Remember that $100,000 Renoir painting I wrote about two weeks ago? There’s more to the story.

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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.

Auguste-Pierre Renoir painting Paysage Bords de Seine

If you don’t know the story, you might first want to read my blog post of September 17th. Quoting from my post, “What’s not known is how the painting made its way from Mr. May to the flea market in West Virginia.” And that’s the rub. New information has recently surfaced, forcing the Potomack Co. to cancel the sale of the painting at its auction.

The Baltimore Museum of Art (photo by Lee Sandstead)

Research by a Washington Post reporter turned up evidence showing the painting was on loan from Saidie A. May to the Baltimore Museum of Art. Saidie was the ex-wife of Herbert L. May, who purchased the painting from the Bernheim-Jeune Gallery in Paris in 1926. Saidie loaned the painting to the museum in 1937, where it stayed until it was stolen in November, 1951. The museum uncovered a 60-year old report of the theft and a few days later, the police found the corresponding report. At the time, the painting was valued at $2,500, which was paid for by insurance.

It’s likely now the woman who purchased it at a West Virginia flea market for $7 will not profit, but she probably will try. The Baltimore Museum of Art has a strong case to prove it’s the rightful owner. It’s also possible the insurance company that paid the claim can try to recover the painting, but as of now, the company is not known. The FBI is on the case trying to find out how the painting made its way from the museum to the flea market. Looks like it will be a while until the full story is known and the courts decide the rightful owner. Stay tuned!

The Arlington Park Racetrack Show is coming soon, October 12-14. In the meantime, we started to list some of the great new Galle and Daum glass we just purchased. Click this link to view some of the objects. French glass for sale. We always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on our website and at every show.

I just purchased this fabulous Daum winter scenic rose bowl

Look around my website. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. I regularly add Tiffany vases, lamps and desk accessories, as well as French cameo glass by Galle and Daum Nancy and etchings by Louis Icart.

The 26th Paris Biennale Des Antiquaires ended yesterday, September 23, 2012

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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.

A view of the Grand Palais from the Seine

Paris hosts one of the finest antique shows in the world every other year, hence the name Biennale. This year the dates were September 14-23, 2012. We were on a European buying trip at the time, so we visited the show. It made quite an impression.

The Chateau D’Eau (The Water Castle) and Plaza at the Exposition Universal of 1900

The building itself is magnificent, built in the Beaux-Arts style, for the 1900 Paris World’s Fair, called the Exposition Universal of 1900. It’s fun to imagine what it must have been like to attend the original fair.

A view of the show, including the small second floor exhibition in the hall at the back center

The fair changes its look each time, with Karl Lagerfeld, the German fashion designer, in charge this year. We visited the Biennale in 2010 and personally liked the look better. There were trees and grass and flowers everywhere in 2010. But they didn’t consult me, so this is what they got this time.

My lovely wife on the Grand Staircase

I look at shows from the prospective of a dealer who’s exhibited at hundreds of shows, so I view things differently. For instance, I look at the incredible amount of carpentry that went into creating the booths. And I think of the cost to the exhibitors. A fancy show in the US can cost a dealer $50,000 – $100,000 in expenses. My guess, and that’s all it is, is that some of these exhibitors were paying $250,000 – $500,000 to exhibit at this show for one week. That’s a nice piece of change, but if you’ve got the potential to sell millions, it could be a good investment. I also pondered the show hours which were very long, up to 11 PM several days. The idea of staying for nine days for so many hours sends shivers up my spine. But most of the dealers were major players, with large staffs, so I’m sure they rotated hours. There was a section upstairs with smaller dealers, more of the mom and pop variety — the ones I most identified with.

Two security guards safeguarding Bulgari’s magnificent jewels

I guessing here again, but the value of the total inventory on display at this show probably exceeded $1 billion. Every major jeweler in the world had a display, including Bulgari, Cartier, Boucheron, Van Cleef and Arpels, and Chanel, to name a few. Many major art dealers also had displays. Most everything we looked at started at €100,000. But if you had the money, it was a wonderful place to shop.

Chagall and Picasso for sale at Berko Fine Paintings

I don’t think we’ll visit the show again in 2014. I can’t justify the €30 per person cost of admission. I would have liked to have seen one single piece of French cameo glass, or a Tiffany lamp, or something that I sell, but there wasn’t one single object. So the show will have to survive without me.

