NYC Asia Week March 13th-21st 2015

Asia week is right around the corner. Starting in mid march New York City will be home to some of the most beautiful Asian antiques in the world. Artwork from China, Japan, India, Southeast Asia and Korea will be displayed. Manhattan auctions, museums and galleries will be showcasing their best items. New York will be welcoming thousands of visitors from Asia. These visitors hope to see some great examples of Asian art and antiquities. Some will be in town to browse, but many are coming to purchase.

The strongest markets in past years have been Chinese, Southeast Asian and India. These markets are expected to do well once again. However, many Asian art specialists say the markets aren't quite as strong as they were just a couple of years ago. It will be interesting to see how the auctions do in 2015. The main auctions participating in Asia week are Sotheby's, Christie's, Doyle, Bonhams and Igavel.

Asian antique dealers and gallery owners are doing their best to acquire fine examples of Chinese and Southeast Asian art before Asia Week. If you are looking to sell Asian goods, now is a great time to do so. Dealers tend to pay top dollar right before Asia Week. They need to be sure they have enough of the appropriate merchandise to make our Asian collectors happy. If you need a few recommendations of competitive Asian art buyers, let us know. We are happy to help.

For a list of all the museums, auctions and galleries participating in Asia Week you can visit: http://www.asiaweekny.com

Asia Week NYC- March 2014

Asia week is here once again. The week will begin on March 14th and end on March 22nd. The entire week is dedicated to Asian art. Multiple auctions, dealers and museums all around NYC will be focusing on Asia. The major auction houses that will be having Asian sales will be Sotheby's, Christie's, Bonhams, Doyle and Igavel. Some of the many sales categories will be Chinese art, Japanese Art, Indian Himalayan and Southeast Asian Art. Jade, porcelain and bronzes are expected to bring big bucks this year at auction. Many auction lots are estimates at over a 1/2 a million dollars. Some of the extremely rare lots may even bring over a million dollars.

A great number of International buyers will be in town for the sales. People will be visiting from all around the world to buy the rare antique Asian items. However, China seems to be the country that has the buyers with the deepest pockets. It will be very interesting to find out if the Asian market is still as strong as it has been.

This fantastic week is not just about auctions sales. It is also about educating people on Asian art and its history. You can see multiple lectures and displays all over the city. To learn more about the lectures, displays and sales during Asia week, please visit www.asiaweekny.com. The site has extensive information about this entertaining and educational week. 

New York Dogs in Show and Field Auction at Bonhams

Every year Bonhams auction in New York has a "Dogs in Show and Field" sale. The sale includes paintings, jewelry, porcelain, bronzes, silver and more. The selection of dog themed items at Bonhams is incredible. The big ticket item is a 17th century old master painting titled "Amsterdam Dog Market". The painting is estimated at $200,000-$300,000. The highlight of the sale is a painting by John Martin Tracy titled "Haunt of the woodcock: Sensation and Bang". The late 19th century painting is estimated at $100,000-$150,000. It shows 2 perfect examples of the Pointer breed.

Of course the subject of all the art at this sale is dogs. However, the items show different types of dog themes. Many show hunting scenes, others have dogs with puppies and some show beautiful portraits. Many different dog breeds will be portrayed. These include Pointer, Maltese, Bulldog, St. Bernard, Mastiff, Cocker Spaniel, Terrier, Greyhound, German Shepherd, Dalmation, Poodle and more. 

Anyone that has an interest in dogs should go see the extensive selection at Bonhams. It only happens once a year and you don't want to miss it. The sale will be on Wednesday, February 12th. Previews of the auction will be on Monday and Tuesday.

American Furniture, Folk Art, Clocks and Silver-NYC

This week New York City will have some beautiful American items at auction. American furniture, folk art, clocks, silver and much more will be on display for sale. 

Sotheby's will be having 2 sales. Important Americana and Important American Folk Art from the Collection of Ralph o. Esmerian. Included in these sales are some great Chippendale and Federal furniture.

Christie's will have an Important American Silver Sale and an Important American Furniture, Folk Art & Decorative Arts sale. The silver sale will have rare silver from the 17th and 18th century. The American Furniture sale will have an 18th century Chippendale table that could sell for over a million dollars.

