A visit to the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain

Posted on October 26, 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.

The entrance to the museum announces the Basquiat exhibition

One of the perks of traveling to Paris on business is the opportunity to add a few days to our trip for pleasure. This time we decided to visit Biarritz, France and Bilbao, Spain, home of the Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim Museum. Ever since I saw photos of the building, opened in 1997, it’s been on my bucket list. I wasn’t disappointed, just surprised.

guggenheim-bilbao-5 First I was surprised that the museum is right in the center of town. I had visions of it being on the outskirts, on its own campus. I also thought it was larger. Mind you, it wasn’t small, just smaller than I had imagined. Regardless, it is spectacular architecture.

A panorama of the interior

Then I was surprised about the city of Bilbao. I imagined it was a little hole-in-the-wall community, but it’s not! It’s a fairly large city, clean, with impressive buildings, squares, restaurants, etc.

A Basquiat in the Guggenheim’s exhibition

The museum specializes in modern art and currently has an extensive Basquiat exhibition. Call me ignorant, but I don’t get it. Basquiat paintings are highly sought after and bring millions at auction, but I think if Monet were alive today, he wouldn’t get it either. When I look at art that I could have done myself, it’s not art. It seems Basquiat was blessed by the powers that be and then could do no wrong. If he had thrown dirt at a canvas and put a stripe on it, someone would have interpreted it as brilliant and revolutionary. Looks to me like an example of The Emperor’s New Clothes. Christie’s recently sold a Basquiat, Dustheads for $48,843,750. OK, I admit I couldn’t have painted that one.

Basquiat painting Dustheads , sold at Christie’s May 15, 2013

A Senegalese artist at work in the museum

It was very interesting watching a Senegalese spray can artist decorating one of the main columns of the interior. He had hundreds of cans of spray paint available. I wonder if this will be a permanent exhibition.

A Jeff Koons sculpture in the outdoor exhibition area

We spent the day at the museum, but it would have been fun to stay longer in Bilbao and experience the city. Maybe another day.

Our next show is coming up soon 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.

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.

Shopping at the Paris antiques flea markets

Posted on October 19, 2015 by Philip Chasen

First I have to apologize if you’ve been having problems with my blog or website. We migrated both to a new provider, so they were both down for a while during the transition. Everything should be fine now.

We were in Paris shopping for some great new items and had a much harder time than usual. Unfortunately many of the merchants we dealt with have died or retired, leaving only a few, with not a lot new to offer. We did manage to buy a few great items and we still have a couple of shopping days left, so we’re hopeful.

That’s the regular flea market you’ll pass on the way to the antiques flea markets

If you want to visit the Paris flea markets, take the Metro #4 train north to the last stop, Porte de Clignancourt. From there, keep walking north (head toward the overhead roadway called the Péripherique). First you’ll come to the standard flea market on your left, with clothing, souvenirs and all the usual stuff you’d expect to see.

The view looking east on Rue des Rosiers showing both the Marché Dauphine and Marché Malassis

Continue past the flea market and pass under the Péripherique. Walk one more block to rue des Rosiers and make a left. Technically, you’ve just left Paris and you’re in the suburb of St. Ouen (pronounced similarly to San Juan). You’re now at the start of many flea markets. There are so many markets and so many dealers, you’ll run out of time before you see them all. The first market you’ll pass on the left is called Marché Malassis. (Don’t get confused by the photo. It’s looking east and you’ll be walking west.) Then Marché Dauphine, Marché Vernaison, Marché Biron, Marché Paul Bert and Marché Serpette. And I’ve probably missed a couple. If you turn left at the corner before Marché Paul Bert, there’s more. The quality goes from junk to wonderful, with commensurate prices.

A look down one of the aisles in Marché Dauphine

I’ve noticed many changes over the years. The most obvious was the change in styles. Many of the dealers were carrying more modern items than before, from the ’50s to the present. And quality Art Nouveau glass was getting a lot harder to find.

