Setting up at the Grove Park Inn Antiques Show

Posted on February 19, 2010 by Philip Chasen

For several years, I’ve heard lots of good things about the Grove Park Inn Antiques Show, though I’ve never had the opportunity to visit nor exhibit there. I decided this was the year to try, and so far it’s looking like a very good decision. The show hasn’t even opened yet, but it’s very pleasant so far, with a good vibe.

That’s me in front of one of the giant fireplaces

First is the Grove Park Inn itself. It’s a wonderful 1913 masterpiece of a hotel. Just being in the lobby with the gigantic boulder fireplaces surrounded by people warming themselves in rocking chairs is great fun. Add to that a glass of delicious Ravenswood Zinfandel Lodi 2007 and you’ve got a wonderful relaxing time. And of course, enjoying it with my honey makes it perfect.

The show promoter, Bruce Johnson, is very friendly. He made us feel welcome, as well as most of the other dealers, many of whom I already know. Setup went very well, except that North Carolina is having a cold wave. It was colder here than in New York. For most of the day, the roll up door was open and we had to set up in freezing conditions. What a relief when they finally closed the door and the room warmed up.

Some of the wonderful Arts & Crafts furniture at the show

It’s a beautiful show with very high quality Arts & Crafts furniture, ceramics, and linens. The show is mixed, with the antiques dealers in the main ballroom and the quality reproduction dealers in the hallways. There are many lectures for attendees, so the whole weekend is a complete Arts & Crafts experience. From everything I can see, it’s Arts & Crafts heaven.

My booth, almost set up at Grove Park Inn

I’m not a perfect fit for this show, as many of my items are Art Nouveau, but I have enough Arts & Crafts items to satisfy many collectors. I’ve brought many Tiffany lamps and they’re perfect for Arts & Crafts homes. I also have a nice collection of Arts & Crafts ceramics, including Rookwood, Newcomb College, Grueby, Arequipa, Marblehead, and others.

Right now, I’ve got a good feeling that the show will go well. Read my post on Monday and I’ll let you know.

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.

Results from the Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antiques Show

Posted on February 17, 2010 by Philip Chasen

A few of the lamps in my booth

It’s Tuesday, 5 PM, and the show is winding down. It’s hard work sitting for so many hours, talking to hundreds of people, but it’s gratifying when the show goes well, and this one went well. I personally talked to about a dozen exhibitors and most were very pleased with the results. One painting dealer (there were many painting dealers at this show) told me he did poorly. One general dealer told me he would have made a profit, had his expenses not been so high. Another dealer in English furniture and objects told me he had a good show. A Steuben dealer had a very good final day for a very good show overall. For the most part, most dealers did well.

Attendance was truly outstanding throughout the show, especially on the weekend. Today, Tuesday, was the lowest attendance, but even that was pretty good. The problem was that all the real buyers already were here, so today’s crowd was out for a good time only. If the show had ended yesterday, it would basically have been the same.

The show promoter did an excellent job. There were banners everywhere around town announcing the show, including a beautiful full-size outdoor billboard. If you lived anywhere in this area, it would have been impossible not to know about the show. Too bad most other show promoters do not put the same effort and resources into promotion.

Original Louis Icart oil painting 'Aux Trianons'

Interest was strong in everything Tiffany, including lamps, desk sets and glass. Sales in Icart etchings and oil paintings were strong, a welcome change from the recent tepid interest. Surprisingly, interest in French glass was good, but sales were not.

It appears after several strong shows in Florida that the market has come back in a meaningful way. Besides personal experience, I’ve seen lots of anecdotal evidence. It appears that the economy is recovering nicely and that the statistics will soon reflect the increased optimism I see.

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.com or
516-922-2090. And please visit my website. chasenantiques.com

A Giacometti bronze sets the new world record price for a single work of art at auction

Posted on February 8, 2010 by Philip Chasen

Alberto Giacometti 'Walking Man I', Sotheby's London lot #8, February 3, 2010

On February 3, 2010, Sotheby’s London held their Impressionist and Modern Art sale, with impressive results. 31 of the 39 lots sold, grossing a total of $229 million. The top lot of the sale, a bronze scupture by Alberto Giacometti entitled “Walking Man I”, set a world record for the most expensive single item of art ever sold at auction, when it sold for $101,426,070, including buyer’s premium. The guesswork is that it was purchased by one of Russia’s new billionaires. It’s interesting to point out that the new world record holder is not a unique item. It was cast in 1961 and numbered two of six. I guess that means there are five other owners with big smiles on their faces, although most of the others are in museum collections.

Gustav Klimt - Church in Cassone - Landscape with Cypresses, Sotheby's London lot 13, February 3, 2010

The next best result went to Gustav Klimt, with a painting entitled “Church in Cassone – Landscape with Cypresses”. It sold for $42 million, including buyer’s premium, more than double the pre-sale estimate of $19-28 million.

