Tag Archives: Louis Icart

My Icart etching doesn’t look good. What is the problem?

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Icart was most popular in the 1920s and ’30s. At the time, it was fashionable to give a gift for a wedding or special occasion, rather than money. What better gift than an Icart etching? They were beautiful, signed by the artist, limited edition, and reasonably priced, most in the range of $15-30. The sellers of the art, mainly art galleries and department stores, were not interested in the art as investment, so they were expedient in framing.

Icart "Silk Robe" in original frame. The mat is glued to the etching and the etching is glued to a board.

Icart "Silk Robe" in original frame. The mat is glued to the etching and the etching is glued to a board.

What was done that was expedient? The worst offense was to use glue. Loose sheets of paper do not usually lay flat when framed, especially in humid areas. So the problem was solved by gluing the paper to a board, usually with horse glue. Most times the etching was also framed with a mat in front that was frequently glued to the etching.

The second problem is acidity. Paper is naturally acidic due to the acid in pulp, mainly tannic acid. Over time cellulose fibers in the paper break down and add to the acidity. The framer’s offense was to use acidic mats and back boards in framing the etchings. These materials were in constant contact with the etching, allowing acid to leach onto the paper. All of these acid sources contribute to the problem. The acidity causes the paper to weaken and degrade, making it brittle and yellow and eventually destroying it.

After the mat has been removed, the moderate light darkening of the image is evident

After the mat has been removed, the moderate light darkening of the image is evident

The third problem is called light darkening. This is the process by which an etching darkens when struck by sunlight, getting worse year after year. Sometimes the darkening is so severe that it’s difficult to make out the image, but that’s rare. Usually there is slight to moderate darkening.

An Icart etching with foxing in the margins

An Icart etching with foxing in the margins

The last problem is called foxing. This is usually (but not always) caused by fungal or mold growth on the paper, aided by high humidity. It shows up as brown spots.

Can anything be done about these problems? Tune in tomorrow for “My Icart etching doesn’t look good. What can I do about it?”

Please send me your suggestions or questions about art glass, lamps, Louis Icart, shows, auctions, etc. If it’s interesting, I’ll answer your question in a future blog entry.

Call or write and let me know what you would like to buy, sell, or trade. philchasen@gmail or 516-922-2090. And please visit my website. chasenantiques.com

Celebrity encounters in the antiques business, part VII

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Goldie Hawn

Goldie Hawn

One day while sitting in my shop at the Manhattan Arts & Antiques Center in the late 1980s, I received a call from another dealer asking me if I had any Pairpoint puffy table lamps for sale.  He said he had a client interested and asked if I would give them to him on consignment.  I had a beautiful Pairpoint Apple Tree puffy, which I gave to him.  I didn’t hear from him for a couple of weeks and I was curious as to what had happened.  I bumped into him at a preview for an auction in Manhattan and asked him about the disposition of the lamp.  He had forgotten to tell me, but replied “Oh, yes, Goldie took it”, as if everyone were on a first name basis with her.  I said “Goldie, as in Goldie Hawn?”  And he replied, “Yes”.

Pairpoint puffy Apple Tree table lamp

Pairpoint puffy Apple Tree table lamp

Some time later, Goldie Hawn and her long-time partner, Kurt Russell, appeared in a magazine that showcased their beautiful home.  There behind the sofa was the lamp.  So, Goldie, if you’re reading this, I hope you’re still enjoying it.  Write to me.

Please send me your suggestions or questions about art glass, lamps, Louis Icart, shows, auctions, etc. If it’s interesting, I’ll answer your question in a future blog entry.

Call or write and let me know what you would like to buy, sell, or trade. philchasen@gmail or 516-922-2090. And please visit my website. chasenantiques.com

The road to knowledge is filled with potholes, part II

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An authentic Tiffany Acorn lamp, similar to the reproduction I purchased

An authentic Tiffany Acorn lamp, similar to the reproduction I purchased

In the 1970s, I thought I had made friends with an auctioneer named Jerry Schuster. He had an auction house in New Windsor, NY, about an hour north of NYC. I visited him one day while driving past. He had what he said was a Tiffany Acorn lamp. In the years since my first signed lamp purchase, I was becoming an expert in Handel reverse-painted lamps. There were no Handel reverse-painted reproductions on the market, so getting a good education wasn’t that difficult. I had never purchased any leaded lamps because there were reproductions around and I couldn’t tell the difference. Jerry didn’t have the best reputation, so I asked him if he would guarantee the authenticity of the lamp. I remember what he said almost verbatim. “I don’t guarantee anything, but I guarantee this lamp to you.” So I paid him a fortune for the lamp, about $3,000.