The view looking west on rue des Rosiers showing the Marché Paul Bert and Serpette

The view looking west on rue des Rosiers showing the Marché Paul Bert and Marché Serpette

Marché Paul Bert and Marché Serpette are adjacent, but Paul Bert is inside and Serpette is outside. Shippers are available right there in the markets, so you can buy anything, no matter the size, as long as you’re willing to pay.

The Seine looking west with a tour boat in the foreground and Notre Dame beyond

If you like flea markets, you’ll have a great time. No matter what your taste, there will be something for you. The markets are open every weekend, with a few dealers open on Mondays.

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.

An eventful day in Nancy, France, May 28, 2015

Posted on June 1, 2015 by Philip Chasen

France’s TGV

Last Thursday, I traveled from Paris to Nancy, a journey of 3 hours, 40 minutes by car, but only 1 hour, 30 minutes by high-speed TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse). What a shame we don’t have such a rail system in the US. It’s really fabulous. But I digress.

The grave of Emile Gallé, his wife, and his son

I went to see a friend/colleague who I hoped would have some nice French glass to sell to me. After a lovely lunch in town, he took me on a short, but fascinating tour. The first stop was on a peculiar street, with a nondescript cement wall along one entire side of the block. I assumed we were entering his housing development through the single door in the wall, but was instead astonished to find we were in a cemetery. At least until he took me to the first grave. My jaw almost dropped. I was standing in front of the grave of Emile Gallé, his wife, and his son. I knew Gallé died in 1904 but didn’t realize he was only 58. It was the simplest of graves, neglected and fairly rundown. I was honored to be standing there, but saddened. I asked my friend to buy some small ivy plants to fill in the voids. I’ll encourage him until it’s done.

The family grave of Louis Majorelle

That wasn’t the end of this cemetery. Many famous French artists, decorators, and sculptors were buried there, including the Daum Brothers and family, and Louis Majorelle and family — a cemetery with the rock stars of French decorative arts. You would never know from the outside.

Incredible Daum rose bowl with Dandelion decoration

Then back to business. In two stops, I was able to buy 12 vases. Not a bad day’s work. A couple of hours later and I was back in Paris where my honey awaited me.

We were supposed to arrive home yesterday, after a month in France (and Spain), but our flight was canceled. We’re probably en route as you read this. It was lovely to travel and just as lovely to go home. We had a great trip, both personally and businesswise. We bought some amazing glass, which I’ve just started to list. More in the next few days.

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.

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.

How sad! The Louvre des Antiquaires in Paris is closing soon.

Posted on March 17, 2014 by Philip Chasen

The front entrance to the Louvre des Antiquaires

An era is passing. The Louvre des Antiquaires in Paris will close sometime this May or June. The handwriting has been on the wall for some time now. Each time we visited, more and more shops were closed. I asked what was going to happen. There was still some hope the center could be saved. One room was filled with a model of the future Louvre des Antiquaires, which was to fill a smaller section of the front of the building. As time passed, the potential faded and now the sad result is confirmed.

Shop after shop is closed

For those of you who remember, the Louvre des Antiquaires was so successful at one point in its history, new prospective tenants had to pay significant key money ($100,000 – $250,000) to secure a shop. Key money is essentially a bribe (or more diplomatically an incentive) to the present tenant to relinquish the balance of his or her lease to the new tenant. This had nothing to do with the rent, which still had to be paid to the landlord.

One of the few dealers still open

The concept was so successful that a similar center was opened in New York City on 57th St. It was called Place des Antiquaires, in homage to its French cousin. Unfortunately it wasn’t as successful and closed in 1992, after being open for only a few years. It was replaced by the discount store Daffy’s.

The few remaining dealers in the Louvre des Antiquaires will have to secure independent shops around Paris if they wish to continue in business. I wish them good luck.

