How can you tell if an etching is authentic?

Posted on August 18, 2014 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 isn’t much going on in the summer, so I’ve decided to reprint another one of my most popular blogs — How can you tell if an etching is authentic? Here it is in its entirety.

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

First one has to understand the process of producing an etching. The artist does his work on a copper plate, so the “original” is a copper plate that’s rarely for sale. To produce the image, the plate first 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 for hand-signing. 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 blindstamps. Supposedly the etchings without blindstamps were not for export from France, but personally I’ve found too many instances where this rule doesn’t pertain.

Don’t forget to make your last-minute arrangements for the Baltimore Summer Antiques Fair. It starts this Thursday, August 21st at noon and continues until Sunday, August 24th at 6 PM. I promise you’ll enjoy the show and the Baltimore Inner Harbor. Please come to my booth, #2100, and say hello. Thursday’s blog will be from Baltimore on opening day of the Baltimore Summer Antiques Fair and next Monday I’ll post the results of the show.

Click here to view our new website and look around. We always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on our website and at every show. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps.

How to clean antique glass including Tiffany Studios Favrile and French Cameo Glass

Posted on August 14, 2014 by Philip Chasen

There isn’t much going on in the summer, so I’ve decided to reprint one of my most popular blogs — How to clean antique glass including Tiffany Studios Favrile and French Cameo Glass. Here it is in its entirety.

Having sold many thousands of antique glass vases over the years, I’ve learned a lot about how to clean them from trial and error and a few mistakes. It also doesn’t hurt to have a Master’s Degree in Chemistry.

Most people are quite timid about using chemicals on glass. They’re afraid they’ll ruin their vase by removing the decoration or somehow damaging it. There are very few times this would actually be true. Cold-painted decoration on a vase could be ruined by the use of some chemicals but Tiffany Favrile vases and French cameo vases by Daum, Galle, and others have no cold-painting, so all of the steps I describe below are appropriate. If you suspect that your vase has cold-painting on it, test a small area with one of the cleaners below, using a Q-tip. If any color comes off, stop and use only the mildest cleaners.

Eco-House citrous thinner

The first step is to remove any sticky substances, which will dissolve in organic solvents such as mineral spirits or acetone (nail polish remover). There are also some good commercial products available, such as Goo Gone, available at stores like Office Depot, or online. Another product I like is citrous thinner, made from orange peels. It smells a lot better than the other solvents and is quite effective. Click here if you’d like to order it.

Start by looking for anything sticky with your eyes and your fingers. Wet a rag or paper towel with just a little solvent. Rub the affected area until the dirt or stickiness is gone. Mineral spirits is a gentler solvent than acetone, so try it first. Mineral spirits is especially good for removing the gum from old labels. Use acetone second, if you need a stronger solvent. These various solvents will also remove crayon, sap, or any similar substance.

Easy-Off Fume Free

Next we’re ready for aqueous cleaning. I suggest you do this in a sink. Most of the cleaners will make your vase slippery, so be very careful not to lose control and break it. The gentlest cleaners are dishwashing liquid or Windex. I like to use them with an old toothbrush. Scrub the vase with the first cleaner and see if the dirt comes off. If it’s stubborn, you can proceed to the next level of cleaning power with commercial products like Scrubbing Bubbles or Dow Bathroom Cleaner. Repeat the process. Spray the vase, let it sit for a few minutes and clean again with a toothbrush or similar brush. If that’s not strong enough, you can go to the highest level of cleaning power — Easy-Off. There are two types of Easy-Off available. The blue can, labeled “Fume Free” is the one I recommend. (It’s not really fume free, but it’s not too bad.) It’s powerful and should remove any leftover dirt. Finally rinse your vase thoroughly in plain water and dry completely with an old towel. If it’s safe, let it dry upside down. It’s a good idea to use gloves to protect your hands, an apron to protect your clothing and glasses to protect your eyes. Easy-Off in the yellow can is lye (sodium hydroxide). It’s very powerful. It will eat through the dirt nicely, but also through your clothes and skin as well as severely damage your eyes. Immediately flush with plain water if you have an accident. You’ll know you’ve gotten it on your skin if it feels slimy.