No shows in September, but the Arlington Park Racetrack Show is coming soon, October 12-14. In the meantime, we’ll try to list the great new glass we just purchased as soon as possible. We always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on our website and at every show.

I just purchased this fabulous Daum winter scenic rose bowl

Look around my website. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. I regularly add Tiffany vases, lamps and desk accessories, as well as French cameo glass by Galle and Daum Nancy and etchings by Louis Icart.

Virginia woman could earn $100,000 on her $7 purchase of a probably authentic Pierre-Auguste Renoir painting

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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.

Auguste-Pierre Renoir painting Paysage Bords de Seine

The Potomack Company of Alexandria, Virginia, will hold an auction on September 29th and 30th, 2012. The star item will be a painting supposedly by Pierre-Auguste Renoir entitled Paysage Bords de Seine. If the public agrees that it is authentic, it should easily sell within or above the estimated range of $75,000 – $100,000. What makes it so interesting is that the owner, who wishes to remain anonymous, paid $7 for it at a flea market in West Virginia in 2010.

According to the researcher at the Potomack Company, the painting was purchased in June, 1925, by a French gallery, Bernheim-Jeune, from Alphonsine Fournaise Papillon, who modeled for Renoir. Then in January, 1926, the gallery sold it to an American named Herbert L. May. What’s not known is how the painting made its way from Mr. May to the flea market in West Virginia. Luckily a black and white photograph of the original painting from the Bernheim-Jeune gallery was available. Careful inspection of the present painting and the photograph showed it was an exact match, including the stock number from the Bernheim-Jeune gallery.

You’ll be able to view the auction catalog at the Potomack Company’s website, The Potomack Company, when it gets closer to the date of the auction. After the sale is over, you’ll be able to do a Google search to see the results, which should be all over the news. My bet is that the final result will exceed $100,000. Good luck to the owner!

No shows in September, but we’ll be back for the Arlington Park Racetrack Show in October. In the meantime, we’ll travel and find great new items. We always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on our website and at every show.

I just purchased this fabulous A. Walter Art Deco pate-de-verre working clock

Look around my website. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. I regularly add Tiffany vases, lamps and desk accessories, as well as French cameo glass by Galle and Daum Nancy and Louis Icart etchings. I will be adding more items this week. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com

Burgun & Schverer French cameo glass can be extraordinary

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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 finest Burgun & Schverer vase I’ve ever owned

Burgun, Schverer & Cie (B&S) started business in the Alsace-Lorraine region of France, along the German border, in 1711. Germany annexed the area after defeating the French in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, but it was returned to France in 1919 after Germany’s defeat in WWI. So technically B&S glass made in the 1890s is German, but that’s only a technicality. Everyone regards it as some of the best Art Nouveau French cameo glass ever made.

A stunning pink floral internally decorated B&S vase

The best examples were internally decorated, accomplished through a complicated, difficult process. The process started with hand-blowing the glass to form the vase. After cooling, the floral decoration was hand-painted on the outside surface with glass enamel paint. Swirls were sometimes added. The vase was then reheated and covered with a layer of clear glass. This important step left the decoration inside the layers, hence the term internally decorated. After cooling, the vase was acid-etched to form the icicle border rim and the outlines of the flowers. Then it was time for hand-engraving, a technique called wheel or intaglio-carving, which increased the realism of the flowers. Splashes of martelé texture were also wheel-carved into the background. Finally, the gilded details were hand-painted. These included the veining in the leaves and stems and the gilded rim. The final step was to fire the vase to convert the painted gilding into shiny gold.

Closeup photo of internal flowers with wheel-carved details on the surface layer

Many laborious steps were necessary to finish an internally decorated vase. My best guess is that it took two weeks to produce a single vase from start to finish.

An example of a wheel-carved B&S vase without internal decoration

B&S isn’t as well known as Gallé and Daum, but they should be. I assume the scarcity of their work is largely responsible for that. Most good vases are priced in the $5,000 – $25,000 price range, when available, which isn’t very often.

No shows in September, but we’ll be back for the Arlington Park Racetrack Show in October. In the meantime, we’ll travel and find great new items. We always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on our website and at every show.