Bonhams will also be having 2 sales. The first is called Fine American and European Furniture, Silver, Folk and Decorative Arts & Clocks. This sale will include a beautiful EF Caldwell bronze, marble and ivory clock. The second sale will be Important Maritime Paintings and Decorative Arts. The sale has many paintings and a collection of antique scrimshaw as well.

Sotheby's

Important Americana- January 24-25

Visual Grace: Important American Folk Art from the Collection of Ralph O. Esmerian- January 25

Christie's

Important American Silver- January 23

Important American Furniture, Folk Art & Decorative Arts- January 24

Bonhams

Fine American & European Furniture, Silver, Folk and Decorative Arts & Clocks- January 23

Important Maritime Paintings and Decorative Arts- January 24

Results……...

Sotheby's sold a miniature chest from the early 19th century for $377,000. This was 5 times the high estimate. They also sold a rare eider drake decoy for $767,000.

Christie's sold a 17th century silver bowl for $317,000 at the silver sale. They also sold the Chippendale table for $905,000

Bonhams sold the EF Caldwell clock for $15,000 which was double the estimate. An inlaid Baroque style bone and tortoiseshell ebonized cabinet was sold for $149,000. They also sold a James Edward Buttersworth painting in the Maritime sale for $221,000. 

(all auction results have the buyer premium included)

The Original Miami Beach Antique Show 2014 Is Here!!!!

Yes, it is that time of year once again. The time that many antique dealers and jewelers wait all year for. From January 30th to February 3rd, "The Original Miami Beach Antique Show" will be taking place at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Over 1000 dealers from all around the world will be in attendance. The annual South Florida event is known to be the largest indoor antique show in the world.

This antique show is the perfect place for anyone that is interested in antiques or jewelry. Wether you are an antique dealer, jeweler, collector or tourist, you will enjoy the show. It is a fantastic opportunity to see some of the most interesting selection of merchandise from a variety of categories. Some of the many categories included are art deco, art nouveau, jade, bronzes, paintings, art glass, coins, weaponry, estate jewelry, costume jewelry, memorabilia, Faberge, furniture and much more. Antique shows like this are great because you have many of the best galleries and store owners in one place. You don't have to drive or fly to multiple locations in order to shop for the perfect item. At antique shows you simply walk a few feet to the next booth.

At the "Original Miami Beach Antique Show" the exhibitors bring the most impressive pieces they have. They know that potential customers from all around the globe will be in attendance. If you can get to the South Florida area for this amazing show, you will not be disappointed. If you need a few recommendations of dealers that will be at the show, let us know. We have dealt with many of them in the past and we have a good idea of the type of merchandise they have. If you can't make it to the event, but need to find a rare item, let us know. We will be attending the show and can get the contact information of the dealers with your potential items. You can also go to the website http://www.originalmiamibeachantiqueshow.com/Home.aspx. The website is extremely helpful. It will go over exhibitors, events, hotels, previews, ticket options and anything else you need. Hope to see you at the show!!!!!!!

Experience at the show…………..

The show opened on Thursday at 12 noon. Attendees were waiting outside the entrance for over an hour before the start of the show. When the doors finally opened hundreds of people were on line getting ready to rush into the show. Once inside everyone scattered. They all wanted be the first ones to see the beautiful merchandise. After about 30 minutes the lines were gone. For the rest of the day, no one had to wait.

Booths were filled with some amazing antique works of art. Some of the popular items were art glass, bronzes, silver, jade, ivory and of course estate jewelry. The antique dealers came from all around the world. However, a good portion of them seemed to be from the New York, Florida and California area.

The dealers we spoke with said that the 1st day was when the bulk of the sales were made. They said that overall the show was a very good one, but not the best they have attended. The attendees we spoke with were very happy with the variety of goods. They also said they liked seeing many of the dealers from the prior year. Seeing familiar faces was refreshing to them. The dealers and attendees we spoke with all agreed that they enjoyed the event. They also said they were looking forward to coming back to the Miami Beach Antique Show next year.

