Setting up at the Antiques + Modernism Winnetka show

Posted on October 17, 2013 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.

Our booth is taking shape

The Antiques + Modernism Winnetka show will open tonight with a preview party (whoopdee doo!). I’ve never been a fan of preview parties, but some are better than others, especially if the food and drink are good. I recall they’re pretty good in Winnetka.

Another exhibitor is putting the final touches on his booth

We moved our booth (again!). Our new location is called an end cap (open on three sides), in a very good location. Last year we were in the gymnasium, that many people never found. Our new booth is a little small and cramped, but still nice.

I hope many of our greater Chicago clients come and visit us at the show, especially since the Arlington Racetrack show is no more. We’ll see how the show goes and report about it in my Monday blog. The show looks great, with a nice variety of high-quality exhibitors. I’ve brought some really fine items that I’ve recently purchased, so I encourage you to come and visit!

Next week we’re off to Overland Park, KS to exhibit at the Overland Park Antique Show in the International Trade Center. The show will be open to the public from Friday, October 25th – Sunday, October 27th. It will be our first time there and hopefully it will go well. If it does, we’ll exhibit there again next summer, on the way to the Denver show, the following week.

Wonderful 12″ Daum rain scenic vase, just in

Click here to view my 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.

A Swiss air show adventure at the top of a mountain

Posted on October 14, 2013 by Philip Chasen

If you follow my blog, you know that we were in Parma, Italy to attend a huge antiques fair, at the invitation of the Italy-America Chamber of Commerce Southeast (IACC) and the Fiere di Parma. After the show, we decided to take a side trip to Switzerland — land of the Alps and infinite scenic beauty.

The peak is 30 minutes away. Look for the white porta potties at the top, in the distance

Trying to figure out what to do on our trip, I searched the Internet and found out there would be a Swiss air show nearby on the dates we would be in Switzerland. Did you know Switzerland has an active military? I didn’t. Everyone’s heard of Swiss Army knives, but that was just a name. Why do they need a military? They never fight any wars. They guard the pope, but I didn’t think they do anything else. Seems like a good job to join the Swiss military, knowing you’re never going to fight in a war. However, domestic search and rescue, as well as peacekeeping missions around the world, are part of their job.

The show was scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, October 9th and 10th. The concierge at our hotel called to get information and found out we could go on Tuesday, October 8th. It was a practice day for the show, unadvertised, but still the same show. Great! We went.

The crowd at the peak is awaiting the start of the show

All we would have to do is get to the top of the Axalp mountain. No problem! The road to Axalp was closed on Wednesday and Thursday, but not on Tuesday. So off we drove up a winding mountain road to the Axalp. Everyone was prepared for a crowd, even on Tuesday. We had to pay 12 Swiss francs (CHF) to park. (They don’t use the euro in Switzerland.) Then we stopped for some breakfast in a lovely local restaurant, and proceeded to the chair lift, also 12 CHF each. You see how easy it is to get to the top? They even gave us free Swiss Army caps for the cold at the top and ear plugs for the jet noise. The chair lift was a long ride, so how far could the top be?

The show in underway

We reached the end of the chair lift about 15 minutes later to find we still had a hike of 90 minutes to get to the top. Nobody bothered to give us any details. In the US, trails are usually marked easy, moderate, or difficult. In Switzerland, there are mountains everywhere, so they don’t bother much with trails or markings. You’re Swiss, mountains are a way of life, so get on with it. By the way, what is the next designation after difficult? There was no path, nothing flat, nothing smooth. We were in the clouds at that elevation and the grassy surface was getting muddy, making it even more difficult to climb. After 30 minutes or so, the terrain changed from moderate to steep. We had to stop every few steps to recover because of the altitude and because we weren’t in shape. It was exhausting, with no guarantee there would even be a show. If the fog didn’t clear, there would be no show. I had confidence the overhead sun would burn off the fog by the 2 PM start time. At around 7000 feet, some blue sky appeared and then the weather got better. By the time we reached the summit (which took us 3 hours!!), we had a spectacular view. We were above the clouds, sitting in a mountain meadow, looking at the Alps. There was a concession stand and portable toilets at the top — pretty classy.

Gorgeous!

The announcer (they were set up with loudspeakers) told us we could set our watches for 2 PM, for the first flyby. True to his word, the first jet streaked by at 2:00 PM. The show was underway and it was great fun. The announcer thoughtfully made some announcements in English. After 30 minutes, the fog rolled back in and then it seemed we switched from fog to clear every 10 minutes. The 90-minute show was cut short, but at least we got to see some of it.

