illustration Art Auction #7016.

Please send me your suggestions or questions about art glass, lamps, Louis Icart, shows, auctions, etc. If it’s interesting, I’ll answer your question in a future blog entry.

Call or write and let me know what you would like to buy, sell, or trade. philchasen@gmail or 516-922-2090. And please visit my website. chasenantiques.com

Changes at Stella Shows and Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc.

The Modern Show, 7 West 34th St., NYC, October 16-18, 2009

The Modern Show, 7 West 34th St., NYC, October 16-18, 2009

Good changes are happening in the antique show world. Irene Stella’s company, Stella Show Mgmt. Co., has been promoting shows in the greater NY area for quite a few years. They have many successful shows under their belt, including the Pier Show in Piers 92 and 94, on the Hudson River in NYC. (The fall edition will be held November 14-15.) Stella Shows also manages Antiques at the Armory in the 69th Regiment Armory in NYC, the Chicago Botanic Garden Antiques & Garden Fair and the Modern Show, also in NYC.

Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc., (MMPI) of Chicago, manages the huge Merchandise Mart building in Chicago, which hosts the Chicago Merchandise Mart Antique Show twice yearly in the fall and spring. These two shows are the best in Chicago and amongst the best in the entire US.

Both promoters are heavy hitters in the antiques show promotion world, so it’s nice to hear of cooperation between the two. It’s my understanding that there will be major reconstruction of Piers 92 and 94, which will transform the two piers into one huge exhibition facility, and that MMPI is now in charge of Piers 92 & 94, and will be in charge of the combined facility. MMPI also operates a new facility for exhibitions at 7 West 34th St., in NYC, opposite the Empire State Building. Stella Shows will be holding their next Modern Show at this facility, October 16-18.

A collaboration of two top-notch promoters should bring about some nice changes to their shows. I wish them both good luck!

Please send me your suggestions or questions about art glass, lamps, Louis Icart, shows, auctions, etc. If it’s interesting, I’ll answer your question in a future blog entry.

Call or write and let me know what you would like to buy, sell, or trade. philchasen@gmail or 516-922-2090. And please visit my website. chasenantiques.com

Some treasures I’ve owned, part III, Martin Brothers Stoneware

A rare and fantastic Martin Brothers stoneware creature

A rare and fantastic Martin Brothers stoneware creature

If you’re not familiar with the Martin Brothers of London & Southall, you should be. They produced the zaniest, most whimsical stoneware that one could imagine. What’s amazing is that they did it over 100 years ago. Many Martin Brothers objects look like they could have been made yesterday.

A Martin Brothers spoon warmer

A Martin Brothers spoon warmer

It’s hard to be neutral about Martin Bros. ceramics — either you love it or you hate it. In case you couldn’t figure it out (of course you could), I fall into the “I LOVE IT!” category. I look at a wonderful piece and smile. I love all the categories of items I sell, but Martin Brothers has to be my favorite. There are quite a few important collectors who agree and have put their money where their mouths are — I’m talking about very serious and valuable collections.

A rare and wonderful Martin Brothers double bird of two lovers.

A rare and wonderful Martin Brothers double bird of two lovers.

Early Martin Bros. ceramics from the 1870s and 1880s was for lack of a better word “ordinary”. They produced vases with simple and realistic flowers or geometric decorations. At some point in the 1890s, they started to produce “grotesque” objects with sea creatures or monsters, or wildly imaginative birds. The more grotesque, the better. Today, the most famous and highly sought after pieces are the bird tobacco jars, with removable heads. Each bird is an individual, with no two identical, as they were not made in molds. The more personality, the better the bird.

Save up your pennies, because Martin Bros. does not come cheap. A decent bird tobacco jar starts at $15,000 and goes up quickly from there, depending on the personality, glaze, size and condition.

Please send me your suggestions or questions about art glass, lamps, Louis Icart, shows, auctions, etc. If it’s interesting, I’ll answer your question in a future blog entry.

Call or write and let me know what you would like to buy, sell, or trade. philchasen@gmail or 516-922-2090. And please visit my website. chasenantiques.com

Thank you, Chicago

My booth at the Chicago Merchandise Mart Show

My booth at the Chicago Merchandise Mart Show

We last exhibited at the Chicago Merchandise Mart in May. The spring show is considered the better of the two shows because it’s more established and gets better attendance. But for us the results were the reverse. We were disappointed in the spring and thankful for a very fine show this time around.

Tiffany 14 inch diameter Acorn floor lamp with drink tray, ashtray and magazine rack

Tiffany 14 inch diameter Acorn floor lamp with drink tray, ashtray and magazine rack

I asked a handful of dealers about their results and as always, there was a diversity of opinion. One dealer who is not a specialist and sells fine items from many different categories had one of the best shows ever in Chicago. Another dealer specializing in majolica didn’t do well. Two mid-west dealers said their shows were ok, but not better. Then there’s me. I’d like to thank all of my clients who made purchases. My clients are very loyal and as a result, I’m sincerely appreciative.

Tiffany glass and lamps garnered the most interest this time, with Art Nouveau French cameo glass by Gallé and Daum Nancy a close second. This time there was less interest in Art Deco glass by Le Verre Francais, etchings by Louis Icart and pottery by Rookwood.