20th Century Decorative Arts Week

Louis Comfort Tiffany (L.C.T.) Favrile Art Glass 

This upcoming week all the major Manhattan auctions will be filled with decorative art & design from the 20th century. A few of the many artist/designers that will have works at auctions this weekend are Frank Lloyd Wright, Gustav Stickley, Diego Giacometti, Rembrandt Bugatti, Demetre Chiparus, Ferdinand (Fritz) Preiss and Marcel Andre Bouraine. However, the Tiffany art glass seems to have gotten a good portion of the attention during auction previews this past weekend. All together between Sotheby's, Christie's and Bonhams there are more than 50 Tiffany Lamps and over 10 Tiffany Chandeliers.

Decorative Arts Auction days:

Bonhams- Monday, December 16th

Sotheby's- Wednesday, December 18th

Christies's- Thursday, December 19th

Results…………...

Overall the results were average. Between all 3 auction houses many items went unsold. In addition, many of the ones that did sell went for the low estimates. The auctions had some wonderful pieces. The issue seemed to be that the the 20th Century decorative arts market just isn't as strong as at it once was. A few high end items did sell very well. We listed some of the highlights below:  

Sotheby's separated the Decorative Arts sale into two auctions. The first was the Important 20th Century Design auction. Sotheby's surprisingly took the Frank Lloyd Wright cover lots out of this auction one day before the sale. The Frank Lloyd Wright desk and chair were estimated to sell for $480,000-$720,000 (between the 2 lots). They did sell a Gustav Stickley chair for $245,000, a Diego Giacometti table for $257,000 and a rare large Claude Lalanne bronze for $485,000. The second auction was Important Tiffany. The item that nearly doubled the high estimate was the Tiffany Studios "Wisteria" Table Lamp. The magnificent lamp was estimated at $600,000-$800,000. It ended up being the most valuable item sold during the 20th Century Decorative Arts Week. After a lengthy phone bidding war, the lamp sold for 1.5 million dollars.

Christie's also separated the sale into 2 auctions. The first was the Important 20th Century Decorative Art & Design sale. Highlights included a Diego Giacometti book shelf that sold for $317,000, an Armand Albert Rateau desk that sold for $413,000 and a spectacular Rembrandt Bugatti bronze elephant that sold for $725,000. The second auction was Magnificent Tiffany. Christie's had a beautiful Tiffany Studios window from the St. George Hotel that sold for $56,000. They also sold the Tiffany Studios Pony Wisteria table lamp (smaller version of Wistera lamp) for $221,000.

Bonhams had 2 of the largest items of the week. A pair of 6 foot tall Jun Kaneko glazed earthenware head sculptures sold for $43,000. They also sold a Ferdinand (Fritz) Preiss bronze figure for $81,000 and a Marcel Andre Bouraine bronze figure for $62,000. The biggest surprise at Bonhams was the cover lot that sold for more than double the high estimate. The William Morris glass sculpture was titled Artifact: Shard With Bone Pins. The sculpture was estimated at $20,000-$30,000 and sold for $62,500.

(please note, all prices included buyer's premium)

American Art Week

This week is American Art week in New York City. Sothebys, Christies and Bonhams auction houses have a great number of beautiful American artwork for sale. The artist that is getting the most attention is Norman Rockwell. Rockwell has 17 oil paintings being auctioned at the major New York auction houses this week (not including Christie’s private sale exhibition). Estimates for Norman Rockwell’s paintings range from $80,000 to 20 million dollars. The current high for a Rockwell painting is 15 million dollars. This could be a record breaking week.

Sotheby’s has an incredible total of 10 Norman Rockwell paintings this week. The highlight of these paintings is Saying Grace, which is estimated at 15-20 million dollars. Also at Sotheby’s this week are 2 oil paintings by Maxfield Parrish. These are the only 2 Parish paintings being sold at New York auctions this week. Both are estimated to sell for over $200,000. In addition, being sold for 2-3 million dollars is an Edward Hopper painting called Church In Eastham.