Lia is having a tough time on the way down

Now for the good part — going down. If we thought going up was difficult, it was a piece of cake compared to going down. Now we were completely in the clouds. The condensation was dripping from my hair. The path down was even more slippery. Lia fell a few times and was so miserable, she almost cried. One Swiss gentleman saw Lia’s distress and insisted on helping her down the entire climb to the chair lift. I insisted on buying beers for everyone, including the gentleman and his two friends.

We were in the middle of the clouds on the way down

That was it for the mountain, the Swiss air show, and Switzerland. Lia had had enough. She wanted out, so we left a day early to return to Italy. Switzerland is a beautiful place, with great people, but it was time to leave. It’s also very expensive. A New York $20 Thai lunch was $60 in Switzerland.

Now we’re off to Chicago to exhibit at the Winnetka Community House, this Friday to Sunday, October 18-20. The show opens to the public at 11 AM on Friday and continues until 5 PM on Sunday. We recently bought some great items, all of which we’ll have at the show, so please come and visit!

Wonderful 12″ Daum rain scenic vase, just in

Norman Rockwell painting, The Song of Bernadette, to be sold at Heritage Auctions’ Illustration Art Signature ® auction, October 26, 2013

Posted on October 10, 2013 by Philip Chasen

Norman Rockwell’s The Song of Bernadette, Heritage lot #78138

Heritage Auctions’ will hold their Illustration Art Signature ® auction on October 26, 2013. Included in the sale will be Norman Rockwell’s famous painting The Song of Bernadette, which was originally commissioned to publicize the 1945 movie of the same name, starring Jennifer Jones. It is one of Rockwell’s most reproduced works. The painting is expected to be the top lot of the sale, selling for millions.

Jesse Wilcox Smith’s A Child’s Prayer, Heritage lot #78153

Other important artists included in the sale will be J.C. Leyendecker, Jessie Willcox Smith, Stevan Dohanos, Dean Cornwell, Gil Elvgren and Alberto Vargas.

Gil Elvgren’s Lucky Dog, Heritage lot #78071

Gil Elvgren’s works are usually met with enthusiasm and spirited bidding. Lot #78071 will feature Elvgren’s 1958 painting, Lucky Dog, considered by many to be one of his best. It is likely to exceed its pre-sale estimate of $50,000 – $75,000.

For more information on the sale, click here.

Wonderful 12″ Daum rain scenic vase, just in

A visit to the Parma Merchant’s Fair, October 3-5, 2013

Posted on October 7, 2013 by Philip Chasen

Loading in at the Parma show at the Thursday opening

To say the least, this has been a memorable trip, with some nice highs and some unpleasant lows. If you follow my blog, you know that I was invited to attend the Mercanteinfiera Parma (Parma Merchant’s Fair), which included airfare and hotel. It opened to dealers only on Thursday, October 3rd. Basically it’s a unique combination of the Brimfield and Miami Beach shows. As in Brimfield, the exhibitors unload and set up at the same time outside dealers wander about. As in Miami, the show is indoors and opens to the public after the first two days of setup.

Lia is in front of a fabulous garden display at the show

The show is very large, with about 1,000 exhibitors, spread out over three huge buildings. That may sound gigantic, but it’s my understanding the show used to be even larger a few years ago, filling six buildings. I suppose that’s why the fair is sponsoring outside dealers to attend the show. That would be great if an American city were to do the same thing for its big shows, like Miami Beach, but the odds of that happening are just about nil.

An amazing 8′ tall building model, sold at the show

Unfortunately, we had a couple of nasty problems, the worst of which was losing our passports. What grief! We had to spend all day Friday driving to and from the American Consulate in Milan to get emergency passports. That made it impossible to visit the show on Friday. Then amazingly on Saturday, we received a call from the police department in Milan, notifying us that our passports were found. What great news! What terrible timing! If only they had called the day before. Regardless, we were thrilled to get back our portfolio and made whole again. The portfolio contained our passports, some documents and a SIM card for my phone. Phew!

Need a litter for an aristocrat in your family?

