After packed openings at the American Antiques Show on Wednesday night and again at the Winter Antiques Show on the following evening, Stella Show Mgmt Co.’s Antiques at the Armory opened to a large and enthusiastic crowd early on Friday morning, January 22. Hosting 91 dealers from around the country displaying a diversified assortment of materials ranging from Americana to tribal (sometimes displayed together in the same booth), this show is regarded by many as Stella’s premier event.
Americana is the main fare at this show, and it has been transformed over the past couple years into the stylish event that it is. The closing of Stella’s Americana Pier last year resulted in the transplant of numerous dealers that had previously displayed there. Although the Pier show was back in operation for 2010, many key dealers remained at the armory, adding to its allure.
The size of the show is manageable, its setting is comfortable and the merchandise is stellar. When queried about how things were going at the armory, Americana dealer Michael Whittemore’s smile grew wide and he was able to sum it up in one word: “Fantastic.”
Having forgone the concept of opening night preview parties, the show gets right down to business with a straightforward 10 am opening. No early buying for an extra fee †just line ’em up and let ’em in. The line began forming more than an hour prior to opening, and by 10 am, it extended out through the foyer of the 26th Street Armory and ended in places unknown.
The fourth of the shows to open during Americana Week, Antiques at the Armory has become a smart-looking show with a large emphasis placed on Americana, yet a taste of diversity featuring merchandise popular with local shoppers is also featured.
Cigar store Indians, carousel figures, weathervanes, select examples of colorfully glazed redware, trade signs and paint decorated furniture looked lively in many of the booths. Attracting a great deal of attention was the cigar store Indian in Whittemore’s booth, and, according to the dealer, it remained in nearly original condition. A stunning barber pole in original paint stood alongside, as did a nice slatted feather basket with the original lid. A fanciful two-drawer blanket chest in a pleasing green paint was also displayed; on top of it was an early horse and rider weathervane retaining a nice worn golden patina.
Pennsylvania dealer Steven Still offered a carved goat carousel figure in good paint, $46,000, that he attributed to Gustav Dentzel; while a carved policeman standing 6 feet tall, $28,500, that may have been used as a Broadway stage prop, circa 1920, dominated the side of the stand. A folk art carved pipe in the form of a snake with a devil standing on its top, thought to have been made around the turn of the Twentieth Century in Kentucky, was also offered.
Figural andirons in excellent original paint were featured at Snyder and Wilson. A pair of andirons in the form of jolly black men in blue shirts with bright yellow pants were whimsical, while a pair of George Washington andirons were painted in a red, white and blue motif. A pair of carved wooden Scottie dogs, one begging, the other reclining, was attracting attention from shoppers, as was a pair of Nemethy marine paintings.
A monumental zinc figure of a dog stood guard at Chuck White’s stand, although the hound looked more apt to display affection than fear. An attractive trade sign for a barber was offered alongside several paint decorated game boards, and two carved eagles †one large, one small †were prominently displayed.
New York City dealer Josh Lowenfels had an interesting display of eclectic and eye-catching materials. A WPA-style painting of partially clad young men in a dorm room, drinking beer and passing nudie magazines among them, was displayed beneath two paint decorated clown masks. On the opposite side of the booth an early photograph of a woman gazing lustfully upward was positioned below a vintage BMW automobile sign.
A large collection of early paint decorated baskets sat atop a nice country Queen Anne table at Hilary and Paulette Nolan. The dealer commented that the collection had just been purchased from a private home. Also fresh to the market was a country cabinet in the Federal style that had been dry-scraped to reveal the original salmon-colored paint.
A superb assortment of New England redware was offered by Maine dealer John Sideli, several of which had been purchased at auction several years ago at the top end of the market and now reappeared at reasonable prices. A large pitcher in a “Gonic”-style glaze with “parrot eyes” throughout the olive green glaze was a standout, as was a bright green jar with lid.
Sideli also offered a sawbuck table with wonderful red painted top and yellow base, colorful trade signs, a set of fancy Sheraton chairs with excellent original paint and a large selection of stark and stunning carved wooden tribal figures.
Bridges Over Time spanned the centuries with an assortment of furniture that ranged from Egyptian Revival to Moderne. A highlight was a smart-looking Bwana chair and ottoman by mid-Twentieth Century designer Finn Juhl.
Another Twentieth Century standout was the jewelry selection in the booth of Leah Gordon that included a large Spratling necklace with intersecting hands, one in silver and the other tortoiseshell, and two large and ornate Art Smith necklaces.
The next show for Stella will be a return to the Pier on March 13 and 14. For information, www.stellashows.com or 973-808-5015.
