The Arlington Park Racetrack Antiques Show starts this Friday, April 13, 2012

Posted on April 9, 2012 by Philip Chasen

The Arlington Park Racetrack Antiques Show starts this Friday, April 13, 2012, at 11 AM, and continues until Sunday, April 15, 2012, at 5 PM. It’s a small, but very nice show, with a diverse selection of quality dealers. We have many friends in the greater Chicago area so it’s a pleasure to return after not having exhibited there since last November. We’ve been doing Chicago shows for so many years that it feels like home.

A very fine Tiffany Studios 10-light lily table lamp (one of two)

I’ve been buying up a storm, so I’ll be bringing my new purchases, which include Tiffany lamps, glass and metalware, outstanding Daum Nancy and Gallé glass, a Le Verre Francais lizard vase, a nice selection of Martin Bros. stoneware, a wonderful Pairpoint puffy lamp, delightful American illustrator paintings, and a great selection of Icart etchings.

A rare and wonderful Daum Nancy egg with swan decoration

The French cameo glass market has been good, with rare items selling strongly at auction. Click on this link to read my blog about the 10″ Daum Nancy blackbird vase that was sold last month at Christie’s for $40,000. Christie’s results blog.

Wonderful Joe Hennesy oil on canvas cover illustration

I just bought a group of nine American illustrator paintings, one better than another. I’ll have them all at the show.

Have I given you enough reasons yet to visit the show? Make sure to stop by my booth and introduce yourself. I want to know what you’d like to buy, sell or trade.

Our next show will be at the Merchandise Mart, in downtown Chicago, Friday-Sunday, April 27-30. It’s Chicago’s best show, and one of the best shows in the entire country. There will be great exhibitors, many of whom exhibit at very few shows a year. It’s worth a trip from anywhere.
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One of the rarest and most beautiful of all Louis Icart etchings, Mardi Gras

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. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com

There was action at the NYC Pier Antiques Show, March 17-18, 2012

Posted on March 19, 2012 by Philip Chasen

Big crowds lined up on Saturday morning for the opening of the show

Stella Show Management held their semi-annual NYC Pier Antiques Show this past weekend, March 17-18, 2012, with generally excellent results.

Some of the Saturday crowd

Attendance was excellent on opening day, Saturday. Interest was heavy and sales commensurate. My booth was the busiest it’s been at any show I can think of in the last 10 years. At one point in the morning, there were six bona fide buyers in my booth, all wanting my attention at the same time. My friend Tony and I could not handle the questions fast enough. I didn’t even realize I hadn’t eaten lunch until about 3:15 PM, when there was a break of five minutes. It was a good day by the time it ended at 6 PM, but I was frazzled and needed a drink.

My booth

Sunday was another story. The show opened at 10 AM (a big mistake). Nobody gets to a show early on Sunday, so it would have made good business sense to open at 11 AM. The number of attendees would have been the same by the end of the day. Everyone would have sold the same. The only difference would have been that the dealers (and the staff) would have gotten a needed extra hour of rest. (Irene. Are you listening? Please open the next show at 11 AM on Sunday. Everyone will thank you. I promise.)

One of the fine Tiffany Studios items sold at the show

Where was I before my rant? Oh, Sunday. Attendance was lighter on Sunday, but still pretty decent. The pace of the day was much more manageable and sales continued for me. How’s this comparison? The Original Miami Beach Antiques Show in February was a good show. It had a two-day setup and five-day public opening. For significantly lower expenses and a much smaller time commitment, I did 85% of the business at the Pier show that I did at the Miami Beach show. That’s quite an accomplishment. For me, it was the best show I’ve had at the Pier in many years. (And that was with two of my best NYC clients not buying anything from me.) Sales were diverse, from Tiffany glass and a lamp and an inkwell, to French cameo glass, to Icart etchings.

