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

Make your plans for the two big antique shows coming to Miami in January, 2010

Posted on December 3, 2009 by Philip Chasen

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

Now is the time to start making your plans to come to Miami for the two big antique shows in January. The first show is the Miami National Antiques Show, held at the Doubletree Expo Centre (near the airport), January 15-17, 2010. This show has a long history, back to the time about 30 years ago when Marty Ellis was the show promoter. I remember one January when there were so many people on line that the fire marshalls were only permitting people into the show as other visitors were leaving. I’ve exhibited at some busy shows since then, but that was the high-water mark for show attendance. Although the show has gotten a little smaller (there’s no second floor any more), the quality has managed to stay extraordinarily high. Many of the best dealers exhibit at this show, so it’s a good way to start the new year’s antique season. There’s a concentration of the best dealers in glass and lamps, so that’s an especially good reason to visit.

The Original Miami Beach Antique Show, January 21-25, 2010

Immediately following that show will be the eagerly anticipated Original Miami Beach Antique Show, at the Miami Beach Convention Center, January 21-25, 2010. This is a huge show that attracts both exhibitors and attendees from all over the world. I’ve done business at this show with people from almost every continent. There’s always a lot of action, with millions and millions of dollars of merchandise changing hands. Many dealers save their best items just for this show. Give yourself at least two days to see everything.

Have you tried Hotwire.com or Priceline.com to book your hotel or car? Take my advice from a very experienced traveler. Hotwire is great most of the time. You won’t know the name of the hotel until you’ve paid with a credit card, but you will know the location and the star rating. You can be pretty sure that a 3 or 4-star rating will be a nationally-known brand-name hotel. I like to stay in Miami, not Miami Beach, for the duration of the two shows. Parking and eating is much less of a hassle and the hotels are better and cheaper. The least expensive 3½-star hotels on Hotwire were $89/night, so I tried Priceline and bid $69/night. To my amazement, I got the Embassy Suites near the airport. Embassy Suites are great and $69/night??? What a deal!

The Miami shows are wonderful. First of all, you can escape winter for as long as you’re there. Then you’re at the heart of the antiques world for a couple of weeks. What a combination. Make your plans now, while good hotels are still available and airfares are cheap. I’ll see you there!!!

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

French cameo and Tiffany Studios Favrile glass do well at Julia’s Lamp & Glass auction, November 20, 2009

Posted on November 24, 2009 by Philip Chasen

Tiffany Studios flower form vase, Julia's lot #2091

Session 2 of James D. Julia’s Lamp & Glass auction was held on Friday, November 20. The session began with art glass shades, with rare and unusual examples holding up well, while common shades did not.

The Tiffany Studios section of the sale followed with glass and desk accessories performing well. Lot 2091 was a Tiffany Studios flowerform vase that carried a pre-sale estimate of $4-6,000 and sold for $11,500, including buyer’s premium. A mini red Tiffany Studios decorated vase, 3″ tall, estimated for $3-5,000, sold for $6,612.50, including buyer’s premium.

Tiffany Studios red mini vase, Julia's lot #2093

French cameo glass was next up on the auction block. First was an outstanding vase by Eugène Michel with padded and heavily wheel-carved poppy flowers. It was estimated at $15-20,000 and sold for $25,300, including buyer’s premium. The three other Michel vases in the sale also did well. An outstanding Gallé marquetry vase, lot #2235, was estimated at $20-30,000 and sold within the estimate for $24,150.

Eugène Michel padded & wheel-carved cameo glass vase, Julia's lot #2217

Bidding was spirited for several fine examples of Daum Nancy glass. A 5″ vase with blackbirds sold for $12,650, within the estimate of $10-15,000, while a bowl with handles and rare swan decoration sold to a New York dealer on the telephone for $10,925, including buyer’s premium, against a conservative estimate of $5,500-7,000.

Daum Nancy handled bowl with swan decoration, Julia's lot #2283

More than a dozen examples of pate-de-verre vases, boxes and pendants by Argy-Rousseau and A. Walter sold well, most within the estimates and a couple exceeding the estimates. A Walter luminaire of a fish was estimated to sell for $3,500-5,000. It sold for $10,350, including buyer’s premium.

A. Walter pate-de-verre luminaire, Julia's lot #2347

I will be adding many new and exciting items to my website in the next few days and weeks, many of them at very attractive prices. Please check my website often for the latest. chasenantiques.com.

