This is why you buy from me

Posted on December 7, 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.

Daum poppy vase with handles

I was offered a lovely Daum vase by a serious French dealer, with whom I’ve done a lot of business over the years. The decoration of poppies was particularly pretty and desirable, especially with the applied handles and gilding. I agreed to buy the vase. The dealer shipped it to me without prior payment, as we have a longstanding relationship.

A closeup of the regilded foot

It looked good in the original photo from the dealer, who I trusted not to send me a vase with problems. Boy, was I disappointed. The first thing I noticed when I opened the box was the strange gilding on the foot. It had been poorly redone with metal leaf. It stuck out to me like a sore thumb. Then came the handles — even worse. The two handles did not match each other in texture at all, nor did they match the body of the vase. They both looked like they had been spray-painted by a restorer of little ability. Do you think you would have known if you had purchased this vase? I doubt it. I venture to guess that most people would not have had a problem with it.

A side-by-side comparison of the two handles

I felt like he tried to slip one past me, but that wasn’t going to happen. It’s going back to France and I’ll be out $73.25 return postage. The good part is you’re not going to buy it. I act like a filter, filtering out fake, repaired, ugly, unimportant, and common items. If I’m offering it for sale, it’s passed my inspection. And that’s why you buy from me.

I’ve been quite busy buying and selling recently, partly because I’ve listed many new items on my website. I will continue to list more daily. Please click here to take a look.

We’re still very much in business between shows, especially since there are fewer shows nowadays. Please don’t hesitate to email or call. 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.

French cameo glass sells well at Sotheby’s Paris Design sale, November 24, 2015

Posted on November 30, 2015 by Philip Chasen

Sotheby’s Paris held their Design sale on November 24, 2015, with total sales of €3,870,400 ($4,100,304). Bidders were determined to continue life as usual, and not allow the terrorists to win, after the recent horrendous terrorist attacks.

Gallé Rose de France vase, Sotheby’s lot #16

Of particular interest to me were five lots of superb Gallé items and one Daum vase. They all sold, most above their high estimates. Top lot of this group was #16, an important, artistic vase by Gallé, entitled Rose de France. It sold for €141,000 ($149,375), including buyer’s premium, against a pre-sale estimate of €70,000 — €90,000.

Fine Gallé marquetry vase, Sotheby’s lot #13

Second best of this small group was lot #13, a fine Gallé marquetry vase on an original bronze base. It soared past its pre-sale estimate of €15,000 — €25,000 to realize €81,000 ($85,811).

Gallé Mosque chandelier, Sotheby’s lot #11

The most unusual of the six items was a huge, 22″ tall, Gallé chandelier Grand Lampe De Mosquée (Large Mosque lamp). Though this wasn’t for everybody, it found at least two bidders who were willing to push the final sale price beyond the high estimate, to €43,750 ($46,348), against a presale estimate of €25,000 — €30,000.

For the complete results of the sale, click here.

I’ve been quite busy buying and selling recently, partly because I’ve listed many new items on my website. I will continue to list more daily. Please click here to take a look.

What’s new at Philip Chasen Antiques?

Posted on November 23, 2015 by Philip Chasen

The buying has been really good for me recently with most of my effort directed at acquiring exciting examples of French cameo and Tiffany Favrile glass. I’m listing a few of them here (in no particular order) and will be listing them as fast as I can on my website.

Rare Gallé Undersea 11″ vase

First up is a really special Gallé vase with undersea flora. Aquatic subject matter of this sort is rare for Gallé and this particular example is the best I’ve ever owned or seen. The size is large, but not overwhelming, at 11″ tall and bulbous. What’s exciting are the detail and especially the colors, with exquisite, realistic greens and blues.

Another special example of the finest of Gallé glass is a monumental, 19″, Trumpet Flower vase with red flowers on a yellow background. The colors, the size and the shape make it a superb, desirable vase.