I took the lamp home and made some calls to collectors and dealers, including Alice Osofsky, an old-time dealer. She came to my house with a friend, and after examining the lamp, told me the lamp was a reproduction. My heart sank, so I called other dealers and they all agreed – the lamp was a fake.

No problem! I’ll call Jerry and he’ll give me my money back because he guaranteed it to me. “Jerry, the lamp is a reproduction, so I’m returning it.” “What are you talking about, Phil? If you have an expert to say it’s a reproduction, I have another one to say it’s not.” Again, this is almost verbatim. So this was one costly lesson. I sold it to another dealer, telling him the truth that I was told it was a reproduction. I took a big loss on the lamp, but it was gone and at least I recovered some of my money.

Fast forward a few years to 1979. I was sitting in my car on Canal Street in Manhattan, listening to the news, when the announcer told of the arrest of an auctioneer from Westchester County, named Jerry Schuster. I started whooping and hollering and jumping up and down in my car. Sorry, folks, but I’m not a saint. I was as happy as a clam. In 1980, a Federal District Court in Manhattan found Schuster guilty of knowingly selling paintings with forged signatures of famous artists and reproducing Tiffany-style lamps with unauthorized Tiffany imprints. Jerry was sentenced to a year and a day in prison, plus four years probation and a $10,000 fine. Nice guy that he was, he was re-arrested and in 1990, he was convicted of conspiracy, bank fraud, mail fraud, and wire fraud in connection with an insurance scam involving a damaged painting. He was sentenced to three years in prison and prohibited from working in the art, antiques or auction field for three years after his release. You’d think he would have learned his lesson, but again in 2000, his art gallery agreed to refund an estimated $111,000 to 18 defrauded customers, and pay $45,000 to the Attorney General’s office for their legal costs. (Thanks to the International Foundation for Art Research for the exact information above.)

And now I have my own blog and I can tell Jerry and the rest of the world, it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy!

Please send me your suggestions or questions about art glass, lamps, Louis Icart, shows, auctions, etc. If it’s interesting, I’ll answer your question in a future blog entry.

Call or write and let me know what you would like to buy, sell, or trade. philchasen@gmail or 516-922-2090. And please visit my website. chasenantiques.com

Beware of Tiffany Studios fakes, especially on eBay

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Tiffany fake #1

Tiffany fake #1

Tiffany fake #3

Tiffany fake #3

Tiffany fake #2

Tiffany fake #2

Thanks to Hank Hancock for the idea for this blog and the photos.

The problem with fake Tiffany Favrile glass items is not widespread, but you certainly want to avoid becoming one of the people who gets stuck with one. The following examples have all been for sale on eBay recently. It’s hard to say whether the sellers are nefarious and know they are selling reproductions or just ignorant, but my experience tells me a fair percentage of them know the truth.

Tiffany fake #4

Tiffany fake #4

Tiffany fake #6

Tiffany fake #6

Tiffany fake #5

Tiffany fake #5

So how can you tell? Sorry, but there’s no easy answer. Familiarity with the shapes, colors and decorations of authentic Tiffany Favrile glass is the best way to tell. To the trained eye, these items stick out like sore thumbs. It’s not necessary to look at fake signatures if you already know the item is fake just by looking at it. But there’s the rub. It takes quite a bit of time and effort to train one’s eye.

So what do you do? You have to buy from reputable dealers, collectors and auction houses that will absolutely guarantee the authenticity of the items they sell. Anyone can make a mistake, but only an honest person will make good on correcting a mistake, should one occur. This advice may be self-serving, but nonetheless, it’s absolutely true. Remember the old adage “If you don’t know your art, know your dealer”.

Fake Tiffany counterclockwise signature

Fake Tiffany counterclockwise signature

Also look at Tiffany signatures. 99% of the time, an authentic signature is counter-clockwise. Many fake signatures are clockwise. The forger for this vase knew to make it counterclockwise, but it’s still an awful fake. After looking at enough signatures, it gets increasingly easy to recognize a genuine one.

