Monthly Archives: October 2011

Dynamite prices at Heritage Illustration Art auction, October 22, 2011

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Recently I’ve had more time to write about the interesting things happening in the antiques world. When there’s no one in my booth at a show, I keep busy by writing blog posts. So for the next few weeks, I will publish new posts twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays. However, if you don’t see a new post on Thursday, it’s because I was too busy, so please look for a new one the following Monday.

Superb 1946 Howard Chandler Christy painting, 60½ inches x 72 inches, Heritage lot #78158

Heritage Auctions held the New York portion of their Illustration Art auction on October 22, 2011. Included in the sale was a wonderful painting of nudes by Howard Chandler Christy. It sold as lot #78158 and realized the impressive price of $179,250, against a pre-sale estimate of $60,000 – $80,000. The painting is in the same genre as the famous Christy murals on the walls of the venerable New York restaurant, Cafe des Artistes. The restaurant went out of business in 2009, but has recently reopened as The Leopard at des Artistes. The restaurant has undergone extensive renovation, as well as cleaning and restoration of all of the murals, which are now fresh and bright.

1956 Gil Elvgren painting, Fire Belle (Always Ready), Heritage lot #78204

Works by Gil Elvgren continued strong, with lot #78204 selling as the top lot of the sale. It carried a pre-sale estimate of $50,000 – $75,000 and sold for more than triple the low estimate, realizing $191,200, including buyer’s premium. In total, Heritage offered ten works by Elvgren, with prices starting at $5,078.75 for a non-illustrator-looking nude. Six of the ten sold for more than $50,000.

Alberto Vargas, Heritage lot #78399

Other important artists doing well at the sale included Alberto Vargas, lot #78399, $95,600; Jessie Willcox Smith, lot #78383, $71,700; Earl Moran, lot #78312, $53,775 and J.C. Leyendecker, lot #78280, $41,825. The sale totaled $3.725+ million.

For the complete results of the sale, click on the following link. Heritage Illustration Art results.

A fine Martin Bros. grotesque vase from 1903

In the meantime, check the listings on my website, which I will update as often as I can. I’ll be photographing all my new Gallé and Daum purchases and listing them on my website. Recently I listed quite a few Tiffany, Handel and Pairpoint lamps and a very rare Louis Icart etching, Mardi Gras. There are also several fine Daum vases; a Daum lamp; several Galle vases; and several more Tiffany Favrile vases. Coming soon will be several wonderful European ceramic items by Clement Massier, Zsolnay and Amphora. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com

French cameo glass reproductions are still a problem

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Recently I’ve had more time to write about the interesting things happening in the antiques world. When there’s no one in my booth at a show, I keep busy by writing blog posts. So for the next few weeks, I will publish new posts twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays. However, if you don’t see a new post on Thursday, it’s because I was too busy, so please look for a new one the following Monday.

French cameo glass reproductions have been around since the 1980s, when the Romanians started making them. In my continuing effort to help people avoid making purchasing mistakes, I try to educate the public. If you haven’t read my lessons on French cameo glass, I suggest you start by clicking the following link. Free French cameo glass lessons. Then read my several blog posts about reproductions. (Use the search bar on the right.) Then come and visit me at one of my shows. I’ll be happy to answer your questions in person.

If you are trying to determine the authenticity of a vase, first compare it to the photos below. If yours is very similar, you probably have a reproduction. Then compare it to the many photos of authentic vases on my website that I have for sale or have sold. If you still can’t tell or want to be 100% sure, my fee for appraisals is $125 for the first item and $75 for each additional item. All I need is one or two emailed photos and your credit card information. (Please don’t send credit card information in an email.)

Vase with spurious Daum Nancy signature

Apparently all the free help I provide is insufficient, as half of the items I appraise turn out to be reproductions. Most of them are instantly identifiable to the trained eye, but that takes years of work. So to help more people, here are photos of some of the reproductions I’ve appraised in the last few years.

Galle reproduction #1


Galle reproduction #2


Galle reproduction #3


Galle reproduction #4


Galle reproduction #5


Galle reproduction #6

This Galle vase is authentic. Can you tell the difference? It has superb color.