Important Tiffany 9¾” red decorated vase

If you know about Tiffany Favrile glass, you know that red is the most desirable color. I’ve been fortunate to acquire two great examples, both of which are decorated red, not solid red. The first example is larger, 9¾” tall, with busy blue and black decoration. The second is smaller, with simpler decoration and a lower price, of course.

I’m trying to list many new items on my website, as fast as I can. If you check my site often, you’ll see regular updates.

Click here to check my website for the latest items and to look around. I will update it as often as time permits. We’re still very much in business between shows, so please don’t hesitate to email or call. 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.

Julia’s held one of their best ever Important Rare Lamps, Glass & Fine Jewelry auctions this past Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Posted on November 20, 2015 by Philip Chasen

James D. Julia, Inc. held their semi-annual Important Rare Lamps, Glass & Fine Jewelry auction this past Wednesday, November 18, 2015, with approximately $2.4 million in sales — one of their best ever for the division. The sale included five private collections of high quality goods, some with no reserves. As I’ve noted many times in the past, nothing makes for a better auction than three key ingredients — 1. fresh-to-the-market items; 2. high quality; 3. no or low reserves. It’s like fresh meat to the lions and these lions were hungry.

Important Gallé marquetry vase, Julia lot #1130

French glass did extremely well, with some ultra-high quality items in the mix. Lot 1130, a gorgeous Gallé marquetry vase in the original box, was the best item of the French glass. Estimated to sell for $15,000 – $20,000, it realized $53,325, including buyer’s premium.

Rare Le Verre Francais cat vase, Julia lot #1611

Surprisingly, a nice collection of Le Verre Francais vases and lamps also did well at the end of the sale. The Le Verre market has been soft for a while, so it was nice to see new interest. Lot #1611, a rare, large (23¼”) cat vase, was the best of the group. It sold for $10,665, against a pre-sale estimate of $4,000 – $6,000.

Loetz Phaenomen vase, Julia lot #1143

The selection of Loetz glass was strong and so were the prices. A large, 12″ Loetz Phaenomen vase, estimated to sell for $3,000 – $5,000, sold for five times it’s high estimate, realizing $29,625, including buyer’s premium.

Tiffany Favrile Cypriote vase, Julia lot #1108

The selection of Tiffany Favrile glass was also strong, with some vases selling at considerable premiums over their pre-sale estimates. Lot #1108 was a gorgeous Cypriote miniature example. It sold for many times it’s estimate of $800-1,200, realizing $11,257.50.

Tiffany Studios Koi Fish lamp, Julia lot #1202

The best Tiffany Studios lamp in the sale did well. Lot #1202 was a rare Koi fish example, consigned by a Japanese national. Previously this exact lamp had sold at Christie’s in March, 1990, for $104,500. After the seven phone bidders were done, it went out the door for $106,650, against a pre-sale estimate of $50,000-100,000.

For the complete results of the sale, click here. You will have to sign in (free) for the prices.

I’ve listed many new items on my website and will continue to list many new (and great) items that I’ve recently purchased, both on our buying trip and elsewhere. We have a treasure trove of goodies, so please check my site often for updates.

Some strong prices at Philip Weiss Auctions, October 8, 2015

Posted on October 12, 2015 by Philip Chasen

Sorry for the problems with the website and blog. The site was down for a while for maintenance.

Philip Weiss Auctions, Lynbrook, NY, held a sale entitled Estate Sale, Paintings, Porcelain, Jewelry on Thursday, October 8, 2015. Included in the sale were several very good lots that I tried unsuccessfully to buy. Prices were beyond what a dealer could pay.

Wonderful Daum Nancy floral and butterfly vase, Weiss lot #214

Lot #214 was a killer Daum vase that I really wanted. It had everything going for it including butterflies, blue hydrangea flowers, applied cabochons and gilding, plus a nice big size at 15½”. I thought the estimate was a little strong at $12,000 – 16,000, but I was still interested. It finally sold for $20,700, including buyer’s premium. I was the underbidder. Oh well, better luck next time.