Shopping the show was interesting. Our main focus was to buy good quality French glass by Daum or Gallé, but that proved impossible. We did find some Gallé and Daum, but none were the quality or the price we were looking for. Everything I already have in inventory is better quality and priced better than what we found. So what did we buy? A 1960s Pan Am model airplane; a beautifully painted enamel on copper plaque of Leda and the Swan; a wonderful Sandoz ceramic fish; a period glass Coca-Cola tray; and five 1920s German bisque naughty dolls — not what you expect to find in our booth at a show, but different and interesting.

A similar German bisque bathing beauty to the five we purchased

Now for the story of the German naughties. We were running out of time on Saturday, our last day at the show. We found a booth with five 1920s German bisque naughty dolls, with original wigs and clothing. They were all in amazingly good condition, except for minor damage to one. Lia paid $2,000 for a similar one a few months back, so we asked the price. We were prepared to pay $1,200 for one. The dealer said he wanted to sell them as a group. How much, you ask? $550!!! I couldn’t believe it was for the whole group, but it was. Dealers clearly remember every single time they make a score and this was one of them. Lia was on a high for hours. Fortunately for her and unfortunately for me, Lia collects them, so the profit will not be realized for a long time.

Wonderful 12″ Daum rain scenic vase, just in

Chasen Antiques has a new website!

Posted on September 30, 2013 by Philip Chasen

I’m writing this blog on the balcony of my lovely hotel on the island of Capri, Italy. My beautiful wife is with me, the waiter brought a tray with a bottle of local white wine, pistachio nuts, cashews, olives and crackers. The weather is perfect; the view is amazing; and the day is perfect. So what am I doing? I’m writing my blog. Is that dedication or am I nuts? You decide.

Back to business. As most of you know, I’ve been working on redesigning my entire website. I’ve asked you to check it out while it was in beta mode, but now it’s a done deal. Please take a look and let me know if you think it’s an improvement or if it needs some work. There also may still be some bugs, which I hope you’ll tell me about. http://chasenantiques.com I’ve added many new items for sale and will be adding many more. Just give me a little time until we get back from Italy. We’ll be attending the fair in a few days, so I’m hopeful we’ll be successful in buying a few nice items.

Plaster casts of some of the bodies recovered from the ruins of Pompeii

In the meantime, we have to investigate the Amalfi coast, which includes Sorrento, Positano, and Amalfi. The ruins of Pompeii were special.

Wonderful 12″ Daum rain scenic vase, just in

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

Three Norman Rockwell masterpieces coming to auction at Sotheby’s New York on December 4, 2013

Posted on September 24, 2013 by Philip Chasen

Norman Rockwell painting, Saying Grace

Sotheby’s New York will hold their American Art auction on December 4, 2013, including seven works by famed American illustrator, Norman Rockwell. Saying Grace, his cover for the November 24, 1951 issue of Saturday Evening Post, is expected to be the star of the group, with a pre-sale estimate of $15 million – $20 million. It depicts a Mennonite family saying prayers in a restaurant. It was voted a fan favorite in a poll of Saturday Evening Post readers.

Norman Rockwell painting, Breaking Home Ties

All of the works were the property of Kenneth J. Stuart Sr., who was the longtime art director of the Saturday Evening Post. Mr. Rockwell gifted him many paintings. For the last 20 years, they’ve been on loan to the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Unfortunately for the museum, the new owner’s gains will be the museum’s losses. Some famous and fabulously wealthy clients collect Norman Rockwell’s works, including George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Ross Perot and Alice Walton (of Walmart fame). They (and others) could easily break the Rockwell world record of $15.4 million, set at Sotheby’s in 2006, with the sale of Breaking Home Ties.

Norman Rockwell painting, The Gossips

The Gossips is expected to realize the second best price of the group. It depicts 15 pairs of people animatedly talking to each other. The inspiration for the painting came from a rumor that was circulating in his hometown of Arlington, Vermont, about the artist himself. Notice the first lady (upper left) is the same as the last lady (lower right). That’s Rockwell himself (bottom row, in the grey hat) chewing her out. Each person appears twice — first hearing the rumor and then turning around and spreading it. The moral of the story is “Don’t piss off a famous artist”.

Norman Rockwell painting, Walking to Church

The third Rockwell masterpiece is Walking to Church. It will carry a pre-sale estimate of $3 million – $5 million.

If you follow my blog, you know that Lia and I will be leaving shortly for Italy to attend the antiques fair in Parma, courtesy of the Italy-America Chamber of Commerce Southeast and the Fiere di Parma. As a result, there won’t be a Thursday post this week. I’ll do my best to post from Italy next Monday, with a few local photos.