In the meantime, check the listings on my website, which I will update as often as I can. I’ll be photographing all my new Gallé and Daum purchases and listing them on my website. Recently I listed quite a few Tiffany, Handel and Pairpoint lamps and some very rare Louis Icart etchings including Melody Hour and Mardi Gras. There are also several fine Daum vases; a Daum lamp; several Galle vases; and several more Tiffany Favrile vases. Coming soon will be several wonderful European ceramic items by Clement Massier, Zsolnay and Amphora. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com

The results of the Winnetka Antiques + Modernism Show, October 21-23, 2011

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Recently I’ve had more time to write about the interesting things happening in the antiques world. When there’s no one in my booth at a show, I keep busy by writing blog posts. So for the next few weeks, I will publish new posts twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays. However, if you don’t see a new post on Thursday, it’s because I was too busy, so please look for a new one the following Monday.

An extensive selection of Tiffany Studios Grapevine and Pine Needle desk accessories

It’s 5:45 PM on Friday, as I begin to write this blog post. Lots can change by the end of the show (and I hope it will), but here’s a bit of contemporaneous thought. The preview party last night was a party success and a business failure. The attendees were all friendly, curious and dressed to the nines. The staff did a great job. Nobody went hungry or thirsty with a plentiful supply of delicious food and drink. Sales were another story. As with most preview parties, most attendees were there for a good time. The antiques were just wallpaper.

Friday afternoon’s attendance was decent, but no serious buyers at all, except for two of my clients who had seen me the previous week at the Arlington Park Racetrack Antiques Show. Compliment after compliment with no sales. Very nice, but man cannot live on compliments alone (a little chopped liver…maybe). Compliments + sales = good show.

Saturday afternoon in my booth

UPDATE: Saturday afternoon, 3:10 PM. Attendance has been decent so far today, but less than I thought it would be. Last night resulted in a few small sales, but none today. The operative phrase of the day was “just looking”. I can’t tell you how many people said that to me.

Sunday afternoon, 2:30 PM

UPDATE: Sunday afternoon, 2:30 PM. Started the day off with a nice sale from a client who came in yesterday. Then made another small sale later in the day. Attendance has been light to moderate. At this point, I’ve sold enough to probably try the show one more time. I would prefer a much more definitive answer — either I sell less and never come back, or sell more and definitely come back. Tune in later for the final update.

UPDATE: Sunday evening, 11:10 PM. Made another sale, so total sales wound up in a gray area. I’ve decided to try the Winnetka show one more time. Sales were in surprising areas — Louis Icart etchings, a Tiffany desk piece, a Quezal vase, and a couple of assorted areas. No sales in French glass or Tiffany glass and lamps. In asking around a bit, I didn’t hear of any dealer having an exceptional show. I did hear a few complaints.

Thursday’s blog post will be about the continuing problem with reproduction French cameo glass. Make sure you tune in.

A fine Martin Bros. grotesque vase from 1903

In the meantime, check the listings on my website, which I will update as often as I can. I’ll be photographing all my new Gallé and Daum purchases and listing them on my website. Recently I listed quite a few Tiffany, Handel and Pairpoint lamps and a very rare Louis Icart etching, Mardi Gras. There are also several fine Daum vases; a Daum lamp; several Galle vases; and several more Tiffany Favrile vases. Coming soon will be several wonderful European ceramic items by Clement Massier, Zsolnay and Amphora. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com

Setting up at the Winnetka Antiques + Modernism Show, October 19-20, 2011

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Recently I’ve had more time to write about the interesting things happening in the antiques world. When there’s no one in my booth at a show, I keep busy by writing blog posts. So for the next few weeks, I will publish new posts twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays. However, if you don’t see a new post on Thursday, it’s because I was too busy, so please look for a new one the following Monday.

Bill and Tony are busy setting up

The Winnetka Antiques + Modernism Show opens tonight at 6:30 PM with a preview party. I can’t tell you how thrilled I am about that! (Make what you will of that comment.) There will be complimentary drinks and food, so at least that’s a consolation prize. If I sell anything, it will be a miracle, but miracles do happen occasionally.

One of the fine displays at the show

The show is beautiful and unusual. The building itself has many rooms, levels and twists and turns. Each room has dealers, so it’s a bit like walking in a maze, with delicious surprises at each turn. The quality exhibitors have art, furniture, Asian, ceramics, glass, Russian and everything you would expect at a good show. It’s worth a trip from almost any distance.

A magnificent Daum Nancy Fall scenic table lamp

Personally I’ve brought some amazing French glass that I purchased on a recent buying trip. I also have some fresh Tiffany lamps. Tiffany lamps have been strong recently, so I’ve been actively buying more.

I’ll post the results of the show on Monday.