I’d love to hear from you with 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

Lamp sales were good at Julia’s lamp & glass auction, November 20, 2009

Posted on November 23, 2009 by Philip Chasen

James D. Julia, Inc. held their semi-annual lamp & glass auction this past week, November 19 & 20. Both Jim Julia and their lamp & glass expert, Dudley Browne, were pleased with the results. The sale exceeded their expectations of $1.3 million, grossing $1.5 million. Leadership in the sale changed from previous categories of the last sale in Spring, 2009. This time the English cameo glass, Wedgwood Fairyland Lustre, Quezal and Steuben glass were weaker, while Tiffany Studios, French cameo glass and non-Tiffany leaded lamps were stronger.

Today, I’ll review the lamp results and tomorrow the glass results.

Tiffany Studios 17 in. diam. Dragonfly table lamp, Julia's lot #2079, November 20, 2009

A beautiful 17″ diameter Dragonfly lamp with considerable damage sold to a dealer on the telephone for $40,250. If the lamp had less damage and a better base, it would have sold for a much higher price. Another 17″ Dragonfly in the sale, lot 2144, attracted little interest and failed to sell because of the aggressive estimate of $80-100,000. In general, lamps that were too aggressively estimated did not sell, including a 20″ diam. Tiffany Studios Arrowroot table lamp, lot 2125, estimated at $50-60,000.

Unique wisteria table lamp, Julia's lot #2353, November 20, 2009

The sale included a large grouping of high-quality, non-Tiffany Studios, leaded lamps by makers such as Duffner & Kimberly, Handel, Unique, and Morgan. A unique Unique :>) wisteria lamp had an aggressive pre-sale estimate of $15-20,000, and still exceeded the high estimate, realizing a price of $25,875, including buyer’s premium — a surprisingly strong result.

Morgan pansy lamp, Julia's lot #2373, November 20, 2009

A pansy leaded lamp with hand-painted and fired flowers by the New York company of J. Morgan & Sons was estimated at $16-20,000. It easily exceeded the high estimate, selling for $26,450, including buyer’s premium.

I will be adding many new and exciting items to my website in the next few days and weeks, many of them at very attractive prices. Please check my website often for the latest. chasenantiques.com.

I’d love to hear from you with 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 visit to the USS New York

Posted on November 5, 2009 by Philip Chasen

What does an antiques dealer do on his day off? Easy. Take his wife to visit the Navy’s newest warship, the USS New York, while it’s docked in New York. And what a wonderful visit it was.

We're standing in front of the bow of the ship

Construction of the the USS New York incorporated 7½ tons of steel recovered from the debris of the World Trade Center, to forge the bow of the ship. Genius! The ship is a San Antonio-class LPD (Landing Platform Dock) with all the latest bells and whistles a modern warship should have. Its main purpose is to deliver marines and their equipment wherever in the world they’re needed.

I'm in one of the helicopters on the deck

Today was the first day the general public was allowed to visit, so we came prepared with newspapers and other toys to stand on the long lines we expected. To our surprise, there were no lines. Not sure why, but we were grateful. The weather wasn’t a factor because it was beautiful. I suspect as word gets out, there will be many more visitors on the weekend.

Navy V-22 Osprey

The first thing we noticed was the security — young navy security guards with machine guns stationed up front. Navy and Marine personnel everywhere — all very poised and very friendly. They seemed genuinely pleased to see us and show off their impressive new ship. We visited two equipment decks with troop carriers and an Abrams tank, which we were allowed to crawl over and into. It got more interesting on the top deck, where helicopters and a VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) plane, the V-22 Osprey, were on display. The Osprey can take off and land like a helicopter and then rotate the engines to fly like a standard airplane. Wow!

The engineering control room of the USS New York

It was all fascinating to me, but not quite as much to Lia. She was more interested in the human aspects of the ship. How do the sailors sleep and eat? So I mentioned this to one of the sailors, who by sheer dumb luck, happened to be the Chief Engineer of the ship, third in command. He invited us on a personal tour of the entire ship, from the mess hall to the engine room. What a treat! He couldn’t have been nicer, answering all of our questions while showing off his ship. So a big thank you to Lt. Commander Harris of the USS New York.

It was a fine day. We left with a feeling of pride in the fine young men and women of our armed forces. If you’re from the greater New York area, I strongly suggest you visit the ship. You have until this Sunday. For complete information, click on this link. USS New York

By the way, did you watch the Yankees win the World Series? At one point, the camera zoomed in on the commander of the USS New York (who is a native New Yorker), seated next to Mayor Bloomberg. About 30 sailors were guests of the Yankees.

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

Philip Chasen Antiques

The blog for chasenantiques.com

Tag Archives: Tiffany

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

Make your plans for the two big antique shows coming to Miami in January, 2010

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

French cameo and Tiffany Studios Favrile glass do well at Julia’s Lamp & Glass auction, November 20, 2009

Lamp sales were good at Julia’s lamp & glass auction, November 20, 2009

A visit to the USS New York