To clean the inside of your vase, you’ll need various brushes to reach hard-to-get-to areas. Just use one of the sprays above, let sit, and brush away. Justman Brush Company sells hundreds of different brushes.

A vase whose glass has been etched on the interior

Vases that have been used with water over the years can present bigger problems. The first problem may be scratches on the inside of the vase. The second and more serious problem goes under the general category of “sick” glass and may include etching of the glass interior or depositing of lime or other minerals, which usually shows as a white deposit. Cleaners will not effectively fix these problems. The only real way to treat problems of this sort is to go to an expert who can “tumble” the vase to resurface the interior. It’s basically the same as sandpapering the entire interior — great for a transparent vase, but not as good for a vase that has a finish on the interior, like an iridescent vase. Use this link for Paul Nulton, who does this kind of work.

Sometimes with a minimum amount of work, the results can be quite gratifying. Many vases were kept in homes where the owners smoked or the air was smoky from fireplaces or stoves. This shows as a dingy brown coating. Cleaning this off often reveals unexpected bright and beautiful colors.

Don’t forget to make your arrangements for the Baltimore Summer Antiques Fair. It starts next Thursday, August 21st at noon and continues until Sunday, August 24th at 6 PM. I promise you’ll enjoy the show and the Baltimore Inner Harbor. Please come to my booth and say hello. Monday I’ll post the results, which I trust will be good.

The Baltimore Summer Antiques Fair opens next Thursday, August 21, 2014

Posted on August 11, 2014 by Philip Chasen

This was our booth at the Baltimore show

The important Baltimore Summer Antiques Fair opens next Thursday, August 21, 2014 at noon and continues until Sunday, August 24, 2014 at 6 PM. This is one of the two most important and exciting shows of the year, together with the Original Miami Beach Antiques Show in the winter. The show is really big, so the selection is vast. Some of the dealers exhibit at very few shows, so it’s an opportunity to see some very exciting, high-quality merchandise. Think of something you want to see and chances are good you’ll find it at the show.

We’ll have this important Gallé Lake Como vase at the show

We’ve been shopping and shopping since late spring, so we’re going to have a fresh selection of merchandise, including some real rarities in Tiffany Favrile glass and lamps, as well as French cameo glass by Gallé and Daum. I’ve got an appointment this week to buy some Tiffany glass and lamps from an important private collection. I’ll bring those items to the show.

Billy Rau of M.S. Rau is one of the important dealers at the show

There’s still plenty of time to make arrangements to visit the show. I like to use Hotwire for the best deals on hotels. I just checked for a 4-day stay in the Baltimore Inner Harbor area (right by the show), starting on Wednesday and departing on Sunday. Here’s what I found. A 3½-star hotel is $87/night (my guess is the Sheraton next door) and a 4-star boutique hotel for $122/night (my guess is the Kimpton Hotel Monaco) and a 3-star hotel for $75/night (my guess is the Holiday Inn).

Inside the National Aquarium

I promise you, you’ll enjoy the show and the Baltimore Inner Harbor. Are you a foodie? There are lots of great restaurants. Like the water? There are ferries, street performers, and lots of stores at the Inner Harbor, plus the National Aquarium. Come to the show and let me know what you think. Monday I’ll post the results, which I trust will be good.

The results of the Kansas City Antiques Expo, August 1-2, 2014

Posted on August 4, 2014 by Philip Chasen

Monday’s post will be up by 10 AM.

Saturday afternoon in my booth

The Kansas City Antiques Expo began on Friday at 10 AM and continued until 6 PM Saturday. This was my first time at the new exhibition facility at the Holiday Inn KCI. Last year, the show was in Overland Park, KS. Our show was going poorly until we made a couple of sales on Saturday afternoon, including a Tiffany Favrile floor lamp to clients who drove all the way from Dallas (500 miles) to see us. (Thank you!!)

This Tiffany lamp is similar to the one we sold at the show

Attendance was very light the entire two days, making it difficult to make sales. Chris Miller, the promoter, is a nice guy who’s trying hard to build the show back up, but is obviously having a tough time of it. I think part of the problem is that it was the summer edition of the show. Colder weather is almost always better for attendance, interest and sales. We’ll probably try the show again in November, as the dates coordinate with our shows in Winnetka, IL and New York, NY.