A very fine display of Asian antiques

The hours of the show are Friday noon–8:00 p.m., Saturday 10:00–6:00 p.m., and Sunday 11:00–5:00 p.m. There’s plenty of time to make your way here. Come in, introduce yourself, and let’s do some business.

This Galle vase has superb color.

In the meantime, check the listings on my website, which I will update as often as I can. I’ll be photographing all my new Gallé and Daum purchases and listing them on my website. Recently I listed quite a few Tiffany, Handel and Pairpoint lamps and some very rare Louis Icart etchings including Melody Hour and Mardi Gras. There are also several fine Daum vases; a Daum lamp; several Galle vases; and several more Tiffany Favrile vases. Coming soon will be several wonderful European ceramic items by Clement Massier, Zsolnay and Amphora. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com

The results of the Arlington Park Racetrack Antiques Show, October 14-16, 2011

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Recently I’ve had more time to write about the interesting things happening in the antiques world. When there’s no one in my booth at a show, I keep busy by writing blog posts. So for the next few weeks, I will publish new posts twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays. However, if you don’t see a new post on Thursday, it’s because I was too busy, so please look for a new one the following Monday.

Original Louis Icart etching, New Friends, sold at the show

The Arlington Park Racetrack Antiques Show opened on Friday, October 14th. Attendance was fairly slow, especially late in the day. Sales were practically nonexistent, except for one small one. Thank you, Marc.

Have I told you what torture it is to sit for 8 hours and not sell anything and not talk to many people? The days fly by when it’s busy and drag on when it’s slow.

A superb Daum swan tumbler, sold at the show

Saturday was a better day with sales and interest mostly in French cameo glass. Later in the day, it slowed down to a crawl. At least the show closed at 6 PM. Most people have better things to do than go to an antique show on Saturday evenings.

Attendance was better on Sunday, especially in the afternoon. Interest and sales were diverse. Overall, the show was fair. I didn’t lose money, but didn’t earn much either.

Galle vase, windowpane technique, with superb color

In the meantime, check the listings on my website, which I will update as often as I can. I’ll be photographing all my new Gallé and Daum purchases and listing them on my website. Recently I listed quite a few Tiffany, Handel and Pairpoint lamps and some very rare Louis Icart etchings including Melody Hour and Mardi Gras. There are also several fine Daum vases; a Daum lamp; several Galle vases; and several more Tiffany Favrile vases. Coming soon will be several wonderful European ceramic items by Clement Massier, Zsolnay and Amphora. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com

The Arlington Racetrack Antiques Show opens this Friday, October 14, 2011

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I have less time to write about the interesting things happening in the antiques world since the fall shows started, so I am posting new blog entries once or twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays. If you don’t see a new post on Thursday, it’s because I was too busy, so please look for a new one the following Monday.

Rare Galle box with 2 dragonflies

The Arlington Park Racetrack Antiques Show opens this Friday, October 14th at 11:00 AM and runs until 5:00 PM on Sunday, October 16th. The show is not as big as it once was, but that’s the case for most shows nowadays. The quality is still very good and worth a trip from anywhere in the Greater Chicago area.

Tiffany 14 inch diameter Dragonfly table lamp with great color

We went on a successful buying trip to France in early September, so we have some very fine French cameo glass by Daum and Gallé that is fresh to the market. Additionally, we were able to purchase a small collection of Tiffany lamps, so we’ll have some new ones that you haven’t seen before. Sales of Tiffany lamps have been strong in the last few weeks, so I’m glad to be able to offer some fresh ones.

The promoter of the show, Shawn Hastings, has been quite ill for a month now. His wife and staff will be running the show. Let’s all pray for a speedy and full recovery for him.

Very fine color on this beautiful and rare Galle blue floral vase

In the meantime, check the listings on my website, which I will update as often as I can. I’ll be photographing all my new Gallé and Daum purchases and listing them on my website. Recently I listed quite a few Tiffany, Handel and Pairpoint lamps and some very rare Louis Icart etchings including Melody Hour and Mardi Gras. There are also several fine Daum vases; a Daum lamp; several Galle vases; and several more Tiffany Favrile vases. Coming soon will be several wonderful European ceramic items by Clement Massier, Zsolnay and Amphora. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com

Some great results at Leslie Hindman Fine Furniture and Decorative Arts auction, October 2-3, 2011

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I have less time to write about the interesting things happening in the antiques world since the fall shows started, so I am posting new blog entries once or twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays. If you don’t see a new post on Thursday, it’s because I was too busy, so please look for a new one the following Monday.

