What’s new at Philip Chasen Antiques?

Posted on June 22, 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.

Important Daum Nancy Impressionist vase

We haven’t exhibited at any shows since the Chicago Botanic Garden in mid-April, so I’ve directed a lot of my energy to buying for the summer shows, the Denver World Wide Antique Show, July 24-26, 2015, and the Baltimore Summer Antiques Fair, August 20-23, 2015. We were successful both in France and in the US, so here are a few of the newest and most interesting purchases. I’ll be spending time this week and next adding as many new items to my website as possible. Keep checking back.

Fine, rare Tiffany Favrile red vase

I bought a pair of rare and very desirable 7″ Tiffany red vases. I’ve known where they were for the last couple of years, but the dealer who owned them couldn’t sell them, because he insisted on selling them as a pair. The Tiffany numbers are very close to each other, indicating they were probably made on the same day. I have no problem selling them individually or as a pair. It’s not like a pair of candlesticks that were meant to stay together. On any given day, Tiffany produced a run of consecutively numbered vases that were meant to be sold individually. These red vases are no different.

Fantastic Austrian bronze novelty lamp

I just bought this incredible Austrian bronze novelty lamp, 11½” tall. It was probably designed by Bergman, because this is the quality he created. The condition is superb, with original colored glass windows. Haven’t had anything this wonderful in Austrian bronze in quite some time.

Fine Daum Nancy Peacock Feather vase

Daum Peacock Feather vases are deceptively sophisticated. Most of the work on the vase is standard acid-etching, but not the centers of the feathers. The light blue and dark blue glass was applied when the glass was molten, then pressed into the vase on the marver. The process is called padding, which makes for special vases. I get one or two Peacock Feather vases yearly and they sell very quickly. This example is almost 12″ tall. (The vase is not in yet, so please excuse the quality of the photo. I’ll post a better one after the vase has arrived).

There’s lots more coming in in the next couple of weeks, including two important Daum Nancy Blackbird vases, two large Tiffany Favrile Jack-in-the-Pulpit vases, two Gallé Magnolia vases and lots more. Keep checking my site, as I will be updating it daily.

Click here to check my website for the latest items and to look around. We’re still very much in business between shows, so please don’t hesitate to email or call. 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.

French cameo and Loetz glass sell well at Bonhams New York 20th Century Decorative Arts sale, June 11, 2015

Posted on June 15, 2015 by Philip Chasen

Bonhams New York held a 20th Century Decorative Arts sale on June 11, 2015. Included were a few nice examples of French cameo and Loetz glass. As a group, they performed very well.

Fine Daum Nancy Cyclamen vase, Bonhams lot #27

Lot #27 was a lovely 12″ Daum Nancy vase with cyclamen flowers and gilding. It almost doubled its high estimate of $5,000 to realize $11,875.

Fantastic Loetz vase, Bonhams lot #29

A really great Loetz vase was sold as lot #29. It brought $43,750 — almost double its high estimate of $18,000. The vase was big, fabulous and rare, so there was no question it was going to do well.

Reproduction “Galle” lamp, Bonham’s lot #23

Unfortunately, Bonham’s also sold lot #23 as an authentic Gallé lamp. In my opinion, there was no question the lamp was a reproduction. I told the expert in charge, who decided to disregard my counsel. The lamp did not sell.

All prices include the buyer’s premium.

For the complete results of the sale, click here.

No shows until July, when we’ll be in Denver for the Denver World Wide Antique Show, at the Denver Mart, EXPO Building, 451 East 58th Avenue, July 24-26, 2015. We’re still in business, so please don’t hesitate to email or call. Keep checking my website for the latest offerings, which I’ll be posting in the next week.

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.

Good results for Tiffany Studios lamps at Christie’s Design sale, June 10, 2015

Posted on June 11, 2015 by Philip Chasen

Christie’s New York held their Design sale yesterday, June 10, 2015, with total sales of $7,687,750 for the 213 lots offered. Included in the sale were several Tiffany Studios lamps that sold well as a group.

Tiffany Studios 22″ diameter Peony floor lamp, Christie’s lot #14

The top lot of the Tiffany lamps was #14, a 22″ diameter Peony floor lamp that sold for $161,000, against a pre-sale estimate of $80,000 – $120,000.