In asking around, I mostly heard grumbling about the attendance. A few people did well enough to come back, including a dealer from Minnesota who especially wanted to support Chris Miller. Some people told me they won’t be returning.

Now we’re off for a couple of weeks before the big, important Baltimore Summer Antiques Show. It’s the biggest and best show of the summer, and one of the best of the year. It’s to the summer what the Original Miami Beach Antiques Show is to the winter. Buyers fly in from all over the world, including as far away as Japan. There are still great rooms available on Hotwire.com. Here are some hints. A 4-star hotel is available for $101/night. It’s probably the Hilton next door. A 4-star boutique hotel is available @ $114/night. That’s probably the Monaco Baltimore Hotel, a Kimpton hotel. A 3½-star hotel is available for $80/night. That’s probably the Sheraton, also next door. (I make no guarantees, just educated guesses.) Make your plans now to come to the show. You’ll love the show and you’ll love Baltimore.

This fine Handel 18″ diameter Black Bird lamp is a recent purchase

Setting up at the Kansas City Antiques Expo, July, 2014

Posted on July 31, 2014 by Philip Chasen

Monday’s post will be up by noon.

My booth is a long way from finished

Setup for the Kansas City Antiques Expo began yesterday at noon and will continue until 5 PM today. This is my first time at the new exhibition facility at the Holiday Inn KCI, near the airport. It’s a modern exhibition hall that nicely accommodates all the dealers. It’s an interesting mix, with several dealers from last week’s Denver Antiques Show, together with many new Midwest dealers and even lamp and glass dealers from Florida, Alan & Adele Grodsky.

Alan and Adele Grodsky have a booth full of Handel and Pairpoint lamps

I’ve got a gigantic booth, 40′ long. It’s very nice to work and display in a large booth. We’re not stepping all over each other during the setup and the final display won’t look crowded. I’m very pleased the way the booth is setting up.

One of the fine furniture dealers at the show

It’s surely worth a trip to the show from anywhere in the greater Kansas City area. Many of the dealers are strong with high-quality displays. Remember, it’s only a 2-day show that starts tomorrow, Friday, at 10 AM and ends at 6 PM on Saturday. Don’t come on Sunday, as the show will already be closed and we’ll be on our way back home. I’ll post the results on Monday.

We’re off for a couple of weeks and then on to the big, important Baltimore Summer Antiques Show. It’s the biggest and best show of the summer, and one of the best of the year. Consider it to be the summer version of the Original Miami Beach Antiques Show in February. Buyers fly in from all over the world, including as far away as Japan. No matter where you live, you should come. It’s that great and important. You’ll love the show and you’ll love Baltimore.

This fine Handel 18″ diameter Black Bird lamp is a recent purchase

The results of the Denver Antiques Show, July 25-27, 2014

Posted on July 28, 2014 by Philip Chasen

Saturday morning looking down the aisle from my booth

It’s Saturday afternoon at the Denver Antiques Show as I begin to write Monday’s post. The show opened to the public yesterday, Friday, July 25th, and will finish tomorrow, Sunday, July 27th, at 5 PM. It’s been slow to this point, with fairly light attendance, but we only need the right people to show up.

One of several Tiffany Favrile vases sold at the show

It’s been interesting to this point. I made a major sale to one of the exhibitors during the setup of the show, so I already sold enough to cover expenses and make the trip worthwhile. Business with the public has been quite slow since the show opened, with only two sales, which don’t come close to adding up to the pre-show sale. So is this a good show? Hard question to answer. Just looking at the numbers, it’s been good, but if I don’t sell much to the public, what does that mean? There’s still plenty of show left, so we’ll see what happens.

Sunday afternoon in my booth

UPDATE: SUNDAY, 5PM. The show is over. It’s been quite slow, with only three sales to the public. The third sale, which was quite decent, took place on Saturday, a short while after writing the first part of this blog. Nothing doing on Sunday, although several dealers I spoke to had their best day on Sunday. It wasn’t my turn.

We’ll be back next summer. The show was good enough if I include the sale to another dealer. Attendance was light throughout the show, with only fair interest and sales — far from a barn-burner, but still worth doing.

