Good results at Sotheby’s The Warshawsky Collection: Masterworks of Tiffany and Prewar Design sale, May 19, 2015

Posted on May 25, 2015 by Philip Chasen

My goal is to 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.

On May 19, 2015, Sotheby’s New York sold a one-owner collection, The Warshawsky Collection: Masterworks of Tiffany and Prewar Design, which included 90 lots of outstanding Tiffany Studios objects. Only 2 of the 90 lots failed to sell. Sales totaled $7,951,125 for the 138 lots offered.

Tiffany Studios Oriental Poppy floor lamp, Sotheby’s lot #36

The top lot of the sale was #36, a beautiful Oriental Poppy floor lamp. It topped $1 million, with a final sale price of $1,066,000, including buyer’s premium, against a pre-sale estimate of $400,000 – $600,000.

This rare Tiffany Studios Peacock frame, Sotheby’s lot #2, sold for $40,000, against a pre-sale estimate of $5,000 – $7,000

The sale started strongly, with frames and lamp screens selling for ridiculously high prices. Then reality set in and the sale lost a little steam, with some lots selling at or below their low estimates.

Tiffany Studios Grapevine frame, Sotheby’s lot #85

A bizarre result was the sale of a medium-sized Tiffany Grapevine frame, lot #85, a common frame that I ordinarily sell for $2,500 – $3,500. It sold for the extraordinary price of $22,500, against a pre-sale estimate of $1,200 – $1,800. Whaaattt??? Some people have more cents than sense. Where are those clients when I need them?

Tiffany Studios advertising sign, Sotheby’s lot #87

One of the more amusing results came with the sale of an original Tiffany Studios bronze advertising plaque. It brought an incredible $20,000, against a pre-sale estimate of $800 – $1,200.

For the complete results of the sale, click here.

We’re now in Lyon, seeking treasures, then back to Paris for a few days before returning home.

No shows until July, when we’ll be in Denver for the Denver World Wide Antique Show, at the Denver Mart, EXPO Building, 451 East 58th Avenue, July 24-26, 2015. I’ll always be in touch, even while we’re in Europe, so please don’t hesitate to email or call.

Click here to check my website for the latest items and to look around. I always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on my website and at every show. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. And remember to keep reading my blog.

Louis Icart oil paintings sell well at DuMouchelle’s, May 17, 2015

Posted on May 21, 2015 by Philip Chasen

Icart oil painting Devant Le Feu, Dumouchelle lot #2051

The market for Louis Icart etchings has been weak for years, but that weakness did not extend to the sale of three Louis Icart oil paintings in DuMouchelle’s three-day general auction, May 15-17, 2015. The first of the three paintings, lot #2051, entitled Devant Le Feu (In Front of the Fire), came to the auction block with a fair estimate of $7,000 – $10,000. It almost doubled its low estimate, selling for $14,400, including buyer’s premium.

Icart oil painting Satyre, Satyr, DuMouchelle lot #2052

The next lot was the second Icart oil painting, entitled Satyre, Satyr (sp?), with a strong estimate of $15,000 – $20,000 (but it was the largest at 32″ x 25½”). It sold at the low estimate, yielding $18,000, including buyer’s premium.

Icart oil painting, untitled, DuMouchelle lot #2053

The best result came from the third Icart oil painting, of ballerinas (the best in my opinion). It doubled its low estimate of $7,000, to sell for $16,800, including buyer’s premium.

DuMouchelle’s is one of the few auction galleries that doesn’t post the results of previous sales, so there will be no link to the results of the sale.

In the meantime, we’re still in Paris looking for more treasures. I will do my best to find some time to post some of these purchases on my website, but so far it’s been difficult.

A visit to Barcelona, May 10-14, 2015

Posted on May 18, 2015 by Philip Chasen

Having never been to Barcelona, we left Paris for a few days to visit. Rather than fly, we traveled by high speed rail on a TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse), which has a top speed of almost 200 mph. It was a lovely way to travel, except for the lack of wifi. 6½ hours later we were in Barcelona’s city center.

The Sagrada Familia is still under construction

It’s a lovely city, cleaner than most, very organized and quite civil. Surprisingly to me, Catalan is the preferred written language. The impact of Antoni Gaudi, the genius architect, is everywhere. All of the top sites in the city were designed by Gaudi. His influence is so pervasive, they should rename the city Gaudi.

A panoramic view of the interior of the Sagrada Familia

At the top of everyone’s list of must-see places is the Sagrada Familia (Sacred Family) – Gaudi’s masterpiece cathedral, on which he spent the last 40 years of his life. Gaudi died in 1926, at the age of 73, having been struck by a tram. He never saw his cathedral completed but knew he never would. Work continues to this present day, with a hoped-for completion by 2026, the 100th anniversary of his death. It’s an extraordinary place, which is why it receives almost 3 million visitors a year and is Spain’s most-visited tourist destination.

That’s me on the roof of the Casa Batlló

Having dealt in Art Nouveau objects all of my adult life, I couldn’t wait to see Gaudi’s Art Nouveau masterpieces. At the top of my list was the Casa Batlló. What a place! Not one single straight line in the entire building, inside or out. Photos do not do it justice. Every single detail, down to the brass handles on the windows, was meticulously designed by Gaudi. We spent a very enjoyable couple of hours at his tour de force.