Tiffany Studios 20″ diameter Dragonfly table lamp, Christie’s lot #11

Flying well past its pre-sale estimate of $60,000 – $80,000 was an unusual 20″ Dragonfly table lamp, Christie’s lot #11. It had nicely colored dragonflies against a pastel sky-blue, mottled background, with non-jeweled eyes, two amber geometric bands near the rim and amber jewels in the background. The shade rested on a twisted vine base, all with an original gold doré finish. I couldn’t decide if I liked it or not, but I was going to buy it if the price were low. Alas, that wasn’t the case. It realized $125,000.

All prices include the buyer’s premium.

For the complete results of the sale, click here.

The market in French glass is excellent. Thank you for asking.

Posted on June 8, 2015 by Philip Chasen

We sold this important Argy-Rousseau pâte-de-verre vase in Miami

I’ve been dealing in French cameo glass for over 40 years, so I have a pretty good handle on what’s going on. My conclusion is that the market is alive and well. The anecdotal evidence is all around. Let’s start with the first big show of the year, the Original Miami Beach Antiques Show. Here’s a quote from my blog of February 4, 2015. “French cameo glass continued on fiyah! (that’s fire for those who need translation). I cannot think of another show, ever, where more cameo glass was sold, not just by me, but by all the dealers.”

This important Gallé marquetry vase, Sur Socle Grand Iris, sold at Sotheby’s in Paris for $476,325

Auction after auction has resulted in strong sales for good examples of French glass. Just last week a fine Gallé artistic vase sold for almost half a million dollars at Sotheby’s in Paris.

I sold this killer Daum Nancy farm scenic vase recently

Personally, business has been wonderful. In fact, it hasn’t been this good since the late 1980s, when Japanese buyers dominated the market. Markets go up and they go down, so it’s refreshing to see the resilience of the French glass market.

No shows until July, when we’ll be in Denver for the Denver World Wide Antique Show, at the Denver Mart, EXPO Building, 451 East 58th Avenue, July 24-26, 2015. I’ll always be in touch, even while we’re in Europe, so please don’t hesitate to email or call.

Artistic Gallé vase sells for $476,325 at Sotheby’s Paris, May 21, 2015

Posted on June 4, 2015 by Philip Chasen

Sotheby’s Paris held their Design 20e Siècle (20th Century Design) sale on May 21, 2015, with some dramatic results. Sales totaled €7,093,775 ($7,776,768) for the 163 lots offered, with a sell-through rate of 90%.

Important Gallé marquetry vase,Sur Socle Grand Iris, Sotheby’s lot #8

Original Gallé invoice

The sale started with a private French collection of important Gallé vases. Lot #8, an outstanding 12½” marquetry vase entitled Sur Socle Grand Iris (Large Iris on Stand) led the group. It sold for €435,000 ($476,325), against a pre-sale estimate of €200,000 — €300,000. It came with an original 1904 invoice mentioning the vase. How cool is that!

Gallé undersea vase, Sotheby’s lot #5

Coming in second in the Gallé group was another important vase, lot #5, 5″ tall, with molded and applied undersea decoration. It easily exceeded its high estimate of €30,000 to reach €60,000 ($65,700).

For the complete results of the sale, click here.

An eventful day in Nancy, France, May 28, 2015

Posted on June 1, 2015 by Philip Chasen

France’s TGV

Last Thursday, I traveled from Paris to Nancy, a journey of 3 hours, 40 minutes by car, but only 1 hour, 30 minutes by high-speed TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse). What a shame we don’t have such a rail system in the US. It’s really fabulous. But I digress.

The grave of Emile Gallé, his wife, and his son

I went to see a friend/colleague who I hoped would have some nice French glass to sell to me. After a lovely lunch in town, he took me on a short, but fascinating tour. The first stop was on a peculiar street, with a nondescript cement wall along one entire side of the block. I assumed we were entering his housing development through the single door in the wall, but was instead astonished to find we were in a cemetery. At least until he took me to the first grave. My jaw almost dropped. I was standing in front of the grave of Emile Gallé, his wife, and his son. I knew Gallé died in 1904 but didn’t realize he was only 58. It was the simplest of graves, neglected and fairly rundown. I was honored to be standing there, but saddened. I asked my friend to buy some small ivy plants to fill in the voids. I’ll encourage him until it’s done.

The family grave of Louis Majorelle

That wasn’t the end of this cemetery. Many famous French artists, decorators, and sculptors were buried there, including the Daum Brothers and family, and Louis Majorelle and family — a cemetery with the rock stars of French decorative arts. You would never know from the outside.