The Fashion Alley section of the show

In asking around to many dealers, I got the following responses. A dealer in Art Deco furnishings, jewelry and furniture, told me she had the best Pier show in many years. (Sound familiar?) A dealer in furniture and bronze exhibited at the Pier show for the first time. Many, many items in his booth were marked sold, and this was after a fabulous show in Miami Beach. He told the show promoter, Irene Stella, that he’s looking forward to the next Pier show. A couple of dealers in art glass said they had decent, but not exceptional, shows. A dealer in lamps said his show was good with sales of both lamps and glass. Two other glass dealers told me they had good shows. Most responses were favorable.

But no one show has all winners. One new dealer in lamps told me his total sales were zero (ouch!). Another dealer told me that most of the dealers he had spoken to had poor shows. Who did he speak to? They definitely weren’t the ones I spoke to.

If I add up all of the anecdotal information I’ve been gathering at antique shows, auctions, and general scuttlebutt, the market in antiques is really heating up. For example, my friend, Jim Julia, just had a gun and knife auction last week. He’s had some great sales, averaging about $10 million. His best gun sale to date grossed $12 million. Last week’s sale hit $18 million. According to Dudley Browne, the lamp and glass coordinator, people were throwing money at some of the items. Bidding was wild and wooly. It just warms the cockles of my heart.

One of the more interesting booths at the show that make it so eclectic

The next NYC Pier Antiques Show is scheduled for November 17-18, 2012. If I were you, I’d starting making my plans now. You won’t want to miss it.

Our next show is the The Whitman Coin & Collectibles Expo, at the Baltimore Convention Center this coming week, March 22-24. It’s an experiment that I hope will work. I’ll be the only antiques exhibitor at the show. If the dealers and the public are in a good mood, I may wind up making some sales. Keep your fingers crossed. I’ll keep you posted.
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Fine Gallé blownout plum vase

Great results for French cameo glass at Christie’s 20th Century Decorative Art & Design sale, March 8, 2012

Posted on March 15, 2012 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. Monday’s blog will be about the results of the NYC Pier Antiques Show. You won’t want to miss that.

Christie’s New York held their 20th Century Decorative Art & Design sale on March 8, 2012. There was a relatively small, but sophisticated, selection of French cameo glass for sale, as well as a few Tiffany lamps. The high quality French cameo glass sold very well, with several impressive results.

Rare Daum Nancy vase, Christie's lot #6

Top lot of the French cameo glass was a very rare bird and gilded frog decorated vase. It wasn’t gorgeous or highly detailed, but it was very unusual, with techniques not often seen together. At 13¾” tall, it was moderately large. The selling price of $56,250 was almost seven times the high estimate of $7,000. (Remember the sale price includes the buyer’s premium.)

A superb Daum Nancy blackbird vase, Christie's lot #3

Daum blackbird vases are rare and very desirable. Lot #3 was a special example, with excellent detail, yellow in the background, an attractive shape, and good size at 11″. Conservatively estimated to sell for $6,000 – $8,000, it quadrupled its high estimate to sell for $40,000, including buyer’s premium.

Tiffany Studios Peony table lamp, Christie's lot #43

There was a small selection of Tiffany Studios lamps offered, with one selling for a bargain. Lot #43 was a full-size Tiffany Studios 22″ Peony table lamp. Estimated to sell for $80,000 – $120,000, it sold for only $74,000 at the hammer ($92,500 including the buyer’s premium). Kudos to the buyer for scooping it up.

For the complete results of the auction, click on the following link. Christie’s 20th Century results.

Our next show is the New York City Pier Show at Pier 94, the Hudson River and 54th St., in New York City, this coming weekend, March 17th and 18th. It’s always fun, so make sure you come to the Big Apple and visit our show! You’ll be happy you did.
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Very fine Daum blownout scenic vase with wheel-carved detail

Do yourself a favor and visit the Tiffany Studios collection of the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art in Winter Park, Florida

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Philip Chasen

Thursday’s blog will be posted by 1 PM.

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. This Thursday’s post will be about the auction of the superb Milhous collection of musical orchestrions, rare cars and even Icart etchings (with very surprising results). It will be a good one!