Pitcher and Fruit on a Table by Paul Cézanne, Sotheby's London lot #5, February 3, 2010

Third best was a still life by Paul Cézanne, which sold for $18,413,075, including buyer’s premium, within the pre-sale estimate of $15.5-23 million.

I think I’m in the wrong business. No Tiffany lamp has ever sold for more than a couple of million dollars at auction. No Gallé vase has ever sold for more than a couple of hundred thousand dollars. Just one or two billionaires is all I need.

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.com or
516-922-2090. And please visit my website. chasenantiques.com

More follow-up to the Original Miami Beach Antiques Show

Posted on January 29, 2010 by Philip Chasen

Gilded Tiffany Studios 7-light lily table lamp

I wrote my last blog entry this past Sunday morning about the preliminary results of the Original Miami Beach Antiques Show. Now that the show is over, I can report the final results. The show was close to a barnburner. Business continued strong on Sunday and Monday, with overall results in the top one-third of all the Miami Beach shows for the last 30 years. I also talked to many more dealers about their results and almost everyone agreed that business was very good. One dealer reported that he had a record show. Fortunately, very few dealers told me they did poorly, but there were a few.

What was even more encouraging was that business was spread out over many clients, including several new ones. That’s always important and gratifying. I feel lucky when I’ve done a lot of business with a few clients, but not with many clients. It’s a sign that business is good and getting better. No one category was especially strong, with interest spread out over many. That too is encouraging. I did notice moderately strong interest in Tiffany lily lamps.

The Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show, February 13-16, 2010

I held off deciding on whether to exhibit at the Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show until I could better gauge sentiment. After the Miami Beach show, I think it’s worth another try, so I’ll be there in a couple of weeks. I’ve always liked to exhibit there, but expenses are high, so it’s not a gamble I’m willing to take if business is weak. This time I’m optimistic. You’ll read my report in a couple of weeks and see if my optimism was warranted. In case you haven’t ever visited the show, it’s a good one. The exhibitors are high-end, with several of them exhibiting at very few shows. The overall quality is several notches higher than the Miami Beach show, with all of the objects vetted by experts. I’ll be bringing quite a few new items that I didn’t take to the Miami Beach show, so come and see me. You’ll surely enjoy the show.

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.com or
516-922-2090. And please visit my website. chasenantiques.com

Setting up at the Miami National Antiques Show

Posted on January 15, 2010 by Philip Chasen

Thursday setup at the Miami National Antiques Show

At this point, setup is finished and the show opens to the public today at noon. We’ve exhibited at this show for more than 25 years and have seen the show change over this time. Unfortunately most of the changes are for the worse. 25 years ago, the show was so crowded with attendees that the Fire Department closed the doors and would not permit additional people to enter until some people had left. Most show promoters today would give their right arms to get that kind of attendance. A complicated confluence of events has changed today’s show landscape. One important factor is the aging of dealers and buyers, without enough young people to replace them. Perhaps even more important is the profound effect of the Internet on the market (but that’s a whole other story for another day).

Today’s show is smaller. No longer is there a second floor. The first floor is 90% full, but that’s less than 95% from the previous year. The overall quality of the show is quite high, but again a bit less than in previous years. A few of the better dealers are gone, replaced with a few borderline dealers.

My booth is almost fully set up

Is it worth visiting the show? Absolutely. There are important dealers, with a huge variety of the finest quality antiques. Guaranteed you will find something you like at the show. Yours truly has brought incredible Tiffany Studios lamps and glass plus French cameo glass by Daum Nancy and Galle plus a huge selection of Louis Icart original etchings at ridiculously low prices. Come visit me at the show and get first crack at everything, before the big Miami Beach Convention Center Antiques Show next week. I’ll post the results of this show early next week.

The Miami National Antiques Show, January 15-17, 2010.

The first show of the winter season, the Miami National Antiques Show, begins tomorrow and ends on Sunday. It is being held at the Doubletree Expo Centre, Miami Merchandise Mart, near the airport.

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.com or 516-922-2090. And please visit my website. chasenantiques.com

Good results for Tiffany Studios objects at Sotheby’s New York, December 17, 2009

Posted on December 22, 2009 by Philip Chasen

Sotheby’s New York held their “Important Tiffany” auction on December 17, 2009, with good results. 30 of the 39 lots sold, for total sales of $3,038,250.

Tiffany Studios Laburnum table lamp, Sotheby's lot 434

The top lot of the sale was #434, a Tiffany Studios Laburnum table lamp with a fantastic organic root base. It carried a pre-sale estimate of $350-500,000 and realized $422,500, including buyer’s premium.