I just purchased this fabulous A. Walter Art Deco pate-de-verre working clock

Look around my website. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. I regularly add Tiffany vases, lamps and desk accessories, as well as French cameo glass by Galle and Daum Nancy and Louis Icart etchings. I will be adding more items this week. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com

The Four Seasons of Daum Nancy glass

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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.

Not much news to report about shows or auctions this week, so it seems like a good time to teach. OK, students, listen up. This week’s lesson is about Daum Nancy scenic glass in the Four Seasons. There will be a quiz tomorrow, so pay attention!

Superb Daum Fall scenic tumbler, for sale on my site

Daum produced many scenic vases, some of which were distinctly seasonal. Let’s start with Fall, as it was the most colorful. All of the seasons were first acid-etched, then hand-painted with glass enamel paint, and then fired. As a result, the colors were permanent and didn’t fade with time. Within the sub-group of Fall vases, there were color variations — some were more red, or yellow, or vivid. Daum Fall vases command the highest prices of the Four Seasons, but Winter and Spring are not far behind. Summer brings up the rear.

A particularly strong example of a Daum Winter scenic vase

Winter is the most common season, as it was very popular when it was new. That increased the supply, which should have lowered the prices, but didn’t, since Winter is still very desirable. The demand balances the equation. Color and detail vary considerably in Daum Winter vases, so those with the strongest color and the best detail are the most valuable.

A gorgeous example of a Daum Spring scenic vase

I’ve had very few Daum Spring vases over the years as it’s the rarest of the seasons. They are always very pretty, with colorful flowers in the trees.

Front and back photos of a particularly nice Daum Summer night light

Summer seems to be the least desirable of the seasons. I assume that’s because most collectors find them too green and too boring. I can tell you from personal experience, I’ve had great difficulty selling Daum Summer vases, so I avoid them. I’m not trying to discourage anyone from buying one, I’m just telling you the facts from the perspective of a long-time dealer in French cameo glass.

No shows in September, but we’ll be back for the Arlington Park Racetrack Show in October. In the meantime, we’ll travel and find great new items. We always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on our website and at every show.

I just purchased this fabulous A. Walter Art Deco pate-de-verre working clock

Look around my website. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. I regularly add Tiffany vases, lamps and desk accessories, as well as French cameo glass by Galle and Daum Nancy and Louis Icart etchings. I will be adding more items this week. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com

The results of the Baltimore Summer Antiques Fair, August 23-26, 2012

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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.

It was pretty busy in my booth on Saturday afternoon

It’s 4:40 PM on Sunday afternoon as I write this, with about an hour to go until the 2012 edition of the Baltimore Summer Antiques Fair is over. We had a very fine and interesting show. We made many sales, almost all of them from the showcases. No art sold at all. Most of the sales were American and French art glass, as well as Tiffany Pine Needle and Grapevine items. We sold more items than last year, but the gross was down because no individual item was extremely valuable.

A beautiful Gallé dragonfly box, sold at the show

Attendance was solid throughout the show. You might think that the Friday of any four-day show would be slow, but it wasn’t. There were quite a few people in attendance. For us, business was almost the same each day, except for Sunday, when it was a bit slower. We were rarely bored, as there were many questions and fairly frequent sales, especially to new clients. It was very satisfying to get what we had hoped for.

The center aisle of the show had a moderate number of people on Saturday afternoon

In asking around, the results were mixed. I heard more than a few dealers complain that they had done poorly, while some said their shows were good and a few said they were satisfied. One dealer told me he had his best Baltimore show ever. I’m sure the majority of dealers were satisfied enough to renew their contracts for next year.

No shows in September, but we’ll be back for the Arlington Park Racetrack Show in October. In the meantime, we’ll travel and find great new items. We always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on our website and at every show.

I just purchased this fabulous A. Walter Art Deco pate-de-verre working clock

Look around my website. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. I regularly add Tiffany vases, lamps and desk accessories, as well as French cameo glass by Galle and Daum Nancy and Louis Icart etchings. Just recently, I added about 15 new items. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com

The Baltimore Summer Antiques Show opens today, Thursday, August 23, 2012

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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 center aisle of the show will be carpeted by the time the show opens

The important Baltimore Summer Antiques Show opens today, August 23, 2012. This is one of the two most exciting shows of the year, (The Original Miami Beach Antiques Show being the other), for three reasons. First, it’s big, with really great dealers. Second, the dealers have exciting merchandise. Third, there’s action from serious buyers. Think of something you want to see and chances are good you’ll find it at the show.