In asking around, I received the following, almost all positive, comments from other dealers. “I had a very good show, but not out of this world”, from a Midwest glass dealer. “Good, not great”, from a Midwest glass and watch dealer. “It was my best of the three shows I’ve done in Denver”, from a California dealer in glass and ceramics. An Iowa dealer in general merchandise told me “I did well”. “Fabulous” from a Minnesota dealer in dishes. A Midwest pottery dealer also said “Fabulous” and finally an Oklahoma dealer in silver and glass told me “I did OK”.

This week we’ll be at the KCI Expo Center at the airport Holiday Inn for the Kansas City Antiques Expo. It will open to the public this Friday, August 1st, at 10 AM. The show will only be open for two days, closing on Saturday, August 2nd, at 6 PM, and not open on Sunday — very unusual, so please make a note of it. Come and visit if you’re in the area and see a strong selection of fine exhibitors with high-quality displays that cover the range from silver, to paintings, to art, to bronze, to furniture, and finally to glass and lamps (me!).

This fine Handel 18″ diameter Black Bird lamp is a recent purchase

Setting up at the Denver Antiques Show, July, 2014

Posted on July 24, 2014 by Philip Chasen

July 25-27, 2014

Setup at the Denver Antiques Show was a 2-day affair, starting on Wednesday, July 23rd and finishing today, Thursday, July 24th. It’s gone smoothly, with easy access to the show floor. This time we have an unusual through-booth that is open on two sides, to two different aisles. We’ve had to change our setup to accommodate this new space, but it seems to work nicely.

The booth will look great when we’re finished setting up

The show opens to the public tomorrow, Friday, July 25th, at 10 AM and runs until Sunday, July 27th, at 5 PM. Hopefully attendance, interest and sales will be good so we can return. Tune in on Monday for the results of the show.

Last year, Saturday afternoon, in front of my booth

We’ve got lots of new items, so our display is substantially different. It includes a great assortment of Tiffany glass and lamps, Tiffany and French cameo glass, and assorted paintings, bronzes, etchings and other treasures.

We’ll have this killer Favrile lamp at the show

If you’re anywhere in the greater Denver area, come and visit the show! There are plenty of fine exhibitors with high-quality displays that cover the range from silver, to paintings, to art, to glass and lamps (me!).

Next week we’ll be in Kansas City for the Kansas City Antiques Expo at the KCI Expo Center, which will open to the public on Friday, August 1st. The show will only be two days, so it will close on Saturday, August 2nd at 6 PM and not be open on Sunday — very unusual, so mark it on your calendar. Make sure to come and visit if you’re in the area.

This rare R. Lalique Douze Figurines bottle just arrived

The Denver Antiques Show opens this Friday, July 25, 2014

Posted on July 21, 2014 by Philip Chasen

Thursday’s post will be up some time this afternoon.

July 25-27, 2014

The Denver Antiques Show opens to the public this Friday, July 25th, at 10 AM and runs until Sunday, July 27th, at 5 PM. It will be our third time there and hopefully will be the charm. It it goes poorly, we won’t return to Denver. It’s quite a trip from New York and will only be worthwhile if we can turn a decent profit. If you want the show to continue, please visit and consider making a purchase from anyone. Shows fail if they don’t attract enough dealers and exhibitors. The Chicago Summer Antique Show in Rosemont, IL, just failed and closed.

Last year, Saturday afternoon, in front of my booth

We’ve been quite successful buying recently, so our Denver display will have many items that are new to our inventory. That includes a great assortment of Tiffany glass and lamps, Tiffany and French cameo glass, and assorted paintings, etchings and other treasures.

We’ll have this killer Favrile lamp at the show

If you’re anywhere in the greater Denver area, I suggest you visit the show. There are plenty of fine exhibitors with high-quality displays that cover the range from silver, to paintings, to art, to glass and lamps (me!).

The following week we’ll be in Kansas City for the Kansas City Antiques Expo at the KCI Expo Center, which will open to the public on Friday, August 1st. The show will only be two days, so it will close on Saturday, August 2nd at 6 PM and not be open on Sunday — very unusual, so mark it on your calendar. Make sure to come and visit if you’re in the area.

