What’s new at Chasen Antiques? Part II

Posted on January 1, 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.

Happy New Year! I wish everyone a happy, healthy, prosperous New Year, filled with stories of kindness and peace.

If you follow my blog, you know that the first of five shows in a row will start in Miami on January 24th. I’m bringing lots of fresh items, many from private estates, but I have no problem selling anything prior. I’m a mercenary, so if you see something you like, please let me know and it’s yours, for the right price! 🙂 Call 516-922-2090, or send an email by clicking here, if you’re looking for something specific. (Remember to answer the simple anti-spam question at the bottom of the form or your email will not be sent.)

Beautifully painted, signed, KPM plaque

I’ve been buying some lovely KPM plaques. The example above is of a Gypsy child, beautifully painted. It’s fairly large, 11″ x 8½”, unframed, and in excellent original condition. People I’ve spoken to are split 60 girl/40 boy. If you absolutely know, please contact me, because I don’t have the answer. Most KPM plaques are copies of famous paintings in museums, so the answer is surely out there.

Rare Dard Hunter-designed Roycroft vase

How about a Roycroft rarity? Dard Hunter-designed, mixed metal, hand-chased, 8″ tall, signed Roycroft. Not what you’d expect to find at Chasen Antiques, except for the quality.

Superb Amphora Allegory Portrait vase

Amphora portrait vases is an area where I’ve gotten lucky. I have several fine examples including the beauty pictured above, fresh out of an important collection.

Monday’s post will be a fascinating look at what remains of Louis C. Tiffany’s home, Laurelton Hall. You won’t want to miss it. In the meantime, please check my website. I think you’ll like what you see.

I’ll be spending the next three weeks looking for still more treasures to bring to Florida for our southern circuit. Wish me luck!

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.

What’s new at Chasen Antiques?

Posted on December 29, 2014 by Philip Chasen

Our five-show-Southern-circuit is around the corner, with the first starting in Miami on January 24th. This is the time of year when I scour the earth to find treasures. I’ve been a busy boy. There’s always luck involved and this year it’s been good. A large proportion of my new items are from private estates. Following is a sampling. I suggest you check out my website where I’ve listed some of them, but there are many I haven’t yet listed. Call 516-922-2090, or send an email by clicking here, if you’re looking for something specific. (Remember to answer the simple anti-spam question at the bottom of the form or your email will not be sent.) Thursday’s post will be part II of What’s New at Chasen Antiques.

Rare Tiffany Favrile yellow vase

Tiffany Favrile glass is one area where I’ve purchased some very fine items, including a rare yellow vase, pictured above, a black millifiori vase, a turquoise decorated mini vase, a hearts & vines vase, a red-orange vase and several other outstanding examples.

Fine, rare Tiffany Favrile Artichoke pottery vase

I don’t get many Tiffany Favrile pottery vases because they’re even rarer than Tiffany Favrile glass. I just bought a wonderful, big (11″), artichoke example with a great glaze.

Natzler Tiger Eye Reduction Glaze vase

Another item I rarely get is Natzler pottery. If you don’t know, it’s mid-century and the best quality. This example has a great Tiger Eye Reduction glaze, with the original stickers, including the original price. A very cool item!

I’ve only touched the tip of the iceberg. Look for more this Thursday. In the meantime, please check my website. I think you’ll like what you see.

I’ll be spending the next three weeks looking for still more treasures to bring to Florida for our southern circuit. Wish me luck!

Bonham’s New York had a good 20th Century Decorative Arts auction, Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Posted on December 22, 2014 by Philip Chasen

Bonham’s New York held its 20th Century Decorative Arts auction on Tuesday, December 16, 2014, a day ahead of Sotheby’s. The sale was fairly small, with total sales of $1,136,534, for the 95 of 166 lots that sold. Many of the unsold lots were radios, which skewed the results. Tiffany lamps were a large contributor to the total.

Tiffany Floral Bouquet chandelier, Bonham’s lot #52

Leading the sale was a beautiful Tiffany Floral Bouquet chandelier, which easily exceeded its high estimate of $120,000, realizing $197,000, including buyer’s premium.