Billy Rau of M.S. Rau brought his usual stupendous assortment of superb paintings and antiques

Last year was very interesting. On Tuesday, during setup, we had a once-in-a-century earthquake. Luckily it wasn’t strong and we suffered no damage. Next was Hurricane Irene, which came through Baltimore in the middle of the night between Saturday and Sunday. So you might think we had a bad show. Nooo, we had the best show in Baltimore ever! Go figure. If we do 50% of last year’s business, we’ll be very pleased.

The carpeting in front of our booth is about to be installed

If you’re reading this blog post on Thursday (or Friday, or Saturday), there’s plenty of time to visit the show. It’s open until Sunday at 6 PM. There are lots of hotels, lots of good restaurants and lots of fun activities. I recommend Hotwire.com or Priceline.com. (I just checked Hotwire and hotels were available from $67 to $92 per night). I promise you, you’ll enjoy the show and Baltimore. I would love for you to tell me you came to show because you read my blog. Monday I’ll post the results, which I hope will be wonderful.

Look around my website. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. I regularly add Tiffany vases, lamps and desk accessories, as well as French cameo glass by Galle and Daum Nancy and Louis Icart etchings. Just recently, I added about 15 new items. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com

The results of the Chicago Summer Antiques Show, August 17-19, 2012

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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.

We were very pleased with the way our booth turned out

Friday, August 17th, 1:00 pm. The show has been open one hour. There are a fair number of people here, but no sales yet to the public. I did make a sale to another dealer on the floor of the show, just prior to opening. Last year the show was fabulous, so I’m hopeful this one will go well too. I’ll write more every few hours or every day, as time permits.

Friday, 4:45 pm. Friday has been a very slow day so far. The small crowd that was here for a good part of the day is mostly gone. I’ve played so many games of Spider Solitaire, that I’m crawling out of my skin. And my chair is too hard. How’s that for complaining? Nothing happened today so far, but I’m still cautiously optimistic that the show will turn out well in the end.

Rare, large Tiffany Pine Needle clock, sold at the show

Saturday, 3:00 pm. Yesterday would have been terrible if one of my good clients hadn’t shown up toward the end of the day and made a nice purchase. I’m very lucky to have the loyal clients that I do. Thank you to each and every one of you.

I couldn’t sit down to write today until 3 PM as it was quite busy. As Murphy would have it, three of my good clients showed up at the same time, so I couldn’t spend enough time with any of them. By the time all was said and done, one of them made a nice purchase.

Important Schneider Poppy vase with padded and wheel-carved flowers, sold at the show

Sunday, 2:00 pm. Yesterday was a good day as it finished well, but it could have been better. I made two substantial sales and one smaller one, so the numbers added up. What would have been better would have been more clients. Selling to new clients and not relying so heavily on existing ones would have been ideal. Mind you, I’m not complaining, just making the observation that making smaller sales to more people would have been preferable, even if the dollar amounts were exactly the same.

Attendance was light on Sunday afternoon at 2:30 PM

Sunday started off slowly, with light attendance. I assume more people will come later in the afternoon, but I have a feeling that today will be a bust.

Sunday, 8:00 pm. The show is over and we’re relieved. It went well — not as well as last year, but last year was exceptional. Contrary to my pessimistic view of Sunday, we actually did make one sale, so it wasn’t a bust. Now we’re looking forward to the Baltimore Show this week.

A view of a small part of the Baltimore Summer Antiques Show

The important Baltimore Summer Antiques Show will start this Thursday, August 23rd, at noon, and continue for four days, until Sunday, August 26th, at 6 PM. The show is one of the best of the year, second only to the Original Miami Beach Antiques Show at the Miami Beach Convention Center in January. It’s big, with some of the world’s best exhibitors, and worth a trip from anywhere. Buyers fly in from Europe, Japan, South America, Canada, and all over the United States. The selection of hotels and restaurants is diverse and first-class. If you’ve never visited the Baltimore show, I strongly recommend it. You’ll thank me.

