A visit to Barcelona, May 10-14, 2015

Posted on May 18, 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.

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.

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.

Shopping for antiques in Paris

Posted on May 11, 2015 by Philip Chasen

The Louvre des Antiquaires

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

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

Rue des Rosiers, the main street of the flea markets

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

Wonderful Daum vase with two applied and wheel-carved dragonflies

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

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

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

Some strong results at Bonham’s Los Angeles 20th Century Decorative Arts sale, April 29, 2015

Posted on April 30, 2015 by Philip Chasen

Bonham’s Los Angeles held a 20th Century Decorative Arts sale yesterday, April 29, 2015. The offerings were more or less mediocre, but there were a few goodies mixed in — and they did well.

Bronze & ivory figure Thaïs by Demetre Chiparus, Bonham’s lot #288

Top lot of the sale was #288, an Art Deco bronze & ivory figure entitled Thaïs by Demetre Chiparus. It sold for $185,000, including buyer’s premium — near the pre-sale low estimate of $150,000. Apparently the recent problems created by new ivory regulations did not deter the bidders.

Martin Brothers bird, Bonham’s lot #224

The Martin Brothers market continued strong, as evidenced by lot #224, a large (12¾”), wildly grotesque bird tobacco jar. Collectors were willing to overlook its condition problems — several chips to the head and the rim and a missing wooden base. The bird flew well beyond the pre-sale estimate of $20,000 – $30,000 to realize $50,000, including buyer’s premium.

Marblehead Panther bowl, Bonham’s lot #214

The sale began with a nice collection of Marblehead pottery from the collection of the actor, Bruce Willis. Top lot of this group was a rare Panther bowl. It growled its way almost to the high estimate of $30,000, realizing $35,000, including buyer’s premium.

For the complete results of the sale, click here.

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. In the meantime, we’ll be traveling in Europe. We’re sure to come up with some goodies, so keep an eye on my site for the latest additions. I’ll always be in touch, so please don’t hesitate to email or call.

Bonham’s New York sold Alan Turing’s Wartime Manuscript for $1,025,000, April 13, 2015

Posted on April 27, 2015 by Philip Chasen

Alan Turing

You may know of Alan Turing from history or the latest movie about him, The Imitation Game, starring Benedict Cumberbatch. In a nutshell, Alan Turing is considered by many to be the father of modern computing. His work during WW II helped the Allies break the German Enigma codes and speed the end of the war.

A page from the manuscript

On Monday, April 13, 2015, Bonham’s New York sold an original, hand-written manuscript by Alan Turing — the only known example. The 56 pages of mathematical notes on logic were probably written in 1944. The auction house did not disclose a pre-auction estimate in their catalog, but it was available as “Estimate on request”. It sold for $1,025,000, including buyer’s premium — probably helped by the publicity from the movie.

For the complete results of the sale, click here.

The Garden, Antique & Design Show opens tomorrow, Friday, April 17, 2015, in Glencoe, Illinois

Posted on April 16, 2015 by Philip Chasen

We were half finished at this point

Yesterday we started setting up the Garden, Antique & Design Show at the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, Illinois. The show opens tonight with a preview party and then to the public tomorrow, Friday, April 17, 2015 at 10 AM. It will continue until Sunday at 5 PM.

One of the dealers in the garden section of the show

This is the first year the show will be under new management. For many years it was under the umbrella of Stella Show Management. I don’t know whether they left voluntarily or not, but the new promoters are the Chicago Botanic Garden itself. They’ve made quite a few changes, including not inviting some dealers back. I’m not sure how they decided but I know at least two dealers who were denied contracts who should have returned. The vetting seems to have raised the level of quality, which can only be a good thing. There were also some changes to the Garden section of the show.

The daffodils are in bloom

Personally setup went well, but could have gone even better. We were allowed to start setting up on Tuesday but didn’t know. It certainly would have taken the pressure off. The booth looks great — filled with the finest selection of French and American glass and lamps that we’ve ever offered. Please take the time to visit the show. You’ll love my booth and love the show!

