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

An Emile Gallé vase sells for over $200,000 at auction in Paris, April 3, 2012

Posted on April 5, 2012 by Philip Chasen

Emile Gallé vase Rose de France, Aguttes Auction

Claude Aguttes SAS held a 20th Century Decorative Arts auction in Paris on April 3, 2012. In the sale was an artistic 7″ Gallé vase, entitled Rose de France. Estimated to sell for €15,000 – €20,000, it soared to €154,135, including buyer’s premium ($202,546). Formidable! (That’s French, not English.)

A view of the back of the vase

That’s a lot of money for a 7″ vase, so you might ask why. Artistic vases rely heavily on the techniques of application and wheel-carving to create realistic 3-dimensional objects. The amount of hand-workmanship and technical prowess necessary to create an artistic vase greatly exceeds that for standard, commercial vases. You want to see some artistic vases? Go find a good museum. It was a rarity for a vase of this quality to be sold at public auction.

Detail of the roses

The Gallé Rose de France vase was part of a very limited number of vases in the series. Take a close look at the workmanship in the detail photo. It’s phenomenal. The roses were applied, as well as the stems. All of the detail was hand-carved, with no acid-etching. The background mottling is internal. It’s killer!

Not every artistic Gallé vase will sell for $200,000, but this one was special — beautiful, colorful and technically very sophisticated. I knew the price would exceed its conservative estimate, but even I was surprised by the final result.

Our next show will be the Arlington Park Racetrack Antiques Show, in Arlington Heights, IL, next week, Friday-Sunday, April 13-15. We always enjoy coming to the greater Chicago area. We’ve got lots of friends there and look forward to seeing them again. Come to the show! There are some great exhibitors and we’ll be bringing an outstanding display.
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One of the rarest and most beautiful of all Louis Icart etchings, Mardi Gras

Learn your Gallé and Daum Nancy shapes to stay out of trouble

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Philip Chasen

Glass vases are easily damaged. It’s the nature of glass — it’s delicate. So what does one do if a vase gets chipped? Doesn’t make sense to throw it in the garbage, so you get it fixed. Repairs to tiny chips don’t have much of an effect on value. For bigger chips or cracks, a makeover may be necessary, and that will certainly affect value. The vase will still have some value, but that’s a nebulous area. If it’s sold at auction, the discount could be slight or major. And that’s where the problem lies.

Sometimes the experts at auction galleries know that a vase has had a major alteration and sometimes they don’t. That puts most of the responsibility on your shoulders. If you know what the shape should be, you’ll notice any alterations. Here are a couple of examples.

Sotheby's lot #211 is on the left

The first is a Gallé chrysanthemum blownout vase that was sold at Sotheby’s New York on March 7, 2012, as lot #211. It was estimated at $6,000 – $8,000 and sold for $7,500, including buyer’s premium. Chrysanthemum is a rare model that would have done much better, if it were perfect. As you can see from the photo, a substantial portion of the top of the vase was missing. My guess is that the buyer was unaware of the problem (and will be pretty unhappy if (s)he reads this blog).

Bonham's vase is on the left

Bonham’s will be selling a Gallé seed pod blownout vase. They know that the top has been cut off, so it’s listed in the catalog as “reduced”, but they apparently don’t know the foot has been “reduced” also. The estimate is conservative at $1,000 – $1,500. This is a vase that is so problematic, it’s anyone’s guess what it may sell for (and it may not sell, if there’s a reserve).

So what is a collector to do? There are only a few choices. The first is to become knowledgeable and learn your shapes. That’s not an easy thing to do, as it takes lots of time and exposure to the vast selection of French cameo glass available. The second is to buy from a dealer who’s knowledgeable and whom you trust. (Hmm, I have a suggestion.) Third, is to deal with reputable auction galleries. Ask for condition reports in advance. Hopefully, the experts in charge will have the knowledge you need.

Our next show is the Arlington Park Racetrack Antiques Show, in Arlington Heights, IL, April 13-15. We always enjoy coming to the greater Chicago area. We’ve got lots of friends there and look forward to seeing them again. Come to the show! There are some great exhibitors and we’ll be bringing an outstanding display.
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Rare Le Verre Francais Lézards vase, 11½ inches tall

The results of the Whitman Coin and Collectibles Expo, Baltimore, MD, March 22-24, 2012

Posted on March 26, 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. This Thursday’s blog will be about the booming market in Martin Brothers stoneware.