Webb perfume bottles, Bonham’s lot #7

Lot #7, two Webb lay-down perfume bottles, was a nice surprise. It soared past the pre-sale estimate of $1,500 – $2,000, to realize $21,250, including buyer’s premium. To be fair, the pre-sale estimate was quite low, and the quality was high. Mice are rare subject matter, the detail was superb, and the lids were 14K gold, instead of the usual sterling silver.

It was nice to see two sales in a row where Tiffany Studios lamps and glass sold well. It appears that the poor results at Christie’s sale were just an anomaly.

For the complete results of the sale, click here.

I’ll be spending the next month looking for treasures to bring to Florida for our southern circuit. So far the buying has been great, so look for lots of new goodies to be listed on my website soon. The Florida shows begin with the Miami National Antiques Show on January 24, 2015.

Excellent results at Sotheby’s New York Tiffany: Dreaming in Glass auction, December 17, 2014

Posted on December 18, 2014 by Philip Chasen

Sotheby’s New York held its Tiffany: Dreaming in Glass auction yesterday, December 17, 2014 with total sales of $6,585,875. 36 of the 41 lots offered sold, for an average of $182,941. Most of the Tiffany lamps sold near or above their high estimates.

Tiffany Wisteria table lamp, Sotheby’s lot #216

Leading the sale were two nearly identical Tiffany Wisteria table lamps, selling for $1,145,000 and $1,205,000, respectively. Both were outstanding examples.

Tiffany table lamp, Sotheby’s lot #218

The third best-selling lot of the sale was a Tiffany 22″ diameter Drop-Head Dragonfly table lamp with a vividly colored shade and an important mosaic and turtleback glass base. The lamp sold for $965,000, against a pre-sale estimate of $600,000 — $900,000.

Tiffany Poppy paperweight vase, Sotheby’s lot #207

The top lot of the glass section of the sale was #207, a paperweight vase with Poppy decoration. It sold for $87,500, easily exceeding its high estimate of $50,000.

For the complete results of the sale, click here.

I won’t cover Christie’s Tiffany Studios auction of December 9, 2014. It was too depressing. I can’t begin to explain why Sotheby’s did so much better than Christie’s, but they did. You’re on your own for Christie’s results.

I’ll be spending the next five weeks looking for treasures to bring to Florida for our southern circuit. So far the buying has been great, so look for lots of new goodies to be listed on my website soon. The Florida shows begin with the Miami National Antiques Show on January 24, 2015.

Unfortunately, there won’t be an important antiques show in downtown Chicago this spring

Posted on December 15, 2014 by Philip Chasen

The Chicago Merchandise Mart

You probably remember there was no antique show at the Merchandise Mart this past April. It all started when the Palm Beach Show Group couldn’t reach agreement with the Merchandise Mart and went off on their own to create a show at the Navy Pier. As a result, the Merchandise Mart couldn’t get enough exhibitors for their show and shut it down. With higher expenses for the dealers and lower sales at the Navy Pier, many of the show exhibitors balked and did not resign for another Navy Pier show. So the Merchandise Mart is reluctant to start another antique show and the Palm Beach Show Group doesn’t feel like gambling on a second Navy Pier show.

An aerial view of Chicago’s Navy Pier

Where does that leave the dealers and the public? Between a rock and a hard place. It feels like a bad case of Humpty Dumpty — all the king’s horses and all the king’s men couldn’t put Humpty together again. Now everybody suffers. I know I feel it. Chicago is my best city. The fewer times I exhibit there, the lower my income — plain and simple. I’ve built up a great clientele there over many years and now there are very few opportunities to exhibit. There’s no more Arlington Racetrack, no more Rosemont summer show, and now no downtown show. UGH!!

I spoke to one promoter who is looking for a downtown facility to host a smaller show, but who knows if that will become a reality. In the meantime, I’ve got to rely on only two shows in the greater Chicago area — the fall show in Winnetka and the Chicago Botanic Gardens in the spring. It’s frustrating when I have no control.