Tiffany Studios Salamander lamp, Sotheby's lot #428

Lot #428 was a rare Tiffany Studios Salamander table lamp that realized the second highest price of the sale. It sold for $362,500, including buyer’s premium, against a pre-sale estimate of $3-500,000. It’s a stylized geometric decoration that is not my taste, but all that was needed was one buyer and the reserve, and that appeared to be the case.

Tiffany Studios rare blue Jack-in-the-Pulpit vase, Sotheby's lot #418

A wonderful and rare Tiffany Studios blue Jack-in-the-Pulpit vase sold for $86,500, including buyer’s premium, near the high end of the $50-80,000 pre-sale estimate. I bought almost this exact vase about 30 years ago in a home for about $5,000. Wish I had that one back. It would have looked nice on my shelf all these years.

Tiffany Studios Ninth Century desk set, Sotheby's lot #409

The Ninth Century pattern in Tiffany Studios desk sets is quite attractive with blue and green jewels. A large set with a few rare items, including a thermometer and a scale, was sold as lot #409. It doubled its pre-sale estimate of $10-15,000, selling for $37,500, including buyer’s premium. Excuse me, Mister Buyer (or anyone else), I’ve got lots of additional items in the Ninth Century pattern for sale. Please contact me.

For complete results, click this link. Sotheby’s Important Tiffany results.

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.com or 516-922-2090. And please visit my website. chasenantiques.com

Generally poor results at Heritage’s first New York 20th Century Decorative Arts auction, December 10, 2009

Posted on December 15, 2009 by Philip Chasen

Heritage Auctions, the major Dallas, TX auction house, held their first auction of 20th Century Decorative Arts in New York on December 10, 2009. Results were generally poor in the lamp and glass sections of the auction, with many lots not reaching reserve. Heritage had hoped to break into the New York market and become a major player along with Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Bonham’s. It’s difficult to ascertain the exact reasons for the poor showing, but a few things are clear. First, they did not have a compelling group of items to sell. A fresh collection of important items at low estimates and reserves would have been a good way to kick start their New York presence. Unfortunately that was not the case. Secondly, they do not have a permanent exhibition space. They rented space from Tepper Galleries on the third floor of a building on East 25th St. — not an easy location to find. Third, they tried to enter the New York market in a difficult period in the economy. Heritage is a major auction firm primarily selling coins. They branched out into several antiques markets, some with excellent success, such as American Illustration Art. Perhaps they can crack the New York market, but they will have to upgrade their offerings and lower the estimates and reserves — a difficult task.

Tiffany Studios bamboo floor lamp, Heritage lot #74057

Tiffany lamps sold poorly, mostly because of too aggressive estimates and reserves. One of the major lamps of the sale was a Tiffany Studios Bamboo floor lamp. It was estimated at $200-300,000 and did not sell.

Tiffany Studios 22 inch Dragonfly table lamp, Heritage lot #74064

Another major lamp that did not sell was a Tiffany Studios 22″ Dragonfly table lamp on a rare reticulated base. It was available for sale after the auction for $179,250.

Daum Nancy wheat vase, Heritage lot #75144

French cameo glass also did not fare well. Many of the vases did not sell but a few did. Lot 75144 was a Daum acid-etched and enameled vase with wheat decoration. It carried a pre-sale estimate of $8-12,000 and sold for $9,560, including buyer’s premium.

I’m taking a lot of time to add new items to my website. I’ve already listed new items under Gallé glass (including a blownout vase), Daum Nancy glass and Tiffany Studios glass. Soon I’ll be adding many Tiffany Studios desk pieces. Many are priced right for great holiday gift-giving. Who wouldn’t like to receive a genuine Tiffany desk set accessory as a Christmas or Chanukah gift? I’ll soon be starting a big sale on Icart etchings. Please take a look, as every day I’m adding more. Click on this link chasenantiques.com.

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.com or 516-922-2090. And please visit my website. chasenantiques.com

Tiffany Studios lamps soar at Christie’s New York 20th Century Decorative Arts auction

Posted on December 10, 2009 by Philip Chasen

To say the least, the results of the December 8, 2009 Christie’s Magnificent Tiffany auction were interesting. There was real strength in the high end of the market and apathy in the low end. The best examples brought extraordinary prices, while the lower end results were tepid.

Tiffany Studios Elaborate Peony table lamp, Christie's lot #11, December 8, 2009

The high-water mark of the auction was achieved with the sale of lot 11, a Tiffany Studios Elaborate Peony table lamp. It was estimated to sell between $600,000 and $900,000, and soared to $1,538,500, including buyer’s premium. That should make the purchaser of the Tiffany Studios Elaborate Peony lamp from the Skinner’s auction of the Richard Wright collection ecstatic. That one sold for $435,000 just a few weeks ago, and it was no slouch.