My booth

The Whitman Coin and Collectibles Expo was held at the Baltimore Convention Center, March 22-24, 2012, but many dealers left on the 24th, as we did. It’s was a coin show, but dealers were allowed to bring additional items, under the category of “collectibles”. We exhibited there because some of the coin dealers are our clients.

The view of the show floor from my booth.

It’s not the first time we’ve exhibited at a coin show. The others were modestly profitable, so we thought we would give this one a try. Unfortunately it was a complete bust. There was interest from some of the dealers and also the public, but almost no sales. Two of the main coin dealers I hoped would buy from us never even attended the show. We wound up making one tiny sale on the last day, but we would have been much better off never coming. I think we’ll stick to traditional antique shows from now on.

Speaking of which, our next show will be at the Arlington Park Racetrack, in Arlington Heights, IL, April 13th to April 15th. I’ll be bringing some of the best Tiffany Studios table lamps I’ve had in years. In addition, I’ll have a great selection of French cameo glass, a small collection of Martin Brothers ceramics, fabulous American Illustrator paintings, a number of Icart etchings that I just acquired, and assorted wonderful odds and ends. Don’t miss the show. There’ll be something for everyone.
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Rare Le Verre Francais Lézards vase, 11½ inches tall

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

Some good results at Sotheby’s 20th Century Design sale, March 7, 2012

Posted on March 12, 2012 by Philip Chasen

Sotheby’s New York held a 20th Century Design sale on March 7, 2012. It was a mid-level sale, as the major auction houses save their best items for December and June. The selection of French cameo glass was small, but high quality, while the selection of Tiffany lamps was not strong. There still were some very good results.

Tiffany Studios Elaborate Peony table lamp, Sotheby's lot #243

Top lot of the sale was #243, a Tiffany Elaborate Peony table lamp. It sold for $242,500, against a pre-sale estimate of $150,000 – $200,000. There were problems with the lamp that depressed the price. First, it had quite a bit of damage to the shade. Second, the shade finish was gold on a worn gold doré base. Had it been a patinated shade and base, with little or no damage, it probably would have sold for double or more. Even as is, I thought the final price would be higher, as the shade was rare and beautiful.

Argy-Rousseau pâte-de-verre vase, Les Loups dans La Neige, Sotheby's lot #208

The sale of lot #208, a pâte-de-verre vase by Argy-Rousseau, entitled Les Loups dans la Neige (Wolves in the Snow), was very strong, selling for $40,625 — almost double its high estimate of $20,000. (Remember the selling price includes the buyer’s premium.)

Other French cameo vases were equally strong, with a Decorchement pâte-de-verre vase with beetles selling for $50,000, against a pre-sale estimate of $8,000 – $12,000 and a Gallé vase selling for $31,250, against a pre-sale estimate of $12,000 – $18,000. This continues a string of strong auction results for superior French glass.

A beautiful, large Camille Fauré vase, Sotheby's lot #199

Camille Fauré enamel on copper vases have been strong for a couple of years, but not at this auction. All four lots were passed, partly because the estimates were too aggressive.

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

Our next show is the 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.

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

French cameo glass sells well at John Moran Antiques & Decorative Arts Auction | March 6, 2012

Posted on March 8, 2012 by Philip Chasen

John Moran held an Antiques & Decorative Arts Auction at the Pasadena Convention Center in Pasadena, California on March 6, 2012. Included in the sale were a few outstanding lots of French cameo glass.

Fine Emile Gallé lamp, John Moran lot #1058

Lot 1058 was a medium-sized Gallé lamp with red prunus blossoms on a yellow background, 14″ tall. The color, quality and condition were all excellent. Expected to sell for only $2,000 – $3,000, it roared past the estimate to sell for $13,100, including buyer’s premium. The estimate was very low, letting everyone know the lamp was there to be sold. Smart auctioneers put low estimates because they generate better interest and results.