This rare R. Lalique Douze Figurines bottle just arrived

Your antique ivory may be worth a lot less today because of changes to the Endangered Species Act

Posted on July 17, 2014 by Philip Chasen

The Obama Administration has proposed changes to the Endangered Species Act that for all practical purposes makes the sale or shipment of ivory, including antique ivory, illegal. It is possible to certify an individual object for sale or shipment, but it’s costly and difficult to prove. That means it’s not worth the trouble to certify a $250 ivory item, but it would be to certify a $50,000 Chiparus bronze and ivory statue from the 1920s. The new rules pertain to you, even if your grandmother bought the item in 1920 and you’ve had it in your family since that time.

Demetre Chiparus bronze and ivory Exotic Dancer sculpture

The purpose of the new regulations is noble, to protect poaching of African and Asian elephants, but the approach is so heavy-handed, it makes no sense. For instance, dealers who specialize in the sale of antique bronze and ivory figures from the Art Deco period by Demetre Chiparus and Ferdinand Preiss, will now have an exceptionally difficult time dealing in them. Each and every item will require a CITES (Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) certificate. The time and cost will be so onerous, that many established dealers will want to rethink their businesses. I don’t think the administration is trying to put legitimate antique dealers out of business, but they very well may do that.

Last week, bills were introduced into the House and the Senate to remove the proposed changes and allow time to rewrite them in a fairer way (Steve Daines (R-MT) (H.R. 5052) and Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) ( S. 2587 ). I suggest you contact your congressmen and senators to show your support of these bills. Following are links to help you.

Here is a link to the US Senators’ office phone numbers:

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Here is a link that lists all Representatives’ office phone numbers:

http://www.house.gov/representatives/

Doug Bandow wrote a good article on the topic on forbes.com. Here is the link.

Please refer this information to colleagues, friends and family and ask them to call their representatives. The more people who call, the more likely the bills will pass.

July 25-27, 2014

Our first show of the summer will be the Denver Antique Show, which will open to the public next Friday, July 25th. We’ll put together a great display with all of our new purchases. Make sure to come and visit us if you’re in the area.

This rare R. Lalique Douze Figurines bottle just arrived

Sotheby’s London sold the Treasures of the Dukes of Northumberland, July 9, 2014

Posted on July 14, 2014 by Philip Chasen

On July 9, 2014, Sotheby’s London held their Treasures Including Selected Works from the Collections of the Dukes of Northumberland sale, with stellar results. The sale grossed the highest-ever total for a decorative arts sale in London, £23,593,850 ($40,394,981) — very strong for a sale with only 57 lots. Many of the lots sold above their high estimates. 12 did not sell, making the average selling price for the 45 sold lots an impressive £524,308 ($897,666).

Marble sculpture of Aphrodite, Sotheby’s lot #17

Lot #17 was a Roman marble statue of Aphrodite from the 1st century A.D. It handily exceeded its high estimate of £6,000,000, to sell for £9,378,500 ($16,056,479), establishing a record for the highest auction price ever paid for a classical antiquity in Europe.

1790 English automaton, Sotheby’s lot #48

A wonderful, amusing George III musical automaton from 1790, almost 4′ tall, sold for the second highest price of the sale, £2,266,500 ($3,880,361), against a pre-sale estimate of £1,000,000 — £1,500,000. It was originally made for the Chinese market.

For the complete results of the sale, click here.

July 25-27, 2014

Our first show of the summer will be the Denver Antique Show, which will open to the public in less than two weeks, on July 25th. We’ll put together a great display with all of our new purchases. Make sure to come and visit us if you’re in the area.

This rare R. Lalique Douze Figurines bottle just arrived

Philip Chasen Antiques

The blog for chasenantiques.com

Tag Archives: Philip Chasen blog

How can you tell if an etching is authentic?

How to clean antique glass including Tiffany Studios Favrile and French Cameo Glass

The Baltimore Summer Antiques Fair opens next Thursday, August 21, 2014

The results of the Kansas City Antiques Expo, August 1-2, 2014

Setting up at the Kansas City Antiques Expo, July, 2014

The results of the Denver Antiques Show, July 25-27, 2014

Setting up at the Denver Antiques Show, July, 2014

The Denver Antiques Show opens this Friday, July 25, 2014

Your antique ivory may be worth a lot less today because of changes to the Endangered Species Act

Sotheby’s London sold the Treasures of the Dukes of Northumberland, July 9, 2014