That's me sitting in the rebuilt Daffodil Terrace

We were quite busy in Florida with four shows, but luckily we had a week off after the third show. On one of those days, we visited the Morse Museum in Winter Park, Florida. It had been about ten years since we last visited, and I just couldn’t believe how much I had forgotten. For me it was the highlight of our week off. Not only were there fantastic items on display, but the museum completed construction of a new wing that houses the reconstruction of the original Daffodil Terrace from Louis Comfort Tiffany’s Long Island estate, Laurelton Hall.

An incredible padded and wheel-carved Tiffany Favrile floral vase

Two rare Tiffany Favrile Aquamarine vases

Knock-your-socks-off Tiffany Favrile Lava and windowpane vases

There is an astonishing selection of very rare and very beautiful Tiffany Favrile vases in the museum that ranges from padded and wheel-carved to Lava to Aquamarine to red decorated to window vases. They’re breathtaking!

These incredible fruit doors led outside to the gardens of a Long Island mansion

The glass in this Tiffany Studios window is even more gorgeous in person

Then there are some truly exceptional windows and doors that will take your breath away.

You won't have any doubts about Tiffany's ability as an artist after you see this painting in person

Some remarkable examples of Tiffany Favrile enamel on copper vases

One of the rarest of all Tiffany Studios lamps -- Spider in the web, with mosaic base

I can’t show you every item in the museum, but use these photos to get a taste of what’s in store for you if you make the trip. The museum is located in a very upscale section of Winter Park. Take your time and eat a block away in an outdoor cafe and enjoy the town too. Winter Park is a suburb of Orlando, so it’s just a hop and a skip from all the big amusement parks. You’ll thank me.

Our next show is the Pier Show in New York City on the weekend of March 17th and 18th. It’s always fun, so start planning your trip to the Big Apple!

In the meantime, we’re still in business, so don’t be bashful. Call or write!
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Very fine Daum blownout scenic vase with wheel-carved detail

Some smoking results for Tiffany Studios and French cameo glass at Doyle’s Belle Epoque auction, February 8, 2012

Posted on February 13, 2012 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. Setup for the important Palm Beach Jewelry, Art and Antique Show starts on Thursday, February 16th, so I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to post this Thursday, but I’ll try.

Doyle New York held their Belle Epoque sale on Wednesday, February 8th, 2012. There were some fine items in the sale, including Daum vases, a Gallé lamp, Tiffany vases and a rare Tiffany Studios settee. They all did well, but the settee was on fire (well, not literally). The sale totaled $1,775,439, against a pre-sale estimate of $964,100 – $1,456,900, with 86% sold by lot and 95% sold by value.

Rare Tiffany Studios settee, Doyle lot #439

Top lot of the sale was #439, a Tiffany Studios settee, circa 1890-91, from the music room of the Louisine and Henry Osborne Havemeyer mansion in New York. Estimated to sell for $125,000 – $175,000, it soared to $422,500, including buyer’s premium. All you need to get similar results is to consign your rare Tiffany Studios objects that descended in your family from the 19th century. (Good luck with that!)

Tiffany paperweight vase, Doyle lot #437

The most important Tiffany Favrile vase in the auction, lot #437, was a calla lily paperweight vase, 16½” tall, that sold for $40,625, four times its $10,000-15,000 low estimate.

Rare wheel-carved Daum vase with silver mounts, Doyle lot #391

A fine Daum vase, lot #391, also had a great day. The vase was decorated with vivid blue cornflowers, wheel-carved and with an elaborate silver floral foot (probably original). Against a conservative estimate of $3,500 – $4,500, it shot to $22,500, including buyer’s premium.

Fine Gallé table lamp, Doyle lot #413

Gallé was well represented with a gorgeous purple and yellow clematis lamp, lot #413. It more than doubled its pre-sale estimate of $12,000 – $18,000, to sell for $37,500.