Look around my website. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. I regularly add Tiffany vases, lamps and desk accessories, as well as French cameo glass by Galle and Daum Nancy and Louis Icart etchings. Just recently, I added about 15 new items. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com

Setting up at the Chicago Summer Antiques Show, August 15, 2012

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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.

Setup is just beginning in our booth. The transformation will be impressive.

Wednesday was the first day of setup at the Chicago Summer Antiques Show. It’s one of the easier shows for setting up and breaking down, as vehicles can be driven into the building, right to one’s booth. It really makes life easier. There are two full days for setting up, which takes the pressure off. By the time the show opens on Friday at noon, the booth and the show will be gorgeous.

Wonderful Tiffany Favrile millifiori vase to be exhibited in our booth for the first time

The show is small, but with good dealers, so there’s a very nice selection of items for sale. It’s worth a trip from anywhere in the greater Chicago area. Personally, I’ve brought a lot of fresh merchandise that I’m sure you’ll like, so please visit the show and take a look. Hopefully you’ll like what you see and go home with a treasure.

A view of a small part of the Baltimore Summer Antiques Show

The important Baltimore Summer Antiques Show will start a few days after the Chicago show on Thursday, August 23rd, at noon, and continue for four days, until Sunday, August 26th, at 6 PM. This show is one of the best of the year, second only to the Original Miami Beach Antiques Show at the Miami Beach Convention Center in January. It’s big, with some of the world’s best exhibitors, and worth a trip from anywhere. Buyers fly in from Europe, Japan, South America, Canada, and all over the United States. The selection of hotels and restaurants is diverse and first-class. If you’ve never visited the Baltimore show, I strongly recommend it. You’ll thank me.

Look around my website. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. I regularly add Tiffany vases, lamps and desk accessories, as well as French cameo glass by Galle and Daum Nancy and Louis Icart etchings. Just recently, I added about 15 new items. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com

The Chicago Summer Antiques Show begins this Friday, August 17, 2012

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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.

A view of the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center looking northeast, also showing Gibson’s Steakhouse

The summer antique show schedule is half over, with the stronger half about to come. The Chicago Summer Antiques Show will begin this Friday, August 17th, at noon, and continue until Sunday, August 19th, at 5 PM. It’s a show I look forward to for a few reasons. First is to see all of my many clients and friends in the greater Chicago area. Next is the convenience of a show in the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois, very close to the airport. The convention center allows vehicles to drive into their booths, making setup and breakdown easier than many shows. The hotel is across the street and comfortable, with very good restaurants in walking distance. And last, but not least, is that business is usually very good in Chicago.

I will have a very fine selection of Martin Brothers stoneware at the shows

The show has gotten smaller over the years, but has managed to maintain a nice level of quality, with good exhibitors. Many of these same exhibitors will continue on to the big Baltimore show the following weekend, so this is a very good opportunity to get first crack at their offerings. Many antique shows are struggling, so it’s important to attend your favorite ones and consider making a purchase. The success and survival of your local antique show depends on your participation. That doesn’t mean your friend or neighbor, it means you! (AND your friend or neighbor) :>)

A fabulous, rare Schneider Art Deco vase with padded and wheel-carved poppies — one of several very fine examples

Personally, I will be bringing a very strong assortment of American and French glass and lamps. I’ve been very successful in making great purchases in the off-season of May to mid-July. Rarities in Daum, Gallé, Le Verre Francais, Schneider and Tiffany will be part of my display, as well as a strong selection of original Louis Icart etchings. I guarantee you’ll like what you see.

A view of a small part of the Baltimore Summer Antiques Show

Immediately following the Chicago show will be the important Baltimore Summer Antiques Show. It will start on Thursday, August 23rd, at noon and continue for four days until Sunday, August 26th, at 6 PM. This show is one of the best of the year, second only to the Original Miami Beach Antiques Show at the Miami Beach Convention Center in January. It’s big, with some of the world’s best exhibitors, and worth a trip from anywhere. Buyers fly in from Europe, Japan, South America, Canada, and all over the United States. The selection of hotels and restaurants is diverse and first-class. If you’ve never visited this show, I strongly recommend it. You’ll thank me.

Look around my website. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. I regularly add Tiffany vases, lamps and desk accessories, as well as French cameo glass by Galle and Daum Nancy and Louis Icart etchings. Just recently, I added about 15 new items. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com