These stupendous Gallé vases are just in

The Garden, Antique & Design Show opens this Friday, April 17, 2015, in Glencoe, Illinois

Posted on April 13, 2015 by Philip Chasen

The Garden, Antique & Design Show opens this Friday, April 17th, at 10 AM, at the Chicago Botanic Garden, in Glencoe, Illinois, and will continue until Sunday, April 19th at 5 PM. If you want to get in sooner, you can buy a ticket to the preview party this Thursday evening. It’s a lovely show that’s different from most antique shows because it combines gardening with antiques and design. Some people attend the show only for the garden offerings and others for the antiques. If the weather is nice, (it’s predicted to be in the low 60s), the garden will be beautiful.

Just one of the many Tiffany Studios lamps we’ll have at the show

If you read my blog, this is the only game in town this spring. All of the other antique shows are gone, including the Merchandise Mart and the Navy Pier. If antiques interest you, I suggest you visit the show and show your support. The last thing we need is for this show to fail and have no show at all in Chicago in the spring.

This rare Pairpoint Apple Tree puffy lamp is one of several Pairpoint puffies we’ll have at the show

I’m loaded for bear. I’m bringing more lamps by Tiffany, Handel and Pairpoint than I’ve brought to any show in recent memory. I’ll also have an incredible selection of American and French art glass, not to be beat. Come in, say hi, and be treated to a really lovely show. Many top-notch dealers will be there exhibiting.

Reminiscing about the Chicago O’Hare Antiques Fair

Posted on April 9, 2015 by Philip Chasen

Chicago-1994-show I was cleaning up some old papers when I came across a show announcement for the Chicago O’Hare Antiques Fair from April, 1994. The show was advertised as having 350 dealers, but that probably included some exaggeration. 250+ was more like it. The show took up all of one of the larger halls at the Rosemont Convention Center. Over the years, as it got smaller, the show was moved to one of the smaller halls, but finally there weren’t enough dealers, so the show failed a couple of years ago. Oh well! I really miss that show.

Boy, have times changed. Today, not only does the show not exist, but most of the shows in the greater Chicago area are gone. There are only two left, the Antiques + Modernism Winnetka show in November and the Garden, Antique & Design Show in Glencoe next week. There isn’t a single show left in the city of Chicago, but I hope that will change. The Palm Beach Show Group still lists Chicago as one of their cities, with a projected date of Spring, 2016.

We’ll have this great Amphora vase at the show

If you don’t want either of the two remaining shows to fail, I suggest you support them by visiting next week’s Garden, Antique & Design Show at the Chicago Botanic Garden in beautiful Glencoe, IL, a north suburb of Chicago. The weather is projected to be in the 50s and 60s all next week, so the gardens should be in bloom. The show combines both antiques and garden, for a delightful mix that doesn’t exist at any other show I know of. We’re bringing a truly vast assortment of American and French glass and lamps plus important miscellaneous items. The buying has been good, so you’ll like what you see. The show opens to the public on Friday, April 17th at 10 AM and runs until Sunday, April 19th at 5 PM, with a preview party on Thursday night. I’m looking forward to seeing you!

I just bought (and sold) the rarest and most beautiful Daum Nancy vase

Posted on April 6, 2015 by Philip Chasen

The front

A friend of mine turned me onto a very rare Daum vase — a model I’ve never seen before and had no idea existed. After seeing hundreds of thousands of Daum vases over the course of 40+ years, it was pretty exciting. There are rarities that are ugly, so who cares, but this one was gorgeous. Wow! Only one problem — a 3″ crack. Ordinarily I run in the other direction when I hear that, but this vase was so beautiful and so rare, I presented the photos to a good client. He decided he needed it for his collection because of its scarcity and its beauty and I agreed.

daum-scenic-with-person-2 The shape is classical — a 5″ pillow vase. The decoration is not — bright spring colors and a woman picking flowers on a country path. Fabulous!! Technically there’s another detail that thrills me, but would bore most collectors. The trees go from being raised (by acid-etching) above the flower line to being recessed below it. I don’t have the vase in front of me, so I can’t tell if it was accomplished by acid-etching or wheel-carving. Sorry, but it’s a very cool detail that I’ve never seen before – that’s two extreme rarities in one vase.

The back

This is a win-win situation. The seller is happy to make the sale. I’m happy to make the purchase and the sale. My friend is happy with her commission. And finally the buyer is happy to add an incredible vase to his collection. I can hear the birds singing.

Next week we’re off to Chicago for the Garden, Antique & Design Show at the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, IL, (a north suburb of Chicago), April 17-19, 2015. We’re down to only two shows in the greater Chicago area, so don’t wait for the Merchandise Mart or the Navy Pier. They don’t exist anymore. Come and visit us in Glencoe or you’ll be out of luck until we return to Winnetka in the fall.