Tiffany Studios mosaic inkwell, Weiss lot #534

Weiss didn’t think much of lot #534, a Tiffany Studios mosaic inkwell, so he put an estimate of $800 – $1,200. That was really low. The buying public knew better and bid it to $11,212.50, including buyer’s premium, when I had to drop out. It wasn’t even the best example I’d ever seen. It had a couple of small chips to the mosaic tiles, plus the patina was gone, and it was only signed on the insert. But guess what? Water under the bridge — the public has spoken.

We’re off to Europe on a two-week buying trip, so I’ll do my best to post twice a week, but it may not be possible. I’m sure we’ll bring back a few great items for our upcoming shows.

Our next show will be at the Winnetka Community House in Winnetka, IL, November 6-8, 2015. We used to exhibit at shows in the greater Chicago area 4-6 times yearly. Most of them have disappeared, so we now only exhibit in Chicago twice a year, once in the fall in Winnetka and once in the spring in Glencoe at the Chicago Botanic Gardens. Too bad, because we like Chicago and have lots of friends and clients. We’re really looking forward to seeing you at the show, so please put the dates in your calendar.

The trend at auctions is still strong

Posted on September 17, 2015 by Philip Chasen

If you read Monday’s blog, you know that I was almost shut out trying to buy some items at auction this past weekend. I’m happy to report that the trend is continuing. Got outbid at a couple of auctions this week by a mile, so the markets are good.

Important padded and wheel-carved Schneider vase, Auctionata lot #58

Yesterday I tried to buy an important 9¼” Schneider vase with a padded and wheel-carved medallion at Auctionata in Germany. I left what I thought was a good bid, but it was to no avail. The bidding started at €1,500 and ended at €7,785 ($8,790) — a good price for a collector, but not for a dealer.

Martin Brothers mini spoon warmer, Wright Marshall lot #1231

Wright Marshall, Ltd., U.K., held an auction on September 15-16 which included several minor Martin Brothers objects. Included in the group was a small Martin Bros. spoon warmer, slightly over 3″ tall. Estimated to sell for £300 – £400, it realized an impressive £6,200 ($9,615).

No luck this week, but I’ll keep plugging away.

nyc-big-flea-9-2015 Our next show will be The Big Flea Market at Pier 94 in New York City, September 26-27. Last year was the first time for this show and it was good. The attendees were completely different than the established Pier Antique Show that takes place in November and March each year, making it a totally different experience.

No two French cameo vases are identical

Posted on September 7, 2015 by Philip Chasen

Pair of Gallé Magnolia floral vases

Take a careful look at the photo above. The pair of vases were made at the same time at the Gallé factory, but they’re not identical. If you look carefully, you can see small differences, like the detail within the central flower. The glass artists started with a prototype that was the standard to copy, most likely a stencil, but were given latitude to make minor changes, as they saw fit. Scrutinize the photo above and you’ll find other minor differences.

Pair of Le Verre Francais Orchidées vases

The two vases above, by Le Verre Français, were also made at the same time and display small differences. The easiest to see is the difference in height, but there are also differences in the decoration. The easiest ones to spot are the tips of the petals at the very top.

Cutting the pattern into the waxy resist used to cover the vase was all done by hand. Each time the artist repeated the design, he/she made slight changes to the decoration, so they were never identical.

Lalique vases can be identical because they were cast in molds. French cameo vases were not molded, except for blownout vases. Even those vases were not identical because the designs were carved by hand after being mold-blown. Small differences occurred during the process, making each one unique.

Setting up at the Baltimore Summer Antiques Show, August 18-19, 2015

Posted on August 20, 2015 by Philip Chasen

Setup was just beginning

The Baltimore Summer Antiques Show begins today, August 20, 2015, as you read this post. Setup went smoothly and the booth looks great.

I just bought this large, killer B&S internally decorated vase with orchids

I was able to purchase several wonderful Daum, Gallé and B&S vases during setup, which I’ll have at the show. Early buying is one of the advantages of being an exhibitor, which sometimes can make up for a poor show.