Please send me your suggestions or questions about art glass, lamps, Louis Icart, shows, auctions, etc. If it’s interesting, I’ll answer your question in a future blog entry.

Call or write and let me know what you would like to buy, sell, or trade. philchasen@gmail or 516-922-2090. And please visit my website. chasenantiques.com

How I got started in the antiques business

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Joe Mollica wrote to me with the following question.  How did you get started in the business?

The route I took to becoming an antiques dealer is similar to many others in the fact that I was a collector first.  You can open a card shop or a franchise without much experience, but not an antiques business.  Collecting first gives one the time to gain the requisite knowledge to be successful.

Rare Handel Elk lamp

Rare Handel Elk lamp

In the early 1970s, my sister bought a country house in upstate New York.  One day she asked me to go to an auction with her to buy some items to furnish her house.  I was more than a little bit reluctant, but she was convincing.  So I went with my wife and my sister to my first auction.  It was an old-fashioned estate sale where everything was there to be sold without reserve.  We had no idea what we were doing, but we bought a few items — a rocking chair, a small rug — and had fun.  We started attending auctions and bought without a plan, but antique lighting was especially interesting to me.  I liked the idea that I could buy an antique that was functional.  Handel, with its beautiful reverse-painted lamps, was the first company I gravitated to.  I became knowledgeable quickly and was off to the races.

At the time I was teaching chemistry, physics and math in the NYC high school system.  I’d never wanted to teach, but the army wanted me to become a private in Vietnam or teach.  Hmm, tough choice.  So for the 8½ years that I taught until 1978, I juggled both teaching and the antiques business.  Because of the Women’s Liberation Movement, men could now apply for paternity leaves, so I took a leave for a year.  My wife continued teaching, while I helped to take care of my young daughter.  It allowed me to spend more time in the antiques business.  The year was successful, so I resigned from the New York City Board of Ed and haven’t looked back.  For me it was a good decision.

Please send me your suggestions or questions about art glass, lamps, Louis Icart, shows, auctions, etc. If it’s interesting, I’ll answer your question in a future blog entry.

Call or write and let me know what you would like to buy, sell, or trade. philchasen@gmail or 516-922-2090.

How can you tell an etching is authentic?

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If I post an entry every Monday to Friday, I’ve got to come up with over 250 posts per year, so I need ideas.  Please suggest some to me. This one comes from my daughter, Nicole. She asked me to answer questions that are commonly asked of me at shows. I was asked this question on Sunday at the Redondo Beach Antiques Fair. “How can you tell an etching is authentic?”

Louis Icart pulling a proof of Joy of Life from the etching press

Louis Icart pulling a proof of Joy of Life from the etching press

First you have to understand the process of producing an etching. The artist does his work on a copper plate, so the “original” is a copper plate and that’s rarely ever for sale. To produce the image, first the plate is hand-inked. Then the paper is laid down on top and the two pass together through the etching press, under tremendous pressure. The pressure transfers the image to the paper. Since the copper plate has thickness, it “dents” the paper around the edge of the image. This “dent” is called a plate impression. You can see it and feel it around the edge of the plate. So #1. A real etching has a plate impression.

Since the process is not photographic and there is no printing press, there are no dots in the image. If you use a magnifying glass to look at a photograph in a newspaper, you can see the entire image is made up of dots. Use a magnifying glass with an original etching and there are no dots. So #2. An authentic etching does not have any dots in the image.

After the edition is printed by the master printer, it is given back to the artist to hand-sign each one. Prints or other fakes have copies of the signature. So #3. Authentic etchings are hand-signed by the artist, usually in pencil.

In the case of Louis Icart, a raised seal called a blindstamp, was created in mid-1926, and is usually found in the lower left corner, just below the image. Most Icart images produced after this time have the blindstamp, but don’t use this information as a crutch. There are some fake etchings that have fake blindstamps. And conversely, there are many authentic Icart etchings that do not have a blindstamp. Supposedly the etchings without blindstamps were not for export from France, but personally I’ve found too many instances where this rule doesn’t seem to follow.

If you like my blog, please recommend it to others. Email me with your comments and suggestions. philchasen@gmail.com