For the complete results of the sale, click on the following link. Doyle’s Belle Epoque results.
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There’s only one more show for us in Florida and that’s the important Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show this coming weekend. It opens to the public this Saturday, February 18th, at 11 AM and continues until Tuesday, February 21st at 6 PM. It has some of the best dealers in the world exhibiting.

In the meantime, we’re still in business, so don’t be bashful. Call or write!
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Incredible Daum egg with swan decoration, 5½ inches long

The Original Miami Beach Antiques Show opens on Thursday, February 2, 2012

Posted on February 2, 2012 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. Since the Original Miami Beach Antique Show closes on Monday, Feb. 6th, I will post again on Tuesday, Feb. 7th, with the results of the show.

We're starting to get set up on Tuesday

The Original Miami Beach Antiques Show started setting up on Tuesday, January 31st and continued until Tuesday, February 1st. As the show is huge, it was quite an undertaking to get all the dealers in and ready for business. Lots of business was transacted during set-up — I would estimate millions of dollars before the first paying customer will walk in the door on Thursday, February 2, 2012. I personally saw tens of thousands of dollars in business transacted.

We're set up and ready for business

This show is one of the most exciting of the year for a variety of reasons. First, the show is huge. Second, many of the exhibitors exhibit at very few shows. Third, the quality of the exhibits is very high. Fourth, buyers fly in from all over the world. Fifth, the show is in Miami Beach in the middle of winter (whoo hoo!). I wouldn’t be surprised if the total of all the merchandise for sale totaled $1 billion. I would also guess that many tens of millions of dollars of business will be transacted over the course of the show.

Rare and important, large Le Verre Francais Palmiers Bleus vase

I was lucky to buy some superb items during the set-up. In no particular order, I bought a rare and important Le Verre Francais Palmiers Bleus vase; a superb Tiffany Favrile green-black millifiori vase; a Tiffany Studios green turtleback swivel desk lamp; an R. Lalique highly opalescent box, Houppes; a Handel boudoir Venice scenic lamp; and finally a large 19th plaque of a beautiful woman.

Rare Tiffany Studios Turtleback swivel desk lamp

The show runs from Thursday, February 2nd at noon, until Monday, February 6th at 6 PM. If you haven’t made your plans to come, there’s still time. The weather is great and so are the restaurants. You’ll thank me.

There’s only one more show in Florida for us after this one and that’s the important Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show. It runs from February 18 to February 21 and has some of the best dealers in the world exhibiting. We have a week in-between to rest and we’re really looking forward to it.

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Is this Daum creamer fantastic or what? Just in.

Superb results at Sotheby’s Important Tiffany sale, December 15, 2011

Posted on December 26, 2011 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. No Thursday post this week because of a brief holiday. Hope to have a new post on Monday, but it might be Tuesday.

Sotheby’s New York held its Important Tiffany sale on December 15, 2011, a day after Bonham’s New York held its 20th Century Decorative Arts sale. Sotheby’s separated its 53 Tiffany Studios’s items into one catalog and its Important 20th Century Design items into another. Continuing the excellent results for Tiffany Studios items, the sale totaled $4,597,875, with 83.0% of the offerings sold by lot and 78.2% by value. That worked out to an impressive average price of $104,497 per sold lot. The Important 20th Century Design portion of the sale grossed $5,106,251, for a combined total of $9,704,126.

Tiffany Studios Wisteria table lamp, Sotheby's lot #238

Top lot of the sale was #238, a beautiful Tiffany Studios Wisteria table lamp, which sold for $842,500, including buyer’s premium — well above the pre-sale estimate of $400,000 – $600,000.

Three Tiffany Studios wall sconces, Sotheby's lot #231

The most mystifying result of the sale was lot #231, a set of three relatively simple (except for the bronze balls) Tiffany Studios wall sconces. Estimated to sell for $25,000 – $35,000, they sold for an astonishing $182,500. Bidding slowed and almost finished near $45,000, when two determined phone bidders continued to duke it out to $182,500. Another happy consignor hit the jackpot! There’s no other way to describe it. If I had displayed these sconces at a show and asked $182,500, I would have been laughed out of the show.

