Appreciating Fine Antiques

Snuff Bottles: What are they and why collect them?

I. M. Chait — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 00:28:43 +0000

By I.M. Chait - In the very early 18th Century (although some people might insist it was the late 17th Century), snuff, as a recreational habit, was introduced by Europeans to the Court of China. While we all may have our opinions relative to the evils of tobacco, no one can ignore the fact that European snuff boxes, made for the wealthy class, are some of the most beautiful miniature objects created.

Under The Hammer – Antique Auction News (July 2010)

Mike McLeod — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 21:42:43 +0000

~ On June 11, Cowan’s American History Auction was highlighted by a vignette portrait of Abraham Lincoln from a negative originally taken by Mathew Brady, Friday Jan. 8, 1864 (O-87). It was signed “A Lincoln” and had remnants of Brady’s imprint on verso It sold for $38,775. Lincoln said of this particular portrait: “I don’t know that I have any favorite portrait of myself; but I have thought that if I looked like any of the likenesses of me that have been taken, I look most like that one.”

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Upcoming Auctions – Antiques, Art and Collectibles

Mike McLeod — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 20:22:41 +0000

On June 23, Christie’s will offer “Portrait of Angel Fernandez de Soto” by Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) at its Impressionist and Modern Art in London. From the artist’s Blue Period, this work will be priced at £30 million to £40 millio, and all the proceeds will benefit The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation.

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Not Just A Plaything: French Dolls of the Late 19th Century

Daniele Gair — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 04:45:23 +0000

By Daniele Gair - One of the first friends a child ever has is often a simple construction of wood, porcelain, or cloth filled with stuffing and a painted-on smile. For centuries, dolls have not only kept children company, but have reflected how a society sees itself. Today, dolls of every shape, size, and color, made from the most basic materials to the most complex, are collected with an enthusiasm that reaches back to childhood.

Under The Hammer – Antique Auction News (May 2010)

Mike McLeod — Fri, 28 May 2010 16:14:51 +0000

~ A 1936 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic, one of only four ever made, was sold by Gooding & Company of Santa Monica, California for $30 million to $40 million. Of the two or three of these models that still exist, one is owned by Ralph Lauren. The one sold was owned by the late Dr. Peter Williamson. The buyer and exact amount of the sale were not disclosed.

The Atlantic was the winner of the 2003 Pebble Beach “Concours d'Elegance.”

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Caveat Internet

I. M. Chait — Mon, 10 May 2010 20:43:10 +0000

By Isadore M. Chait - We can all agree that in the 21st Century, things move at a rate exponentially faster than they did in the past. It becomes commonplace for inventions and innovations to be so ingrained and so part of normal operating bases as to be taken for granted.

One of the most radical and progressive inventions of humankind was the printing press. It probably took one or two hundred years (or even longer) for most of the world to become “mater-of-fact” about printed books. Another such monumental invention, in more recent times, was the World Wide Web and Internet. This is an invention that has radically changed most all of our lives, most all of our businesses, and has created the greatest number of opportunities as well as pitfalls for human kind since the invention of fire.

How has the Internet affected the world of art, antiques and jewelry? The real question is how has it not?

A Great Gift: High Museum Receives 47 Works of Art

Mike McLeod — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 20:04:06 +0000

The High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia, recently announced a gift of 47 works of art, the majority of which are prints and posters by major artists working in fin-de-siècle Paris, from prominent Atlanta collectors Irene and Howard Stein. The Stein collection includes many rare and extremely prized works by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, such as “La Clownesse au Moulin Rouge” (1897), one of only a handful of impressions of this color lithograph, and “Miss Loïe Fuller” (1893), a ghostly image of the famous American dancer that incorporates powdered gold.

Under The Hammer – Antique Auction News (April 2010)

Mike McLeod — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 17:26:16 +0000

~ An extraordinary pair of gold-and-silver-inlaid flintlock pistols, made by Nicholas-Noel Boutet, was sold for $437,000 by James Julia Auctions during the Annual Spring Firearms auction March 15 and 16. Boutet of Versailles, France, was perhaps the finest gunsmith in history. His extraordinary high-art creations were sought by the aristocracy, and figures of state, including Napoleon, often used Boutet’s work as gifts to other prominent figures. These pistols were from the collection of the late H.H. Thomas of Kentucky. Another pair of high-art Boutet cased pistols realized just under $100,000.

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From Russia With Love: Collecting Fabergé

Daniele Gair — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 20:02:00 +0000

Daniele Gair - There is something about royal treasure that piques the imagination. The English Crown Jewels in London enjoy a steady stream of admirers. The contents of the tomb of King Tut, including the mummified pharaoh himself, went on one of the most successful museum tours of all time in the 1970s. But if anything speaks of the opulence and luxury enjoyed by the most privileged classes, it is the work of the House of Fabergé.

The Value Of Chinese Furniture Begins With The Wood

I. M. Chait — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 20:03:49 +0000

By Izzy Chait -
Recently, some collectors of American and European furniture have made comments and asked questions about Chinese furniture, with a viewpoint based upon a false presumption that furniture in and from China is not as sturdy or as durable as Western furniture. I have to say this is not an accurate statement, and this concept, being false, should get put to bed immediately.