Rare Daum Nancy Prairie vase, John Moran lot #1059

The next lot was a very rare and desirable Daum Nancy vase with Prairie decoration. Prairie vases are beautiful and very difficult to find. This example had excellent color and workmanship, but was a little small at 4¾”. Also for some inexplicable reason, it was unsigned. Daum signed almost everything, so it’s hard to explain why this one was unsigned. With a realistic pre-sale estimate of $5,000 – $7,000, it sold for $12,000, including buyer’s premium — double the low estimate. I was interested in purchasing it, but couldn’t pay more without a signature. My guess is that it probably would have sold for over $15,000 if it had been signed.

Fine Daum Nancy scenic creamer, John Moran lot #1060

I’m not sure why a small Daum Nancy creamer was estimated at $6,000 – $9,000. It had outstanding decoration and color but should only have been estimated for $2,000 – $3,000. By my standards it did very well, selling for $6,000, including the buyer’s premium. By their estimation, it didn’t do very well, selling below the low estimate. (Remember the estimate is without the buyer’s premium.)

For the complete listing of the auction, click on the following link. John Moran auction listings. My guess is they’ll have the results listed in a few days.

Our next show is coming very soon — the Pier Show in New York City on the weekend of March 17th and 18th. You don’t have a lot of time, so plan your trip now. Make it a business/pleasure trip and have a great time in the Big Apple!

In the meantime, we’re still in business, so don’t be bashful. Call or write!
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Fine Tiffany Studios millifiori vase

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 results of the Original Miami Beach Antiques Show, February 2-6, 2012

Posted on February 7, 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. This coming Monday’s blog will be about some amazing results at Doyle’s Belle Epoque auction.

Monday afternoon in my aisle

The Original Miami Beach Antiques Show opened on Thursday, February 2nd, and ended yesterday, February 6th. After speaking to many dealers, I can report the results as good to excellent. One dealer I didn’t know visited my booth unsolicited. He told me he reads my blog regularly and wanted me to know that his results were already excellent and it was only Friday.

A dealer in furniture and bronze told me he finally hit his “magic” number. It was pretty easy to figure out the magic number was $1 million. Now that’s an eye-popping show. I’ve heard of other dealers selling $500,000 to $750,000, but never $1 million. Kudos for a great show!

My booth

Attendance at the opening on Thursday was very good. A dealer told me he thought there 1000 people waiting at the front door at noon (perhaps an exaggeration). First day sales are usually best, because that’s when the most motivated buyers come. Personally the first day was best. Attendance, interest and sales seem to drop on a daily basis, as the least motivated buyers come into the show at the end. Overall, my show was very good — I’ve had some better and many worse. Interest was best in Pairpoint puffy lamps, French cameo glass and Icart etchings (a result I couldn’t have predicted).

Back to the other dealers. Most were very satisfied with their results. A few said excellent, most said good, and very few said fair to poor.

Another view of my booth

The show ended on Monday, and for the life of me, I can’t figure out why. There are almost no buyers on Monday, and the few that were there could easily have made up their minds on Sunday. To make things worse, the show ended at 6 PM on Monday, instead of 5 PM, or better yet, 4 PM. Management made announcements not to pack early, but there was no one there, so why not? 75% of the dealers were packing early. Eliminate Monday from the show and everyone will be happier. The results will be the same — same attendance, same sales. The only difference is that everyone will be spared an unnecessary day at the show.

There’s only one more show for us in Florida 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’re off this week and it couldn’t come at a better time. We’re still in business, so don’t be bashful. Call or write!

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Is this Daum creamer fantastic or what? Just in.

Philip Chasen Antiques

The blog for chasenantiques.com

Tag Archives: French cameo glass

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

An Emile Gallé vase sells for over $200,000 at auction in Paris, April 3, 2012

Learn your Gallé and Daum Nancy shapes to stay out of trouble

The results of the Whitman Coin and Collectibles Expo, Baltimore, MD, March 22-24, 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

Some good results at Sotheby’s 20th Century Design sale, March 7, 2012

French cameo glass sells well at John Moran Antiques & Decorative Arts Auction | March 6, 2012

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

The results of the Original Miami Beach Antiques Show, February 2-6, 2012