Original oil painting on panel by Louis Comfort Tiffany, Sotheby's lot #201

Prices and interest have been steadily rising on original artworks by Tiffany. The current exhibition at the Nassau County Museum of Art in Roslyn, Long Island, NY, displays a vast collection of Tiffany artwork. (More on that in a subsequent blog.) Perhaps that had some influence on the sale of lot #201, a small, original oil painting on panel by Louis Comfort Tiffany, of a Mediterranean seascape. Estimated to sell for $15,000 – $20,000, it realized $53,125.

For the complete results of the Tiffany sale, click on the following link. Sotheby’s Tiffany results.

Very rare R. Lalique red vase, Ronces

Louis Comfort Tiffany and Demetre Chiparus lead Bonham’s 20th Century Decorative Arts sale, December 14, 2011

Posted on December 22, 2011 by Philip Chasen

Bonham’s New York held its 20th Century Decorative Arts sale on December 14, 2011. The sale went well, with choice items and reasonably estimated items doing best. Lots with overly strong estimates and/or reserves either did not do well or failed to sell.

Demetre Chiparus Art Deco bronze and ivory figure, Clara, Bonham's lot #3168

Top lot of the sale was #3168, an Art Deco bronze and ivory statue by Demetre Chiparus, entitled “Clara”, sold together with a champlevé enamel pedestal. Aggressively estimated at $100,000 – $200,000, it sold for $98,500, including buyer’s premium, below the low estimate. That meant that the reserve was set lower than the low estimate. By New York State law, the reserve cannot be set higher than the low estimate. Other Art Deco bronze and ivory figures by Ferdinand Preiss were more conservatively estimated and sold well, most at or above the high estimates.

Tiffany Studios Dragonfly table lamp, Bonham's lot #3066

The Tiffany Studios section of the sale was led by a fine 20″ diameter Dragonfly table lamp. Although the base was simple and the cap not original, the shade had very good color and mottling, and was in excellent condition. With a conservative pre-sale estimate of $35,000 -$45,000, it sold for double the low estimate, realizing $86,500, including buyer’s premium

Other good results were a Tiffany Studios 20″ diameter Daffodil table lamp, lot #3073, $50,000; a gorgeous Tiffany Favrile blue decorated vase, lot #3029, $10,625; and a Gallé two-handled vase with leaves and a grasshopper, lot #3080, $11,875. For the complete results, click on the following link Bonham’s results.

Very rare R. Lalique red vase, Ronces

I’d like to show you some of the new items I recently acquired

Posted on December 19, 2011 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. This Thursday’s blog will be a review of the results of one of December’s 20th Century Decorative Arts auctions. (There have been many.)

Rare Le Verre Francais vases - Poissons and Palmiers Bleus

December is always a very busy month for antiques, mostly for buying, and not as much for selling. People get busy with their Christmas shopping and that doesn’t usually include a valuable antique. But sometimes it does, so I’m always ready to provide emergency service. If you still need a fine antique gift, I can work very quickly and so can UPS or FedEx.

Two of three Tiffany Favrile red vases available for sale

I’ve been buying out of control, and that’s good. Business is usually best in winter, especially at the Florida shows, so I’m loaded for bear. I was lucky enough to be able to buy some incredible items by Tiffany Studios, Daum Nancy, Emile Gallé, R. Lalique, Le Verre Francais and others. I’ll illustrate a few of them in this blog. Please check my site for new items, because I’ll be adding them as fast as I can. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com

Fantastic Tiffany Studios Art Nouveau smoker stand with original enameling

Among the many Tiffany Studios items I bought are vases — red, red decorated, Cypriote, millifiori, etc. For lamps, I purchased a 20″ Arrowroot, a 10-light lily and a 7-light lily. For miscellaneous, I have a Tiffany Studios pottery vase, lots of desk items, and an incredible Art Nouveau smoker stand with original enameling, unlike any I’ve owned before.