Incredible Daum rose bowl with Dandelion decoration

Then back to business. In two stops, I was able to buy 12 vases. Not a bad day’s work. A couple of hours later and I was back in Paris where my honey awaited me.

We were supposed to arrive home yesterday, after a month in France (and Spain), but our flight was canceled. We’re probably en route as you read this. It was lovely to travel and just as lovely to go home. We had a great trip, both personally and businesswise. We bought some amazing glass, which I’ve just started to list. More in the next few days.

Good results at Sotheby’s The Warshawsky Collection: Masterworks of Tiffany and Prewar Design sale, May 19, 2015

Posted on May 25, 2015 by Philip Chasen

On May 19, 2015, Sotheby’s New York sold a one-owner collection, The Warshawsky Collection: Masterworks of Tiffany and Prewar Design, which included 90 lots of outstanding Tiffany Studios objects. Only 2 of the 90 lots failed to sell. Sales totaled $7,951,125 for the 138 lots offered.

Tiffany Studios Oriental Poppy floor lamp, Sotheby’s lot #36

The top lot of the sale was #36, a beautiful Oriental Poppy floor lamp. It topped $1 million, with a final sale price of $1,066,000, including buyer’s premium, against a pre-sale estimate of $400,000 – $600,000.

This rare Tiffany Studios Peacock frame, Sotheby’s lot #2, sold for $40,000, against a pre-sale estimate of $5,000 – $7,000

The sale started strongly, with frames and lamp screens selling for ridiculously high prices. Then reality set in and the sale lost a little steam, with some lots selling at or below their low estimates.

Tiffany Studios Grapevine frame, Sotheby’s lot #85

A bizarre result was the sale of a medium-sized Tiffany Grapevine frame, lot #85, a common frame that I ordinarily sell for $2,500 – $3,500. It sold for the extraordinary price of $22,500, against a pre-sale estimate of $1,200 – $1,800. Whaaattt??? Some people have more cents than sense. Where are those clients when I need them?

Tiffany Studios advertising sign, Sotheby’s lot #87

One of the more amusing results came with the sale of an original Tiffany Studios bronze advertising plaque. It brought an incredible $20,000, against a pre-sale estimate of $800 – $1,200.

For the complete results of the sale, click here.

We’re now in Lyon, seeking treasures, then back to Paris for a few days before returning home.

Louis Icart oil paintings sell well at DuMouchelle’s, May 17, 2015

Posted on May 21, 2015 by Philip Chasen

Icart oil painting Devant Le Feu, Dumouchelle lot #2051

The market for Louis Icart etchings has been weak for years, but that weakness did not extend to the sale of three Louis Icart oil paintings in DuMouchelle’s three-day general auction, May 15-17, 2015. The first of the three paintings, lot #2051, entitled Devant Le Feu (In Front of the Fire), came to the auction block with a fair estimate of $7,000 – $10,000. It almost doubled its low estimate, selling for $14,400, including buyer’s premium.

Icart oil painting Satyre, Satyr, DuMouchelle lot #2052

The next lot was the second Icart oil painting, entitled Satyre, Satyr (sp?), with a strong estimate of $15,000 – $20,000 (but it was the largest at 32″ x 25½”). It sold at the low estimate, yielding $18,000, including buyer’s premium.

Icart oil painting, untitled, DuMouchelle lot #2053

The best result came from the third Icart oil painting, of ballerinas (the best in my opinion). It doubled its low estimate of $7,000, to sell for $16,800, including buyer’s premium.

DuMouchelle’s is one of the few auction galleries that doesn’t post the results of previous sales, so there will be no link to the results of the sale.

In the meantime, we’re still in Paris looking for more treasures. I will do my best to find some time to post some of these purchases on my website, but so far it’s been difficult.

A visit to Barcelona, May 10-14, 2015

Posted on May 18, 2015 by Philip Chasen

Having never been to Barcelona, we left Paris for a few days to visit. Rather than fly, we traveled by high speed rail on a TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse), which has a top speed of almost 200 mph. It was a lovely way to travel, except for the lack of wifi. 6½ hours later we were in Barcelona’s city center.