Important Frank Lloyd Wright copper urn, Hindman lot #944

Leslie Hindman held a Fine Furniture and Decorative Arts auction on Sunday and Monday, October 2-3, 2011. The sale went very well, bringing a total of $3.19 million against a pre-sale estimate of $2.07 million. That lot 944 was the top lot of the sale was no surprise. It was an important Frank Lloyd Wright copper urn (one of only six known to exist) from the Edward C. Waller House in River Forest, Illinois, circa 1899. Estimated to sell for $400,000-$600,000, it sold just over the high estimate, realizing $784,000, including buyer’s premium.

Many of the finest items came from two important estates — Ralph Esmerian and Ruth Regenstein. The Esmerian items were heavy in bronzes and Arts & Crafts, while the Regenstein items were skewed toward 17th and 18th century needlework and enameled etui cases. Both sections of the sale did very well.

Rare Quezal lamp, Hindman lot #1000

Lot 1000 was an extremely rare Quezal lamp with dark green and gold zipper decoration. I first saw this lamp a few months ago, when it was still in Mike Intihar’s office (Senior Specialist for Leslie Hindman’s Fine Furniture and Decorative Arts department). I was immediately wowed! I had seen this decoration on standard Quezal shades, but never on an all original, full-sized lamp. I told Mike it was really rare and special. I looked forward to the day it would be sold at auction, but knew certain collectors would need to have it more than I did. I was going to bid, but the odds of my being successful were slim.

It was sold with a conservative pre-sale estimate of $7,000-9,000, considering its condition and rarity. Bidding was strong, ending at $36,600, approximately triple the high estimate. This shouldn’t have surprised anyone in the know. There are a core group of Quezal collectors with great collections. This is one rarity they needed to have.

For the complete results of the sale, click on the following link. Hindman results. Make sure the correct sale is in the “View a catalogue” box and click “View” underneath. If not, first click on the “Archives” link on the left.

The best Daum scenic blownout vase

In the meantime, check the listings on my website, which I will update as often as I can. I’ll be photographing all my new Gallé and Daum purchases and listing them on my website. Recently I listed quite a few Tiffany, Handel and Pairpoint lamps and some very rare Louis Icart etchings including Melody Hour and Mardi Gras. There are also several fine Daum vases; a Daum lamp; several Galle vases; and several more Tiffany Favrile vases. Coming soon will be several wonderful European ceramic items by Clement Massier, Zsolnay and Amphora. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com

Excellent results for French cameo glass at Brunk Auctions, September 24-25, 2011

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I have less time to write about the interesting things happening in the antiques world since the fall shows started, so I am posting new blog entries once or twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays. If you don’t see a new post on Thursday, it’s because I was too busy, so please look for a new one the following Monday. There will be a post this Thursday about the Leslie Hindman auction of October 2-3, 2011.

Outstanding Galle polar bear vase, Brunk lot #734

Brunk Auctions of Asheville, NC, held a decorative arts auction on September 24-25, 2011. Included in the sale were a couple of outstanding French cameo vases. Lot 734 was a huge Galle polar bear vase, 14¼”, with exceptional color. It carried a pre-sale estimate of $20,000-30,000. It sold for almost twice the low estimate, realizing $45,600, including buyer’s premium.

Outstanding Daum crocus vase, Brunk lot #737

Also in the sale was a superior Daum crocus vase. The sophisticated techniques used in the making are called padding and carving. First the flowers were padded, meaning they were applied from molten colored glass rods. When the vase cooled, the flowers were hand-carved, also called wheel-carving. On one side of the vase, there is a deep orange flower and on the other, a deep purple flower — both with better color than the usual example. Selling as lot 737, it brought $15,600, against a conservative pre-sale estimate of $6,000-10,000.

To search the results of the sale, click on the following link. Search Brunk. Choose the September 24-25, 2011 dates and a keyword.

The best Daum scenic blownout vase

In the meantime, check the listings on my website, which I will update often. I’ll be photographing all my new Gallé and Daum purchases and listing them on my website. Recently I listed quite a few Tiffany, Handel and Pairpoint lamps and some very rare Louis Icart etchings including Melody Hour and Mardi Gras. There are also several fine Daum vases; a Daum lamp; several Galle vases; and several more Tiffany Favrile vases. Coming soon will be several wonderful European ceramic items by Clement Massier, Zsolnay and Amphora. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com