I’ll be spending the next month and a half looking for treasures to bring to Florida for our southern circuit. So far the buying has been great, so look for lots of new goodies. The Florida shows begin with the Miami National Antiques Show on January 24, 2015.

Newcomb College pottery sells well at Waddington’s Decorative Arts auction, December 9, 2014

Posted on December 11, 2014 by Philip Chasen

Waddington’s of Toronto, Canada, held a Decorative Arts auction on December 9, 2014. Included in the sale were two very nice Newcomb College scenic vases, estimated very reasonably. I had hoped to sneak up on them, since Newcomb College pottery seemed out of place in Toronto, but I was wrong. The vases sold very well so I was unable to buy them.

Newcomb College scenic vase, Waddington lot #126

First up was lot #126, a tall (11″), inverted trumpet, Newcomb College scenic vase, decorated by Anna Frances Simpson in 1912. It exceeded its high estimate of $3,500, realizing CAD 5,060, (USD 4,419).

Newcomb College scenic vase, Waddington lot #127

Lot #127 was an unusual scenic with tall pine trees, also by Anna Frances Simpson, 8½” tall. This was an earlier transitional example from 1909. (Early Newcomb vases were high glaze and later vases were matte glaze.) It was estimated to sell for $2,000—3,000, but more than doubled it’s high estimate to realize CAD 9,000, (USD 7,858) including buyer’s premium.

For the complete catalog, click here. As of the writing of this blog post, the results have not yet been posted to their website.

I’ll be spending the next month and a half looking for treasures to bring to Florida for our southern circuit. The Florida shows begin with the Miami National Antiques Show on January 24, 2015.

A Tiffany Studios Border Peony floor lamp led the way at Heritage’s Tiffany, Lalique & Art Glass auction, November 21, 2014

Posted on December 8, 2014 by Philip Chasen

Tiffany Studios Border Peony floor lamp, Heritage lot #60031

Heritage Auction held its Tiffany, Lalique & Art Glass auction on November 21, 2014, with gross sales of $1,441,233. Leading the way was a Tiffany Studios Border Peony floor lamp, Heritage lot #60031. It sold for $143,000, including buyer’s premium — about the mid-point of the pre-sale estimate of $100,000 – $150,000. The lamp was part of the Weider Health and Fitness Collection from Los Angeles, purchased in the 1970s.

R. Lalique Le Jour et la Nuit clock, Heritage lot #60229

R. Lalique sold well, with lot #60229 being the top selling lot of the group, and the second highest selling lot of the sale. However, it’s final price of $47,000 was below its low estimate of $60,000. Other lots did better, such as #60217, a purple Borromée vase selling for $46,875, near its high estimate of $50,000.

Daum Nancy Rain scenic table lamp, Heritage lot #60138

The top lot of the French cameo glass section of the sale was a pretty Daum Nancy Rain scenic table lamp. Selling as lot #60138, it too sold near the mid-point of its pre-sale estimate of $35,000 – $45,000, realizing $43,750.

For the complete catalog, click here. You will have to sign in (free) for the results.

I’ll be spending the next month and a half looking for treasures to bring to Florida for our southern circuit. The Florida shows begin with the Miami National Antiques Show on January 24, 2015.

The results of the NYC Pier Antique Show, November 22-23, 2014

Posted on November 24, 2014 by Philip Chasen

Part of the very large crowd at the Saturday morning opening

The NYC Pier Antique Show ended its two-day run yesterday, November 23, 2014. Attendance was strong on Saturday, with a very big opening crowd that went all the way out the door. Sales started off nicely, but then fizzled out as the day went on. Several clients promised to come back on Sunday. Business must have been good as I personally saw many visitors walking out with purchases.