Now it’s time for a short break and then back to the greater Chicago area for the Arlington Park Racetrack Show, October 16-18, and then on to Denver the following week.

Please send me your suggestions or questions about art glass, lamps, Louis Icart, shows, auctions, etc. If it’s interesting, I’ll answer your question in a future blog entry.

Call or write and let me know what you would like to buy, sell, or trade. philchasen@gmail or 516-922-2090. And please visit my website. chasenantiques.com

French Cameo Glass excels at Leslie Hindman Auctioneers

Leslie Hindman held an auction today with fresh-to-the-market French cameo glass from the Patricia J. Gottschalk Trust. Combined with the fact that the estimates were very conservative, the results excelled, with most items exceeding the high estimates, some items selling for 5-6 times the high estimate and one item bringing 8 times the high estimate.

Daum rain scenic vase, Hindman lot #23

Daum rain scenic vase, Hindman lot #23

Lot 23 was a Daum rain scenic vase. Rain scenes are very desirable, so there was no question this vase would do well. This example was very nice, with a good shape and size at 8″. It would have been excellent if there had been more pink in the sky. The pre-sale estimate was $1-2,000, which was very low. A fair estimate would have been $4-6,000. The vase sold for $13,420, including buyer’s premium — over 6 times the high estimate.

Daum wheel-carved footed vase, Hindman #24

Daum wheel-carved footed vase, Hindman #24

A superb Daum vase, with highly detailed wheel-carving, was sold as lot 24. Apparently the staff at Hindman’s didn’t think much of the vase because the pre-sale estimate of $800-1,200 was even lower than for the previous lot. It sold for a strong $9,760, including buyer’s premium — 8 times the high estimate.

It was nice to see such strength and interest in the French cameo glass market. The key to great results at auction is fresh merchandise and low estimates and Hindman’s had both.

Please send me your suggestions or questions about art glass, lamps, Louis Icart, shows, auctions, etc. If it’s interesting, I’ll answer your question in a future blog entry.

Call or write and let me know what you would like to buy, sell, or trade. philchasen@gmail or 516-922-2090. And please visit my website. chasenantiques.com

The Chicago Merchandise Mart Preview Party

Preview night at the Chicago Merchandise Mart Show

Preview night at the Chicago Merchandise Mart Show

The preview party is in full swing as I type this post. There are lots and lots of people walking around, probably hundreds. What I don’t understand is why are we here?? I guess it benefits some charity, so the promoters feel it’s a good thing, but from a dealer’s point of view — GET ME OUTTA HERE! Most of the time, the attendees are just here for a good time. It’s a social event. See and be seen. Well, that’s great for everyone who attends, but not for the dealers. Remember, antique shows are a business. The dealers are here to sell. The cost to dealers to exhibit at a show is a few thousand to many thousands of dollars, not even counting the investment in time. If we don’t sell, we go out of business. If the show promoters would pay us just to exhibit and not sell, that would be another story, but unfortunately, that’s not the case.

My spacious booth at the show, #339

My spacious booth at the show, #339

On this particular evening, one of my loyal Chicago clients came to my booth and purchased a couple of fine items, so the evening was not a complete loss, but this client would have bought from us during regular show hours, if there hadn’t been a preview party.

On the positive side, there was complimentary red and white wine and a few hors d’oeuvres, so that’s not bad. The hors d’oeuvres were even tasty.

So if I may sum up my feelings and speak directly to the show promoters. NO PREVIEW PARTIES, PLEASE!

Please send me your suggestions or questions about art glass, lamps, Louis Icart, shows, auctions, etc. If it’s interesting, I’ll answer your question in a future blog entry.

Call or write and let me know what you would like to buy, sell, or trade. philchasen@gmail or 516-922-2090. And please visit my website. chasenantiques.com

Setting up at the Chicago Merchandise Mart Show

Setup at the Chicago Merchandise Mart Show

Setup at the Chicago Merchandise Mart Show

The Merchandise Mart Show started setting up yesterday and will open with a preview party tomorrow night. The show will open to the general public on Friday at 11 AM and finish at 3 PM on Monday.

The Fall show sets up on the 12th floor of the Mart, not like Spring show, which sets up on the 8th floor. The feel of the show is quite different, with each exhibitor getting a huge booth. My booth is over twice as large as the Spring show, which gives me an opportunity to properly display my items.

My booth, #339, being set up

My booth, #339, being set up

The show has top quality exhibitors who exhibit only at the best shows, so you can expect a very diverse showing of the finest items. I’ve walked the entire show and I can testify that the dealers have set up some incredible booths with paintings, furniture, rugs, porcelain and of course me, with great glass, lamps and Icart etchings and paintings. This show is worth a trip, so try to make it your business.

Please send me your suggestions or questions about art glass, lamps, Louis Icart, shows, auctions, etc. If it’s interesting, I’ll answer your question in a future blog entry.

Call or write and let me know what you would like to buy, sell, or trade. philchasen@gmail or 516-922-2090. And please visit my website. chasenantiques.com