Tiffany Studios Trumpet Creeper table lamp, Christie's lot #35, December 8, 2009

Strong prices continued with the sale of a Tiffany Studios Trumpet Creeper table lamp. It is the same size, shape and basic design as the Wisteria lamp, but with the rarer Trumpet Creeper decoration. It exceeded the high estimate of $500,000 reaching $794,500, including buyer’s premium.

Tiffany Studios Dragonfly table lamp, Christie's lot #17, December 8, 2009

Dragonflies are always crowd-pleasers and lot #17 filled the bill. It was a beautiful example with a rare matching mosaic-tile base. It sold for $602,500, including buyer’s premium, equaling the high estimate.

Other outstanding results were achieved with a Tiffany Studios Bamboo floor lamp, $506,500, a Peony chandelier, $314,500, a drop-head Dragonfly lamp, $314,500 and a turtleback tile chandelier, $266,500. For complete results, click on this link. Christie’s Magnificent Tiffany results.

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.com or 516-922-2090. And please visit my website. chasenantiques.com

The turkeys are back

Posted on December 8, 2009 by Philip Chasen

Lia Chasen, with friend Sandra Pak, feeding the wild turkeys

Having never seen a wild turkey on Long Island for my whole life, I’ve now seen them three times in a month. Today they visited again and this time they brought their friends (or relatives). Today’s visit included a rafter of nine turkeys. (How do you like the term “rafter of turkeys”? Had to look that one up online to find the proper term.) Two of the eight were probably the alpha males. They were much bigger and had their tail feathers open. They seemed to be in charge and protective of the others. Two of the turkeys flew up to drink from the bird bath. Did you know that turkeys can fly? Well, not very far, according to my research. Basically they just fly up into trees.

The alpha male turkeys

Long Island’s wild turkeys are quite tame. So many people feed them that they’re practically domesticated. We had a hunt on Long Island a few weeks ago, but that was farther out on Long Island in Suffolk County. Hunters had to get licenses and were permitted only one turkey per permit. Very few turkeys were caught during the five day hunt. They haven’t yet learned to fear humans, so hunting them shouldn’t have been that difficult. I guess the problem was locating them, as there aren’t that many yet — approximately 3000 on all of Long Island, and Long Island is very big.

A couple of the turkey hens drinking from the bird bath

It’s fun to get a visit from the local turkeys, as long as they leave soon, and they usually do. A rafter of nine turkeys can leave quite a bit of poop. Just ignore them and stop feeding them — that seems to do the trick. At least they’re not as bad as geese (and we have lots and lots of geese on Long Island). Once they decide they like your property, it’s very difficult to get rid of them.

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.com or 516-922-2090. And please visit my website. chasenantiques.com

Some treasures I’ve owned, part V, Gallé blownout vases

Posted on December 1, 2009 by Philip Chasen

Gallé blownout elephant vase

Emile Gallé died in 1904, but the company he founded continued in business until the Great Depression. Production stopped during WWI, but then continued after the war. It was during that time that blownout vases were created. Sometimes they are referred to as mold-blown or soufflé, in France. The technique is first to create a mold and blow the glass into the mold. That creates the identical shape for successive examples, but not identical colors. The artist is still free to change the colors for each example. The colored layers are applied to the vase and then etched with acid. There are roughly 30 different models, from simple models with berries to exotic ones with elephants. What makes one better than another is the design, the color and the size.

Elephants are amongst the best Gallé blownout vases. The usual coloration is brown elephants on an opalescent or yellow background. There is also a rarer example with white elephants. Gallé elephant vases are large and impressive. The example above was a beauty.

Gallé blownout calla lily vase

The largest Gallé blownout vase is the calla lily. It’s huge, heavy, and spectacular. This particular example had great color with red lilies on a yellow-amber background. This model also exists with blue calla lilies and is exceptionally beautiful.

Gallé blownout clematis vase

Sometimes an additional layer of color (usually white) is added to give the flowers even more of a three-dimensional and realistic look. These examples are quite rare and usually gorgeous. The example below has a layer of white glass beneath the red and makes the clematis flowers appear dramatic.

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.com or 516-922-2090. And please visit my website. chasenantiques.com

Philip Chasen Antiques

The blog for chasenantiques.com

Tag Archives: Tiffany Studios

Setting up at the Grove Park Inn Antiques Show

Results from the Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antiques Show

A Giacometti bronze sets the new world record price for a single work of art at auction

More follow-up to the Original Miami Beach Antiques Show

Setting up at the Miami National Antiques Show

Good results for Tiffany Studios objects at Sotheby’s New York, December 17, 2009

Generally poor results at Heritage’s first New York 20th Century Decorative Arts auction, December 10, 2009

Tiffany Studios lamps soar at Christie’s New York 20th Century Decorative Arts auction

The turkeys are back

Some treasures I’ve owned, part V, Gallé blownout vases