WASHINGTON, D.C. – Weschler’s May 14, 2011 auction of European & American Furniture and Decorations including Asian Works of Art ended the season on a high note with a full house of bidders in their Washington, D.C. gallery; the total auction take was more than $700,000, with 85 percent selling by lot. Read More +
Stella Show Promotions filled Ohio Village, the State’s historical reproduction village, with The Country Living Fair for the fourth year at this site. Open for the weekend of September 16-18 the Friday attendance topped 10,000 which was typical of the tremendous draw this show has had for its six year history. Read More +
If you were able to ask an appraiser on TV or an auctioneer could they, in fact, precisely define the concept of patina for you? Probably not. As it turns out, the definition of patina is a lot like the definition of pornography. It’s hard to say what it is but you know it when you see it.
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In the midst of the government’s debt crisis deliberations, New Orleans Auction Galleries hosted one ofits most successful sales to date July 30-31, 2011, showing signs of strength in the luxury and auction markets. An elaborate Chinese carved coral group brought $67,650, far surpassing the pre-auction estimate of $3,000 to $5,000. Other notable sales in the category included a colorful Chinese Famille Rose porcelain plaque set in a custom wooden frame and stand hammered for an astounding $67,650, and a Mughal-style jade handled dagger which sold for $34,440 following ten minutes of bidding.
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An antique discovery clock auction, Aug. 27, 2011 is loaded with more than 500 rare and vintage clocks from a single-owner collection. Included in the sale are American large wall clocks and case clocks, grandfather clocks and examples from England, France and Germany. This more than just a clock action. Tucked inside the sale are pendulums, weights, watchmakers’ benches and multi-drawer cabinets, watch and clock ephemera and advertising signs.
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Former FBI agent and author Robert Wittman’s first-ever seminar June 13, 2011 on how the art business can protect itself against the growing threat of art crime attracted 13 attendees, including Antique Trader columnist Caroline Ashleigh. The week, consisting of five days of instruction and discussion with field experts, was a one-of-a-kind seminar in which each participant personally interacted with the material and presenters. The result was a seminar described by participants as unmatched in quality of topics, expert presentations, and atmosphere.
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At a time when furniture is down in most circles, a June 14 auction in Los Angeles delivered what bidders wanted in their antique furniture: quality, variety and provenance. A Louis XVI style gilt bronze mounted mahogany suite of bedroom furniture, dating to the late 19th century, sold for $73,200 and a ; a Louis XVI style gilt bronze mounted marquetry bois satine and George III mahogany secretary bookcase from the estate of director, writer, producer and actor, Tim Whelan and his wife, actress and Los Angeles interior decorator, Miriam Seegar, sold for $30,500.
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Affordable paintings, antique prints and contemporary works by listed artists are featured along with country Americana in the July 27-28, 2011 Skinner discovery auction. Tucked inside this month’s sale is an interesting collection of etchings, charcoal drawings and sketches by New England artists.
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Furniture Detective Fred Taylor asks after a piece of antique furniture is stripped, what happens next? The purist will say to finish it in some exotic concoction of wax and oil and leave it alone. The hack next door will recommend three coats of tinted gloss polyurethane rubbed between coats with fine steel wool. The professional will say: "Sand it first." Sand it? Why in the world would you sand it? Because preparation is 90 percent of finishing, and the best finish in the world won’t look good if the piece isn’t properly prepared for the finish. So what exactly is the objective of the sanding process?
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A monumental circa-1890 R.J. Horner figural carved mahogany 12-piece dining room set soared to $100,300 at a cataloged auction held May 21, 2011 by Fontaine’s Auction Gallery. The set was the top lot in the sale, which attracted a large amount of Tiffany lamps and decorative objects. An unusual Tiffany Studios bronze crab inkwell with an exceptional brown and deep red patina with green highlights went for $23,600.
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