The Sagrada Familia is still under construction

It’s a lovely city, cleaner than most, very organized and quite civil. Surprisingly to me, Catalan is the preferred written language. The impact of Antoni Gaudi, the genius architect, is everywhere. All of the top sites in the city were designed by Gaudi. His influence is so pervasive, they should rename the city Gaudi.

A panoramic view of the interior of the Sagrada Familia

At the top of everyone’s list of must-see places is the Sagrada Familia (Sacred Family) – Gaudi’s masterpiece cathedral, on which he spent the last 40 years of his life. Gaudi died in 1926, at the age of 73, having been struck by a tram. He never saw his cathedral completed but knew he never would. Work continues to this present day, with a hoped-for completion by 2026, the 100th anniversary of his death. It’s an extraordinary place, which is why it receives almost 3 million visitors a year and is Spain’s most-visited tourist destination.

That’s me on the roof of the Casa Batlló

Having dealt in Art Nouveau objects all of my adult life, I couldn’t wait to see Gaudi’s Art Nouveau masterpieces. At the top of my list was the Casa Batlló. What a place! Not one single straight line in the entire building, inside or out. Photos do not do it justice. Every single detail, down to the brass handles on the windows, was meticulously designed by Gaudi. We spent a very enjoyable couple of hours at his tour de force.

Palau de la Música

An evening of flamenco at the impressive Palau de la Música was captivating. Designed in the Catalan modernista style, it was built between 1905 and 1908. Try to see anything there on your visit to Barcelona.

paella Paella was another story. We tried twice to find good paella. Once we relied on the recommendation of the concierge at our hotel. Bad choice. The place was a tourist trap and the paella was awful. Next I used the Internet to find the “10 best places for paella” in Barcelona. Another bad choice – not as bad as the concierge’s, but far from good. Oh well, at least the search took us to some interesting places.

Now we’re back in Paris, scouring the shops and the markets looking for more treasures. It’s harder than it used to be, but we were still able to find our share. Not many people get to visit Paris regularly for business. We’re lucky.

Shopping for antiques in Paris

Posted on May 11, 2015 by Philip Chasen

The Louvre des Antiquaires

A depressing look down one of the aisles of the Louvre des Antiquaires, with all the shops closed

Upon arriving back in Paris for the first time in a year, we visited some old stomping grounds. First up was the Louvre des Antiquaires, purportedly closed. Well not quite yet. Our visit showed it was open, but barely. Almost every shop was closed, except for a select few. In its heyday, the center was bustling with activity. Getting a shop there required buying out someone’s existing lease with key money, usually hundreds of thousands of dollars. What a depressing difference!

Rue des Rosiers, the main street of the flea markets

Next up were the flea markets near Porte de Clignancourt – disappointing, but not depressing like the Louvre des Antiquaires. In its heyday, much of the business was done in the middle of the night, with flashlights. The action started early, with fierce competition for the best merchandise. Nowadays, the pace is much slower. The flea markets have clients milling about, but there is no frenetic competition. Many of the dealers I knew have retired, leaving very few to do business with.

Wonderful Daum vase with two applied and wheel-carved dragonflies

The trip wasn’t a waste. I was still able to buy some goodies from a few dealers, some of whom hid their best items. If they don’t know you, you’ll never see them. I’ll start to list some of them on my site as soon as I get a little time.

Now off to Barcelona for a few days – a city I’ve never visited, but have heard lots about. Of prime interest will be the Art Nouveau architectural masterpieces of Antoni Gaudi. We’ll also check to see if it’s possible to buy antiques there, but I don’t really see that happening.

No post this Thursday. The next new post will be on Monday. The topic will be Barcelona.

Philip Chasen Antiques

The blog for chasenantiques.com

Tag Archives: Philip Chasen

What’s new at Philip Chasen Antiques?

French cameo and Loetz glass sell well at Bonhams New York 20th Century Decorative Arts sale, June 11, 2015

Good results for Tiffany Studios lamps at Christie’s Design sale, June 10, 2015

The market in French glass is excellent. Thank you for asking.

Artistic Gallé vase sells for $476,325 at Sotheby’s Paris, May 21, 2015

An eventful day in Nancy, France, May 28, 2015

Good results at Sotheby’s The Warshawsky Collection: Masterworks of Tiffany and Prewar Design sale, May 19, 2015

Louis Icart oil paintings sell well at DuMouchelle’s, May 17, 2015

A visit to Barcelona, May 10-14, 2015

Shopping for antiques in Paris