One of the best Daum Nancy vases I've acquired in years

The French cameo glass market, especially Daum Nancy, has been solid for years, and shows no signs of slowing. I recently acquired some fabulous items, including a very rare and beautiful farm scene, two rain scenes and an unbelievable collection of about 25 miniature vases.

You can see everything I have for sale if you visit me at one of my winter shows. The first will be at Birchwood Manor in Whippany, NJ, the weekend of January 7-8, 2012. Then a week’s break and off to Florida for the start of our Florida circuit, first in Palm Beach (Jan. 20-22), then two in Miami (Jan. 27-29 and Feb. 2-6), and then back to W. Palm Beach (Feb. 18-21). If you can’t visit me at one of my shows, I’m always available by email, philchasen@aol.com, or phone, 516-922-2090. We can ship to anywhere from anywhere.

Very rare R. Lalique red vase, Ronces

Rare Tiffany Studios andirons sell at South Bay Auctions on Long Island, December 10, 2011

Posted on December 12, 2011 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. There will be a post this Thursday about of couple of nice surprises at Christie’s Interior sale.

Pair of andirons, South Bay Auctions lot #263

South Bay Auctions of East Moriches, Long Island held a Fine Art, Antiques & Sporting auction on Saturday, December 10, 2011. Included in the sale were a pair of andirons that were sold as lot #263, with the following description: Pair of Art Nouveau nickel plated bronze torchieres with iridescent stained glass tops, 23-1/2″h; one misshapen, loss to plating. No estimate was listed for them. It’s likely they were sold without reserve.

Detail photo showing where the cast iron was originally inserted

Torchieres they weren’t, as there was no way they could provide light. Rather, they were nickel-plated bronze andirons. A detail photo of the back shows where the cast iron portion was originally inserted. It had been cut off somewhere in its history.

Superb leaded glass turtleback tiles inset into the top of each andiron

The proof that they were Tiffany Studios was in the top — leaded turtleback tiles. Fabulous! The quality, materials and workmanship all screamed Tiffany Studios. The andirons were unsigned, but Tiffany didn’t sign everything. Every once in a while, something got out unsigned.

The bidding started at a few hundred dollars and continued in hundreds until about $2,000. Then a phone bidder jumped the bid to $5,000 (a failed attempt to scare off the other bidders). After a few thousand more dollars, the live audience dropped out and left the bidding to two determined phone bidders. Again the bidders jumped a few bids, until the final price of $28,000, for a total of $33,040, including the buyer’s premium. I’ve got a pretty good idea of who the bidders were, but that’s not for publication. In my opinion, if the pair were signed and in better condition, they could have brought double or more at a major auction house in New York City. In the meantime, I’m sure the consignor was thrilled with the result.

Knowledge is power, and this item was another example.

A killer Daum Nancy vase, just acquired

Philip Chasen Antiques

The blog for chasenantiques.com

Tag Archives: authentic Tiffany

The Arlington Park Racetrack Antiques Show starts this Friday, April 13, 2012

There was action at the NYC Pier Antiques Show, March 17-18, 2012

Great results for French cameo glass at Christie’s 20th Century Decorative Art & Design sale, March 8, 2012

Do yourself a favor and visit the Tiffany Studios collection of the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art in Winter Park, Florida

Some smoking results for Tiffany Studios and French cameo glass at Doyle’s Belle Epoque auction, February 8, 2012

The Original Miami Beach Antiques Show opens on Thursday, February 2, 2012

Superb results at Sotheby’s Important Tiffany sale, December 15, 2011

Louis Comfort Tiffany and Demetre Chiparus lead Bonham’s 20th Century Decorative Arts sale, December 14, 2011

I’d like to show you some of the new items I recently acquired

Rare Tiffany Studios andirons sell at South Bay Auctions on Long Island, December 10, 2011