This internally decorated Burgun & Schverer mini vase is a recent purchase

The NYC Pier Antique Show is coming very soon, March 29-30, 2014. It’s always fun and exciting, so make your plans to come to the Big Apple. In the meantime, we’re on a European buying trip and have found a few treasures to offer for sale. You’ll be able to see them at the Pier show.

We’ll have this wonderful Amphora portrait vase at the show

Click here to view my new website and look around. We always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on our website and at every show. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps

A Swiss air show adventure at the top of a mountain

Posted on October 14, 2013 by Philip Chasen

If you follow my blog, you know that we were in Parma, Italy to attend a huge antiques fair, at the invitation of the Italy-America Chamber of Commerce Southeast (IACC) and the Fiere di Parma. After the show, we decided to take a side trip to Switzerland — land of the Alps and infinite scenic beauty.

The peak is 30 minutes away. Look for the white porta potties at the top, in the distance

Trying to figure out what to do on our trip, I searched the Internet and found out there would be a Swiss air show nearby on the dates we would be in Switzerland. Did you know Switzerland has an active military? I didn’t. Everyone’s heard of Swiss Army knives, but that was just a name. Why do they need a military? They never fight any wars. They guard the pope, but I didn’t think they do anything else. Seems like a good job to join the Swiss military, knowing you’re never going to fight in a war. However, domestic search and rescue, as well as peacekeeping missions around the world, are part of their job.

The show was scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, October 9th and 10th. The concierge at our hotel called to get information and found out we could go on Tuesday, October 8th. It was a practice day for the show, unadvertised, but still the same show. Great! We went.

The crowd at the peak is awaiting the start of the show

All we would have to do is get to the top of the Axalp mountain. No problem! The road to Axalp was closed on Wednesday and Thursday, but not on Tuesday. So off we drove up a winding mountain road to the Axalp. Everyone was prepared for a crowd, even on Tuesday. We had to pay 12 Swiss francs (CHF) to park. (They don’t use the euro in Switzerland.) Then we stopped for some breakfast in a lovely local restaurant, and proceeded to the chair lift, also 12 CHF each. You see how easy it is to get to the top? They even gave us free Swiss Army caps for the cold at the top and ear plugs for the jet noise. The chair lift was a long ride, so how far could the top be?

The show in underway

We reached the end of the chair lift about 15 minutes later to find we still had a hike of 90 minutes to get to the top. Nobody bothered to give us any details. In the US, trails are usually marked easy, moderate, or difficult. In Switzerland, there are mountains everywhere, so they don’t bother much with trails or markings. You’re Swiss, mountains are a way of life, so get on with it. By the way, what is the next designation after difficult? There was no path, nothing flat, nothing smooth. We were in the clouds at that elevation and the grassy surface was getting muddy, making it even more difficult to climb. After 30 minutes or so, the terrain changed from moderate to steep. We had to stop every few steps to recover because of the altitude and because we weren’t in shape. It was exhausting, with no guarantee there would even be a show. If the fog didn’t clear, there would be no show. I had confidence the overhead sun would burn off the fog by the 2 PM start time. At around 7000 feet, some blue sky appeared and then the weather got better. By the time we reached the summit (which took us 3 hours!!), we had a spectacular view. We were above the clouds, sitting in a mountain meadow, looking at the Alps. There was a concession stand and portable toilets at the top — pretty classy.

Gorgeous!

The announcer (they were set up with loudspeakers) told us we could set our watches for 2 PM, for the first flyby. True to his word, the first jet streaked by at 2:00 PM. The show was underway and it was great fun. The announcer thoughtfully made some announcements in English. After 30 minutes, the fog rolled back in and then it seemed we switched from fog to clear every 10 minutes. The 90-minute show was cut short, but at least we got to see some of it.

Lia is having a tough time on the way down

Now for the good part — going down. If we thought going up was difficult, it was a piece of cake compared to going down. Now we were completely in the clouds. The condensation was dripping from my hair. The path down was even more slippery. Lia fell a few times and was so miserable, she almost cried. One Swiss gentleman saw Lia’s distress and insisted on helping her down the entire climb to the chair lift. I insisted on buying beers for everyone, including the gentleman and his two friends.