My new, totally redesigned website is almost ready for prime time. Click here to view it. Then look around, try the links and use the site as you normally would. I need your reactions, so don’t be bashful. Please write to me and let me know what you think! philchasen@gmail.com or use the CONTACT form on the site. I expect there are bugs, which I hope you’ll let me know about. We’ll fix all the problems and then roll out the new site. Thanks!!!

Wonderful 12″ Daum rain scenic vase, just in

Sotheby’s may sell its Manhattan headquarters

Posted on September 19, 2013 by Philip Chasen

Sotheby’s York Ave. headquarters in NYC

Sotheby’s has hired two real estate firms to explore the possibility of a sale of their Manhattan headquarters. The first firm, Eastdil Secured, will look for potential buyers. The second firm, Jones Lang LaSalle, will search for a site to relocate.

Selling their Manhattan headquarters will not be new. After first purchasing the building in 1979, they were forced to sell it in 2002, after the collusion debacle with Christie’s. Sotheby’s continued to occupy the York Ave. building by leasing it back from the purchaser, RFR Holding LLC. Then in 2009 they bought the building back from RFR, after a substantial improvement in business. The pressure to sell now may be coming from Marcato Capital Management LLC, Third Point LLC, and Trian Fund Management LP, who collectively purchased 15% of Sotheby’s shares. They expect a sale would allow Sotheby’s to increase dividends and buy back shares.

Chelsea, New York City

So where would Sotheby’s move? Chelsea is one possibility because of the concentration of art dealers. Personally I’ll be sad wherever they move. York Ave. is far from midtown and very convenient. Christie’s move to Rockefeller Center made every move by car very difficult.

My new, totally redesigned website is almost ready for prime time. Click here to view it. Then look around, try the links and use the site as you normally would. I need your reactions, so don’t be bashful. Please write to me and let me know what you think! philchasen@gmail.com or use the CONTACT form on the site. I expect there are more than a few bugs, which I hope you’ll let me know about. We’ll fix all the problems and then roll out the new site. Thanks!!!

Wonderful Daum Nancy scenic blownout vase, in rare purple variation, just in

You might be eligible for a free round trip flight and hotel in Parma, Italy

Posted on September 16, 2013 by Philip Chasen

Parma is in the north of Italy

Parma, Italy is host to a huge, biannual antiques fair, every October and March. Known as Mercanteinfiera Parma (Parma Merchant’s Fair), the fair accommodates over 1000 dealers, in several buildings on the site. To put that into perspective, that’s more than twice the size of The Original Miami Beach Antiques Show. Many dealers travel long distances to exhibit there, from all over Europe. Over 50,000 people attend each fair, with the first two days for dealers only.

A partial view of one of the fair buildings

In order to introduce American dealers to the Parma Fair, the Italy-America Chamber of Commerce Southeast (IACC), together with the Fiere di Parma organize a U.S. buyer’s delegation. Their Hospitality Program includes free round trip airfare, 4-star hotel accommodations for four nights, transfers, admission to the fair, interpreting services, and a tour of Parma. To the best of my knowledge, you just have to be an active, bona fide antiques or modern dealer. They’re interested in bringing over dealers who will shop the show and likely make purchases. That’s all there is to it. You can add a partner or additional days to your trip (at your expense). You just have to arrive and leave from any cities in Italy. It’s too late for this October, but not for next March. Apply to Francesca Tanti by emailing her at tanti@iacc-miami.com.

An aerial view of Piazza Garibaldi in Parma

So did you guess? Lia and I are going to the Parma show this October, courtesy of IACC. We’ve added a few days to our trip for R&R, so it should be fun. I’ll write a blog after we return to let you know about our trip and the show.

My new, totally redesigned website isn’t quite ready for prime time, but it’s ready for testing. Click here to view my new site. Then look around, try the links and use the site as you normally would. I need your reactions, so don’t be bashful. Please write to me and let me know what you think! philchasen@gmail.com or use the CONTACT form on the site. I expect there are more than a few bugs, which I hope you’ll let me know about. We’ll fix all the problems and then roll out the new site. Thanks!!!

