A few snowflakes fell on opening night at the Winter Antiques Show on Thursday, January 18; otherwise, a touch of spring was in the air at the 53-year-old-fair, rejuvenated with an updated floor plan and fresh displays by its 75-exhibitor cast.
“We’re keeping up with the times. You’ll see more Twentieth Century material this year,” promised Catherine Sweeney Singer, now in her thirteenth year as the fair’s executive director.
New to the show was London dealer Michael Playford of Two Zero C Applied Art, Ltd, specialist in Twentieth Century design. His opening weekend sales included an Art Deco marble and bronze fountain by Marcel Guillmand & C. Omin, circa 1925.
“We brought a number of things over from the UK on short notice,” said British Arts and Crafts design expert John Levitties of John Alexander, Ltd, who filled in at the last moment for Aronson Antiquairs.
Injured during setup, Chinese Export porcelain dealer Elinor Gordon missed opening night but was recovering nicely, said her staff and colleagues, among them Brad Kaiser and Charles Hollingsworth, who staffed her booth in her absence.
Working with interior designer Ralph Harvard, Elle Shushan showcased portrait miniatures in a chic black, white and fuchsia stand loosely inspired by the Virginia plantation house, Westover. Originally from New Orleans, Shushan featured a tiny portrait on ivory of Marie and Therese de Bouligny by John Wood Dodge, NA, in her jewel box display.
“They were the crème de la crème of Creole society,” the Philadelphia dealer said of the miniature’s young subjects.
“We decided to do minimal and seamless this year. We wanted objects to float in space,” said Bailey Island, Maine, dealer Nancy Glazer, across the aisle from Shushan. Brilliantly lit shadow boxes contained colorful slip decorated Pennsylvania redware, all of which sold on opening night.
American Classical furniture specialist Carswell Rush Berlin also chose a contemporary backdrop for Restauration-style chairs attributed to Joseph Barry of Philadelphia and a Phyfe & Sons of New York sofa table.
Umber and chocolate-colored walls were a warm foil for the Regency rosewood and parcel gilt breakfront sideboard, $370,000, that anchored English furniture dealer Mallett’s display.
“They set a tone in any room,” antique wallpaper specialist Carolle Thibaut-Pomerantz noted of two richly atmospheric French panels. Depicting villas along the Bosphorus in Istanbul, the circa 1812 Dufour papers were $135,000.
“We wanted people to feel like they were flying into Paris,” explained Daniel Morris of Historical Design. Visitors entered the New York dealer’s booth through a gleaming silver oculus. Inside was Maxine Old’s circa 1935 cabinet, $110,000, printed with Turgot’s map of Paris.
Prunus branches bloomed above the tessellated floor in the drill hall’s central garden court.
“I have seven pieces left,” said Barbara Israel, who set up on the south side of the court. The garden antiques specialist planned to restock her booth over the show’s first weekend.
Record opening night attendance contributed to handsome receipts for many exhibitors.
“We made seven sales in seven minutes,” said John Newcomer, assisting Virginia dealer Sumpter Priddy III, who sold a lavishly inlaid Maryland or Virginia Federal card table, a Baltimore apothecary chest, a Virginia bow front serving table, a miniature chest of drawers attributed to Andre Joseph Villard (1749–1819), an “Elliptic” chest with mummy figures from Virginia, a powder horn, and a Thomas Sully portrait.
Across the entrance aisle from Priddy, Leigh Keno American Antiques opened the weekend with sales of a Federal mahogany dwarf clock by Joshua Wilder of Hingham, Mass., an African American plantation desk from Mississippi and a Newport Queen Anne compass seat roundabout chair attributed to the Townsend-Goddards of Newport.
“It’s abstract art, circa early Nineteenth Century,” said Litchfield, Conn., dealer Peter Tillou, who sold his full-length portrait of a boy with a hat by Ammi Phillips, rumored to be priced in the seven figures.
At Fred & Kathryn Giampietro, New Haven, Conn., a red sold sticker sprouted on a circa 1865 life-sized cast iron stag made by the Robert Wood Foundry of Philadelphia.
“It’s unique, as far as we know,” said Robert Newman of The Old Print Shop, who wrote up a Bennett aquatint copperplate engraving depicting Charleston’s harbor and battery.
“It’s the most important Eskimo mask to come on the market in three decades,” said Ontario dealer Don Ellis, who could have sold his sophisticated circa 1900 sculpture several times.
“This year, the South is invading the North,” quipped Robert Leath, vice president of collections and research at Old Salem Museums and Gardens, introducing this year’s loan show from the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts in Winston-Salem, N.C.
“It’s the tip of the iceberg,” added curator Johanna Metzgar Brown, surveying 58 masterpieces from MESDA’s collection, among them a spectacular desk and bookcase by the Virginia cabinetmaker John Shearer, a rare Virginia court cupboard of 1660–80, an earthenware lion doorstop attributed to Virginia potter Solomon Bell, and an a 1791 double portrait by Charles Peale Polk.
Benefiting East Side House Settlement, the Winter Antiques Show continues through January 28 at the Seventh Regiment Armory, Park Avenue and 67th Street. Hours are noon until 8 pm daily; Sunday and Thursday, noon until 6 pm. A Young Collectors’ Night is planned for Thursday, January 25, from 6:30 to 9:30.
For information, www.winterantiquesshow.com or 718-292-7392.