The results of the NYC Pier Antique Show, March 28-29, 2014

Posted on March 30, 2015 by Philip Chasen

The two indoor lines turned around the corner and extended outside

The outdoor section of the line

The NYC Pier Antique Show ended its two-day run yesterday, March 29, 2014. Attendance started out strong on Saturday, with two lines extending outdoors. Interest and sales were both good, with Saturday’s sales alone easily exceeding all of last year’s March show.

Some of the French glass we have for sale. (That’s my son, Billy, in the back.)

The show was noticeably smaller, with the rumor going around that there were 100 fewer dealers. It was quite evident walking around, but it was still a very nice show. I assume many dealers didn’t come back because they did poorly last year. That was certainly the case for me, but it appears that last year was a fluke. I’m guessing that part of the reason dealers did well this year was because the public’s spending power was spread over fewer dealers.

Sunday afternoon outside my booth

Sunday started out like a ghost town, as one would expect at 10 AM. In fact the attendance didn’t pick up noticeably until 2:30 PM and then it wasn’t as busy as Saturday. Why the promoters insist on 10 AM – 6 PM on Sunday is beyond my comprehension. 11 AM – 5 PM would result in the same business for all the dealers and a much needed rest on Sunday morning. At a minimum, the hours should be 11 AM – 6 PM. Six hours are more than enough, but seven hours seem like a reasonable compromise. Dealers, speak up if you agree with me. US Antique Shows, are you listening?

We sold this Tiffany vase at the show

In asking around, I solicited the following comments. From Ron Greenwald, Greenwald Antiques, Cleveland, OH, a decorative arts dealer, “Our show was OK. Yesterday was exciting. Sunday was uneventful. We equaled our expectations.” Adele and Alan Grodsky, lamp and art glass dealers, Cooper City, FL, told me “The show was OK. We sold lamps and Tiffany art glass. We’re pleased with our results.” Bill Holland, hollandarts.com, Icart and Tiffany desk set dealer, West Chester, PA, was disappointed. “Fair, C-. Last year was better. I was disappointed with buying from other dealers because there were fewer.” Jeff Meyers, decorative arts dealer, Chicaloon, AK, was pleased. “The show was very good. There was a lot of interest in modern glass, especially Murano. I was happy the way the show turned out.” George Sorensen, George Sorensen Antiques, art glass dealer, Minneapolis, MN, commented “It was an average Pier show. I’m satisfied.” Ed Hill, Any Antique Will Do, silver and gold dealer, Hopkinton, RI, said “We did well. We equaled our expectations.” Virgil Rogers, Only Authentics, handbag dealer, New York, NY, was satisfied. “It was a little above average for the spring show. I’m pleased.” Personally our show was head and shoulders better than last year, so we’re pleased.

Next we’re off to Chicago for the Garden, Antique & Design Show at the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, IL, (a north suburb of Chicago), April 17-19, 2015. We’re down to only two shows in the greater Chicago area, so don’t wait for the Merchandise Mart or the Navy Pier. They don’t exist anymore. Come and visit us in Glencoe or you’ll be out of luck until we return to Winnetka in the fall.

The NYC Pier Antique Show opens tomorrow, Saturday, March 28, 2014

Posted on March 27, 2015 by Philip Chasen

We just arrived

Yesterday was the first day of setup for those willing to pay a little extra. Only a few dealers did, so the Pier was mostly empty, except for the union workers arranging the show. We only had a few hours in the afternoon, but without having to compete with other dealers, we were able to get a lot done in a short period of time. We’ll finish the job today and be ready for the mob that’s expected tomorrow, Saturday. The show will open to the public at 10 AM and continue until Sunday, at 6 PM. It’s short and sweet — no waiting for the results. Either you did well or not. Tune in on Monday for the results!

We made a lot of progress by the end of the day

We’ll next head to Chicago in a couple of weeks for the Garden, Antique & Design Show at the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, IL, (a north suburb of Chicago), April 17-19, 2015. We’re down to only two shows in the greater Chicago area, so don’t wait for the Merchandise Mart or the Navy Pier. They don’t exist anymore. Come and visit us in Glencoe or you’ll be out of luck until we return to Winnetka in the fall.

Philip Chasen Antiques

The blog for chasenantiques.com

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