We were in the middle of the clouds on the way down

That was it for the mountain, the Swiss air show, and Switzerland. Lia had had enough. She wanted out, so we left a day early to return to Italy. Switzerland is a beautiful place, with great people, but it was time to leave. It’s also very expensive. A New York $20 Thai lunch was $60 in Switzerland.

Now we’re off to Chicago to exhibit at the Winnetka Community House, this Friday to Sunday, October 18-20. The show opens to the public at 11 AM on Friday and continues until 5 PM on Sunday. We recently bought some great items, all of which we’ll have at the show, so please come and visit!

Wonderful 12″ Daum rain scenic vase, just in

Chasen Antiques has a new website!

Posted on September 30, 2013 by Philip Chasen

I’m writing this blog on the balcony of my lovely hotel on the island of Capri, Italy. My beautiful wife is with me, the waiter brought a tray with a bottle of local white wine, pistachio nuts, cashews, olives and crackers. The weather is perfect; the view is amazing; and the day is perfect. So what am I doing? I’m writing my blog. Is that dedication or am I nuts? You decide.

Back to business. As most of you know, I’ve been working on redesigning my entire website. I’ve asked you to check it out while it was in beta mode, but now it’s a done deal. Please take a look and let me know if you think it’s an improvement or if it needs some work. There also may still be some bugs, which I hope you’ll tell me about. http://chasenantiques.com I’ve added many new items for sale and will be adding many more. Just give me a little time until we get back from Italy. We’ll be attending the fair in a few days, so I’m hopeful we’ll be successful in buying a few nice items.

Plaster casts of some of the bodies recovered from the ruins of Pompeii

In the meantime, we have to investigate the Amalfi coast, which includes Sorrento, Positano, and Amalfi. The ruins of Pompeii were special.

Wonderful 12″ Daum rain scenic vase, just in

Click here to view French cameo glass for sale. We always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on our website and at every show. Look around my website. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps.

You might be eligible for a free round trip flight and hotel in Parma, Italy

Posted on September 16, 2013 by Philip Chasen

Parma is in the north of Italy

Parma, Italy is host to a huge, biannual antiques fair, every October and March. Known as Mercanteinfiera Parma (Parma Merchant’s Fair), the fair accommodates over 1000 dealers, in several buildings on the site. To put that into perspective, that’s more than twice the size of The Original Miami Beach Antiques Show. Many dealers travel long distances to exhibit there, from all over Europe. Over 50,000 people attend each fair, with the first two days for dealers only.

A partial view of one of the fair buildings

In order to introduce American dealers to the Parma Fair, the Italy-America Chamber of Commerce Southeast (IACC), together with the Fiere di Parma organize a U.S. buyer’s delegation. Their Hospitality Program includes free round trip airfare, 4-star hotel accommodations for four nights, transfers, admission to the fair, interpreting services, and a tour of Parma. To the best of my knowledge, you just have to be an active, bona fide antiques or modern dealer. They’re interested in bringing over dealers who will shop the show and likely make purchases. That’s all there is to it. You can add a partner or additional days to your trip (at your expense). You just have to arrive and leave from any cities in Italy. It’s too late for this October, but not for next March. Apply to Francesca Tanti by emailing her at tanti@iacc-miami.com.

An aerial view of Piazza Garibaldi in Parma

So did you guess? Lia and I are going to the Parma show this October, courtesy of IACC. We’ve added a few days to our trip for R&R, so it should be fun. I’ll write a blog after we return to let you know about our trip and the show.

My new, totally redesigned website isn’t quite ready for prime time, but it’s ready for testing. Click here to view my new site. Then look around, try the links and use the site as you normally would. I need your reactions, so don’t be bashful. Please write to me and let me know what you think! philchasen@gmail.com or use the CONTACT form on the site. I expect there are more than a few bugs, which I hope you’ll let me know about. We’ll fix all the problems and then roll out the new site. Thanks!!!