Another of the wonderful items I purchased at the show

I’ve got my fingers crossed that the show will go well, but it’s not up to me. I did my best to gather the finest items. Now it’s up to the public. Tune in Monday for the show results.

On a sad note, I have to report two deaths. James (Jimmy) Roush, 70, and Sig Monroe, 77, both of cancer. They will be missed.

Our next show will be The Big Flea Market at Pier 94 in New York City, September 26-27. Last year was the first time for this show and it was good. The attendees were completely different than the established Pier Antique Show that takes place in November and March each year, making it a totally different experience.

I just bought a great collection of French cameo glass

Posted on August 10, 2015 by Philip Chasen

Last Thursday I flew out of town to purchase a collection of French cameo glass that I helped assemble in the 1980s and 1990s. There were some really great items, so I was very pleased to repurchase them.

Rare and beautiful Daum vase with applied snails and grapes

It’s hard to put them in order of importance, but I’ll try. First would have to be a 10¼” Daum vase with two applied snails and eight applied grapes. What can I say about this vase except that it’s really great and important!

Rare Daum Nancy Weeping Willow vase

Second place is probably a multiple tie, but I sure like a Daum scenic vase with willow trees, a canoe and a mallard. It’s not only extremely rare, but gorgeous too, with incredible color and detail. I’ve only seen the tri-lobed shape a few times ever, making it equally rare to the decoration. Nice size at 5½” tall x 5″ diameter.

Rare Daum Wheat vase

Wheat is one of Daum’s rarest and most desirable decorations. What’s especially nice and unusual is that the wheat sheaves were gilded first and then the detail was hand-painted on top — a real rarity. Most of the time gilding was used for fine detail, as well as decoration on the bases and rims of vases. This 11″ vase also has highly intricate gilded decoration on the foot.

There’s more, including a Daum Farm vase, a monumental Daum vase with wild orchids and four bees, a super rare early Gallé Crystallerie box with original sterling silver fitted tray, etc. By the time you read this, some of the vases may already be sold, so they won’t even make it to my website, but others will, so please take a look.

baltimore-8-2015 The Baltimore Summer Antiques Show is just around the corner. It opens to the public on Thursday, August 20th, at noon and continues until Sunday, August 23 at 6 PM. If you haven’t made plans yet, there’s still time. I just checked hotwire.com and unbelievably there are 4½-star rooms in the Inner Harbor available for $85/night. Wow! The show is the best summer antique show in the entire United States, so it’s worth a trip from anywhere. Hope to see you there!

A primer on Gallé blownout vases

Posted on July 30, 2015 by Philip Chasen

Gorgeous Gallé Water Lily blownout vase

It is believed that the firm of Emile Gallé did not start to produce blownout vases until after WWI, which was also after Gallé’s death in 1904. If that’s true, then Gallé himself never saw some of the most interesting and valuable vases the firm produced. These vases are referred to as blownout, or mold-blown, or soufflé. The terms are interchangeable.

Monumental Gallé Calla Lily blownout vase

The technique in producing these vases was similar to standard acid-etched vases, but with one major difference — first the glass was blown into a mold using compressed air. Then the design was cut into the vase using hydrofluoric acid. My rough estimation is that there are approximately 50 different models of Gallé blownout vases.

Gallé purple Fuchsia blownout vase

Gallé pink Fuchsia blownout vase

The same model may vary in color, but not in size or shape, since the molds were defined. This is very similar to R. Lalique vases, which were also produced in molds.

Gallé white and standard Elephant vases

To the best of my knowledge, no one has ever built a collection of every known example of Gallé blownout vases. That would be a very interesting (and expensive) collection. Today’s prices range from under $10,000 to over $200,000. The most valuable would be a white elephant.

Reproduction Gallé Elephant vase

Comical reproductions exist, but are easily identifiable after learning the real examples.

Philip Chasen Antiques

The blog for chasenantiques.com

Category Archives: French cameo glass