We sold this wonderful Tiffany Favrile vase at the show

There was no comparing the Sunday start to the Saturday start. Only a handful of people came. There’s no reason any show should open at 10 AM on Sunday. It took until 1 or 2 PM until a decent crowd showed up. An 11 AM start would benefit everyone, especially the dealers who can use an additional hour of rest. We made a few sales on Sunday, but not equal to the level of interest and questions. Not one single client from Saturday (and I thought some of them were really serious) came back on Sunday. Very disappointing. 🙁

My lovely daughter, Lauren, helped me at the show

Overall my show was successful, but far from exemplary. I’m grateful for the business we did, but disappointed it wasn’t a barn-burner (which it easily could have been). In asking around, I received the following comments. From Alan & Adele Grodsky, Cooper City, FL, dealers in lamps and glass, “We did OK, better than the last few shows.” George Sorensen, Minneapolis, MN, dealing in art glass, said “My show was average.” Mark & Marie Kaplan of M&M Antiques, Long Beach, NY, general-line dealers, were quite pleased. “Our show was excellent. Most of our business was on Saturday.” Not as pleased was Virgil Rogers, New York, NY, of Only Authentics, dealing in vintage handbags, “It was a mediocre Pier show. I sold an amount equal to the average Pier show. Expensive items were not selling.” Lastly, Robin Greenwald, Cleveland, OH, of Greenwald Antiques, general-line dealers, told me “We were only able to convert 10% of our serious interest into sales, but jewelry sold well. Overall our show was pretty good.”

I’ll be spending the next two months looking for treasures to bring to Florida for our southern circuit. I’m flying out today to buy a French glass collection, which I’ll have home tomorrow night, if all goes well. The Florida shows begin with the Miami National Antiques Show on January 24, 2015.

The NYC Pier Antique Show opens this Saturday, November 22, 2014

Posted on November 20, 2014 by Philip Chasen

The NYC Pier Antique Show will open to the public this coming Saturday, November 22, at 10 AM, and close the next day, Sunday, November 23, at 6 PM. This is the second year that U.S. Antique Shows will manage it, having bought the show from Stella Show Management. It promises to be a good one, with 25 additional dealers.

We’ll have this beautiful Tiffany 18″ Tyler Scroll table lamp at the show

This will be our last show of the year, so we hope to make it a good one by bringing some fantastic new items. One is a Tiffany Studios 18″ Tyler Scroll table lamp. It’s one of 25, mostly Tiffany Studios, lamps we’ll have on display at the show.

Museum-quality Daum Nancy vase with applied cabochon-center daisies

Our French glass selection will be large, with some outstanding examples of Daum and Gallé glass.

After the Pier show, we’ll be buying treasures for our important Florida shows in January and February. I’m already flying out of town today to buy an outstanding French glass collection.

Tune in Monday for the results of the NYC Pier Antique Show!

The results of the Kansas City Antiques Expo, November 14-15, 2014

Posted on November 17, 2014 by Philip Chasen

Our booth

The Kansas City Antiques Expo finished its two-day run this past Saturday, November 15, 2014. Attendance was light on Friday, but included some knowledgeable clients. Unfortunately, sales to the public were zero, but the day wasn’t a total loss as I did make one sale to another show dealer.

We sold this important Quezal shade at the show

Saturday was almost as slow as Friday. Attendance was very light, again with no sales to the general public. I did make a nice sale to my own clients, who drove all the way from Dallas to see me. Thank you for your business and your loyalty!

We won’t be exhibiting in Kansas City for the forseeable future. The poor response from the public did not warrant the time and expense to show there. It’s too bad, because we like to exhibit for the promoter, Chris Miller, and we like Kansas City. But business is business, so our hand has been forced. We’ll probably try Indianapolis one more time, at another of Chris’ shows.

This week we’ll be in New York City for our final show of 2014, at Pier 94, for the usual November show. The show is worth traveling to from anywhere in the world, as evidenced by the buyers who fly in from as far away as Japan. Why don’t you use the show as your excuse to come to New York City this weekend? You know you want to! You’ll have a great time and see a wonderful antique show at the same time. Make sure you stop by our booth to say hello.

Philip Chasen Antiques

The blog for chasenantiques.com

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