Wonderful Daum Nancy scenic blownout vase, in rare purple variation, just in

On a buying trip in France, September 1-9, 2011, part II

Posted on September 12, 2011 by Philip Chasen

The fall season begins soon with the AVENUE show at the Park Avenue Armory in New York City on Thursday, September 22nd. Since I have less time to write about the interesting things happening in the antiques world, 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.

TGV. Photo courtesy of Reuters

I’m writing this blog post again from the TGV (Train à Grand Vitesse), but this time we’re traveling north at 150 mph. By the time you read this, we’ll already be back in New York.

A very fine Daum vase. More to be posted shortly on my website

We’ve just about finished our trip, with all the good and the bad that goes with it. The good part is that we were successful buying. What we didn’t expect was for so many things to go wrong. This has been our toughest trip to France. Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong.

One of the many unusual items at the fair -- an 8 foot artist's easel

We gave ourselves plenty of time on Sunday for it to be a relaxing travel day. We took a taxi from our hotel to Gare de Lyon. There were few available luggage carts to carry our trunk and suitcases, so we allowed an unofficial porter to use his luggage cart to help us first to a restaurant and then to the train. When I tipped him, he informed us that we should give him double. I refused, and that was the start of a bad day.

An automaton that looks like it could have come from the 1964 World's Fair

Three-quarters of the way to Montpellier, the TGV broke down. What were the odds? We had to back up to a station and transfer our baggage to another car, where the train decoupled from the broken car. We continued on our way after a 2½ hour delay. When we arrived in Montpellier, we were let out on the second floor platform, where it became an adventure to find the bathroom as the signs were no help. (It was 2 levels down and a u-turn onto one of the platforms). 50¢. What if I didn’t have any cash?

Absolutely the best Daum lamp I've ever owned

Finding the location of the car rental agency was the next adventure. It was approximately ¼ mile away, with insufficient signage along the route. This time there were no luggage carts of any kind, so we had to carry the trunk and carry-ons, as well as roll our suitcases. Can I impress upon you how difficult that was? When we got to the car rental building at 7:45PM, all of the rental agencies were closed, including Hertz and Avis. Only ours, SIXT, was open for 15 more minutes. Whew!! We arranged for our car, which was at the farthest end (of course) of a large parking lot. I got in and could not start the car for 5 minutes, until I figured out the trick (depress the clutch, step on the brake, press the key case in its slot). Then I couldn’t get the car to move because the parking brake was locked. Grr!! I had to walk back to the agency from the end of the parking lot, where luckily I caught the agent just as he was leaving. He had to walk back with me (to the end of the parking lot) to show me how to release the brake (it was a button on the center console).

I have no idea what we would have done if SIXT had been closed. We would have missed our room and missed the fair — a complete disaster. Thank goodness a few things went as planned.

A great early bicycle

OK, now we were off to our B&B on the outskirts of the city. I programmed my portable GPS as best I could, but it took us down a dead-end road and told us to go straight. We could not find the B&B. Lia suggested we try the built-in GPS in the Audi, in French. It’s not an intuitive device, but we were finally able to program it. The first GPS had taken us several miles away from the correct destination. The Audi GPS got us close, but could not locate the exact place, so we drove around aimlessly, looking for a human. At 9:30 PM on Sunday night, in the small town of Lavérune, there are no people on the streets. I mean none. Finally we found a person getting into a car. He knew the location of the B&B and finally we arrived.

I was concerned that no one would be there on our arrival because we were hours late, but Helène greeted us and let us into our room. The lock on the sliding glass door to the outside did not lock, so it was jury-rigged with a pin. The curtains were too small, so they could not be closed for privacy. I won’t bore you with the details of the other things wrong in the room.