Wonderful Daum Nancy scenic blownout vase, in rare purple variation, just in

Heritage Auction to hold historic Pierre-Auguste Renoir auction, September 19, 2013

Posted on September 9, 2013 by Philip Chasen

On September 19, 2013, Heritage Auctions will hold a sale entitled The Unknown Renoir, which will include fascinating memorabilia and personal artifacts. The 143-lot sale will include letters to and from Renoir, personal items, drawings, documents, and original plasters, to name a few. I suspect that some of the estimates will be blown away by enthusiastic bidders.

Original Renoir plaster, Grande Vénus Victorieuse, Heritage lot #89115

Heritage expects the top lot of the sale to be #89115, an original plaster, which is not copyright protected. Entitled Grande Vénus Victorieuse (Large Victorious Venus), the pre-sale estimate is $900,000 – $1,000,000. Whoever buys this lot will legally be able to cast it in bronze. If it’s done right, it could be quite remunerative, and surely interesting. Several other copyright protected, original plasters will also be in the sale, at significantly lower estimates in the $30,000 – $40,000 price range. They cannot be legally reproduced without permission from the copyright holder.

Lot of 56 original Renoir copper plates, Heritage lot #89109

Another lot that will likely lead to a flood of new Renoir etchings is #89109, 56 original copper plates. New etchings from original plates fall into a gray area. If they’re represented accurately, they’re worth a lot less than with a Renoir signature. The temptation to have a forger sign them will be difficult to resist.

Handwritten letter from Claude Monet to Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Heritage lot #89081

Lot #89081 is a really cool handwritten letter from Claude Monet to Renoir, dated February 16, 1914, thanking Renoir for his condolence note on the death of Monet’s son, Jean Monet, at the age of 46 — pretty amazing letter. My guess is the pre-sale estimate of $7,000 – $9,000 is conservative.

For the complete catalog, click here. You’ll find many of the lots intriguing.

Don’t have any shows for several weeks, so I’m devoting more time to updating my site. I’ve already listed about 10 new Tiffany, Daum, and Gallé vases. Click here to take a look. Then look for my totally redesigned website, with many changes and improvements, coming sooner than later. Can’t wait to show you and get your reaction!

Wonderful Daum Nancy scenic blownout vase, in rare purple variation, just in

What’s new at Philip Chasen Antiques?

Posted on September 2, 2013 by Philip Chasen

Wonderful Tiffany floriform vase, sold after the Baltimore show

First a short follow-up to the Baltimore Summer Antiques Fair. Not only was the show a success, but it got even better afterward. I made a sale to a gentleman who was considering purchasing a major Tiffany vase at the show, but didn’t make up his mind until a couple of days afterward. Another gentleman, who had seen a French dueling gun set in my booth, called to buy it. Unfortunately for him (and for me), I had already sold it at the show. Follow-up show sales are few and far between, so it was very gratifying to hear from these two gentlemen.

Beautiful, rare, red Tiffany Favrile vase, just in

I had some good luck buying recently, including several Tiffany Favrile, Daum and Gallé vases. Of the Tiffany vases, a 5¾” red example, with a great shape, was one of the better buys. It’s really red, not orange, like some of the less desirable examples.

Just look at the great color and detail of this Daum Nancy fall scenic tumbler

One of my fine Daum Nancy purchases was a fall scenic tumbler. I love Daum fall scenic vases because of their great color and detail. This 4¾” square tumbler has vivid color.

Galle 9¼” berry blownout vase

A fine blownout vase with blue berries was one of my better Galle purchases. Galle blownout vases are rarer than standard cameo vases and as such are very desirable and easy to sell. Collectors from all over the world enjoy them.

Wonderful Daum Nancy scenic blownout vase, in rare purple variation, just in

Philip Chasen Antiques

The blog for chasenantiques.com

Tag Archives: Philip Chasen blog

Setting up at the Antiques + Modernism Winnetka show

A Swiss air show adventure at the top of a mountain

Norman Rockwell painting, The Song of Bernadette, to be sold at Heritage Auctions’ Illustration Art Signature ® auction, October 26, 2013

A visit to the Parma Merchant’s Fair, October 3-5, 2013

Chasen Antiques has a new website!

Three Norman Rockwell masterpieces coming to auction at Sotheby’s New York on December 4, 2013

Sotheby’s may sell its Manhattan headquarters

You might be eligible for a free round trip flight and hotel in Parma, Italy

Heritage Auction to hold historic Pierre-Auguste Renoir auction, September 19, 2013

What’s new at Philip Chasen Antiques?