Palau de la Música

An evening of flamenco at the impressive Palau de la Música was captivating. Designed in the Catalan modernista style, it was built between 1905 and 1908. Try to see anything there on your visit to Barcelona.

paella Paella was another story. We tried twice to find good paella. Once we relied on the recommendation of the concierge at our hotel. Bad choice. The place was a tourist trap and the paella was awful. Next I used the Internet to find the “10 best places for paella” in Barcelona. Another bad choice – not as bad as the concierge’s, but far from good. Oh well, at least the search took us to some interesting places.

Now we’re back in Paris, scouring the shops and the markets looking for more treasures. It’s harder than it used to be, but we were still able to find our share. Not many people get to visit Paris regularly for business. We’re lucky.

Shopping for antiques in Paris

Posted on May 11, 2015 by Philip Chasen

The Louvre des Antiquaires

A depressing look down one of the aisles of the Louvre des Antiquaires, with all the shops closed

Upon arriving back in Paris for the first time in a year, we visited some old stomping grounds. First up was the Louvre des Antiquaires, purportedly closed. Well not quite yet. Our visit showed it was open, but barely. Almost every shop was closed, except for a select few. In its heyday, the center was bustling with activity. Getting a shop there required buying out someone’s existing lease with key money, usually hundreds of thousands of dollars. What a depressing difference!

Rue des Rosiers, the main street of the flea markets

Next up were the flea markets near Porte de Clignancourt – disappointing, but not depressing like the Louvre des Antiquaires. In its heyday, much of the business was done in the middle of the night, with flashlights. The action started early, with fierce competition for the best merchandise. Nowadays, the pace is much slower. The flea markets have clients milling about, but there is no frenetic competition. Many of the dealers I knew have retired, leaving very few to do business with.

Wonderful Daum vase with two applied and wheel-carved dragonflies

The trip wasn’t a waste. I was still able to buy some goodies from a few dealers, some of whom hid their best items. If they don’t know you, you’ll never see them. I’ll start to list some of them on my site as soon as I get a little time.

Now off to Barcelona for a few days – a city I’ve never visited, but have heard lots about. Of prime interest will be the Art Nouveau architectural masterpieces of Antoni Gaudi. We’ll also check to see if it’s possible to buy antiques there, but I don’t really see that happening.

No post this Thursday. The next new post will be on Monday. The topic will be Barcelona.

A Thomas Webb & Sons English cameo covered jar led the way at Hindman’s 20th Century Decorative Arts sale, May 1, 2015

Posted on May 4, 2015 by Philip Chasen

Leslie Hindman Auctioneers held a 20th Century Decorative Arts sale on May 1, 2015. The offerings weren’t strong, but mixed in were some special items. As expected, they did well.

Superb Thomas Webb & Sons cameo jar, Hindman’s lot #25

Leading the way was a huge, 11½” tall, English cameo covered jar by Thomas Webb & Sons, with elaborate and exquisite carving. Mike Intihar, Hindman’s Senior Specialist, expected it to sell at or slightly above the high estimate of $50,000, but it performed much better. High quality items that are fresh to the market are a good bet to do well and this jar did not disappoint. It had not been for sale to the public since it was sold by Leo Kaplan Ltd. in New York in 1986. The public liked what it saw and bid it to $158,500, including buyer’s premium — a stupendous result almost three times what it was expected to fetch.

Tiffany Studios Empire Jewel table lamp, Hindman lot #144

A rare, but unattractive (to my eyes), Tiffany Studios Empire Jewel table lamp sold for the low estimate of $40,000, ($50,000 with buyer’s premium). It was very elaborate, with opalescent jewels and hundreds of tiny pieces of glass. Technically it was marvelous, but drab in person, especially the puce/gray/purple background. On the other hand it was authentic, large (22″ diameter), rare, yada yada yada. Attractive it wasn’t. Had the bidders asked me, I would have told them to save their money, but they never did. Whaaat??? (Said aloud, with emphasis.)

Fake Daum vase, Hindman lot #15

Surprisingly a couple of reproduction Daum vases, lots 14 and 15, slipped into the sale. The public knew better so neither vase sold.

For the complete results of the sale, click here.

We’re off to Paris this week, so the chances of a Thursday post are 50/50. We’re sure to come up with some goodies, so keep an eye on my site for the latest additions. No shows until July, when we’ll be in Denver for the Denver World Wide Antique Show, at the Denver Mart, EXPO Building, 451 East 58th Avenue, July 24-26, 2015. I’ll always be in touch, so please don’t hesitate to email or call.

Philip Chasen Antiques

The blog for chasenantiques.com

Monthly Archives: May 2015

Good results at Sotheby’s The Warshawsky Collection: Masterworks of Tiffany and Prewar Design sale, May 19, 2015

Louis Icart oil paintings sell well at DuMouchelle’s, May 17, 2015

A visit to Barcelona, May 10-14, 2015

Shopping for antiques in Paris

A Thomas Webb & Sons English cameo covered jar led the way at Hindman’s 20th Century Decorative Arts sale, May 1, 2015