I'm busy looking for a treasure

Now we had to find a restaurant open late on Sunday. We drove around and found an Italian restaurant, but there was no entrance in the front, only the side. We drove round and round trying to find the side entrance, but could not. If you couldn’t find the secret entrance, you couldn’t eat there and we couldn’t. Finally we found an American-style country music restaurant, where we were greeted by a life-size plastic John Wayne. This restaurant would have been a good joke in the USA, but I wasn’t sure if the French were laughing. The food was pretty bad, but we were beggars and beggars don’t choose.

Finally back to the B&B for a few hours sleep and the end of a bad day. We had exceeded our limits. We got up at 4 AM to get to the fair on time and hopefully the start of a better day.

A few days later we had a horrific time catching the TGV northbound. I just can’t get into the details. They’re too fresh and painful as I write this. There were innumerable additional problems on the trip, mainly with driving on poorly marked streets and medieval narrow streets. Oh, did I mention the speeding ticket on the way to the TGV station? My kids claim I’m the slowest driver they know, but I got two speeding tickets in France – one by a road camera and one by the gendarmerie.

Hopefully my stories will give you a greater appreciation of the work that goes into setting up a top quality booth at my shows. Believe me, the merchandise does not fall into our laps.

Fantastic Burgun & Schverer internally decorated vase

Check my website daily this week. 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

On a buying trip in France, September 1-9, 2011

Posted on September 5, 2011 by Philip Chasen

The Baltimore Summer Antiques Fair ended the summer show season. The fall season will begin with the AVENUE show at the Park Avenue Armory on Thursday, September 22nd. Since I have less time to write about the interesting things happening in the antiques world, 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.

The high speed TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse)

I’m writing this blog post from the TGV, a high-speed train, traveling south from Paris at 150 mph. We’re in France on a buying trip that has been somewhat successful thus far.

A Daum fall scenic vase, similar to the lamp I just purchased

Last minute tickets from New York to Paris were extremely expensive. Many flights from JFK were canceled because of Hurricane Irene, so passengers had to be rebooked, leaving very few seats available. We had to first fly to Helsinki, Finland, to get an expensive, but not ridiculous fare. The flight was full, so some people were upgraded to business class. Miraculously we were two of them. What a difference that made. Among other amenities, the seats reclined flat for sleeping.

Marché Dauphine on Rue des Rosiers

Saturday, we visited the flea markets, where you can get lucky or not. We were lucky. Considering that many of the shops were closed (I guess because some of the dealers were at the fairs in the south and others weren’t back from vacation), we were able to buy some truly outstanding objects, including an extremely rare and beautiful Daum acid-etched and enameled fall scenic lamp. I’ve had quite a few fall scenic vases over the years, but this is the first lamp. I don’t have a photo at this time, but I’ll post one on my website or blog as soon as I’m able.

A Daum swan miniature vase with the same decoration as the larger tumbler I just purchased

We were also able to purchase a super Daum tumbler with swan decoration, a Daum rain miniature pillow vase, a fabulous Daum scenic blownout vase (haven’t had one in many years), a beautiful Daum footed vase with bright yellow flowers, a rare Galle box with two dragonflies on the lid, a gorgeous triangular Galle vase with blue flowers on yellow (windowpane technique), an R. Lalique Monnaie du Pape vase and finally an R. Lalique half-moon shaped clock with birds and rare enameled glass ATO face. I’ll try to post photos on my website, but failing that, they will all be for sale at the upcoming AVENUE show starting September 22.

Now we’re off to the fairs, which are a bigger crapshoot. We could wind up buying some fabulous items or nothing. Plus there’s lots of competition. I’ll let you know the results in my next blog post. The whole trip is really a crapshoot. The expenses are high and the chances of success are variable. Not to mention, pounding the pavement for days on end. There’s lots of hard work involved. The objects don’t magically appear in my booth at the shows. But at least the hard work is in France. Not a bad place to spend time working, especially with my honey!