Christie’s highlight this week is a painting by Edward Hopper named East Wind Over Weehawken. It is definitely one of Hopper’s most impressive paintings. The estimate is 22-28 million dollars. Also at Christies are 3 artworks by Frederic Remington. These include 2 bronzes and one oil painting. They are estimated at over $100,000 each. Remington does not have any works at other auction houses in New York this week. Christies has 5 Norman Rockwell paintings at auction this year. The most expensive is a very cute painting titled Boy With Two Dogs estimated at 1-1.5 million dollars. Christie's has a private sale exhibition called Illustrating America-Norman Rockwell & His Contemporaries, that includes many more exceptional Norman Rockwell paintings.

Bonhams has a great selection of art this week. The 2 Childe Hassam paintings seem to be getting the most attention. The larger of the two is titled East Gloucester, End of the Trolley Line. It is estimated at $300,000-$500,000. The other painting by Hassam is Land's End, Coast of Maine. It is estimated at $200,000-$300,000. One of the more colorful paintings at Bonhams is by Abbott Fuller Graves. It is a beautiful large floral painting estimated at $100,000-$150,000. Bonhams also has 2 very good-looking Norman Rockwell paintings. They are both estimated over $300,000. Bonhams is the only auction house this week to have paintings by Leroy Neiman. They have a Neiman painting of a New York Jets football player named John Riggins. This oil painting is a great example of Neiman’s work and is estimated at $50,000-$70,000.

Overall it should be a fun filled week for anyone who enjoys American art. Bonhams and Sotheby’s will be having sales on December 4th while Christie’s will be on the 5th. If you need any additional information about American Art Week in New York, please let us know. 

Results……….

It was a great week for American Art. The 3 auction houses combined for a total of over 160 million dollars. Sotheby's broke the prior Norman Rockwell record with the Saying Grace painting. It sold for an incredible 46 million dollars including buyer's premium. Christie's broke the prior Edward Hopper record with East Wind Over Weehawken. It sold for 40 million dollars including buyers premium. Bonhams had 2 Norman Rockwell paintings that sold for 3 times the estimates. The Rockwell painting titled Girl Choosing Hat went for 1.2 million dollars including buyer's premium. Overall an impressive week for all three auction houses.

Chinese Antique Market Is Booming!!!!

This past week was Fall Asia Week in New York City. Most of the major auction houses in Manhattan had Asian exhibitions and auctions. Many different types of Asian antiques were being sold. These included scrolls, bronzes, jade, porcelain and much more. All Asian auctions did very well and exceeded most of the estimates. However, the biggest surprises came from the Chinese items. The auction results proved that the Chinese market is booming.

The New York City auctions had many highlights. An 18th century white jade ewer sold for close to 3 million dollars!!!! The ewer was only estimated between $20,000- $30,000. A large 18th century Famille Rose vase sold for over 1.5 million dollars, which was nearly double the estimate.

Another group of items that sold at high prices was snuff bottles. The most popular snuff bottles were made of jade. However, the 2 bottles that went for the highest prices were not jade. The 1st was a rare inside painted glass snuff bottle from the early 20th century that sold for over $80,000. The 2nd was a rare painted enamel snuff bottle from the 18th century that sold for over $230,000.

Although these auctions took place in New York, it was obvious that the items were being sold to people living in Asia. The phone and internet buyers were doing the majority of bidding. Those who were actually on the auction floor bidding in New York were representing International buyers. They had earpieces on that were connected to cell phones. They were simply working for International Asian buyers.

The Chinese sold an abundance of rare antiquities to the United States many years ago. Now they are buying all those antiquities back. The wealthy Asian buyers seem to have no regard for cost.

It is not clear how long it will last, but right now the Chinese antique market is the hottest it has ever been. If you have any questions about Asia Week, please let us know. If you have an Asian item you were thinking of putting in auction, but need assistance, contact us. We work with the major Manhattan auction houses and can help you expedite the process. We also have NYC Chinese antique gallery owners that will pay top dollar for the rare pieces.

"What's going on with kids today?"

Ok, the day has come.  You finally get to retire and settle down in Florida!!!  You are down sizing from a 4 bedroom house in Long Island, New York into a 2 bedroom condo overlooking the pool in Boca.  Now all you have to do is give the beautiful items in your home to all the children and grandchildren.  The only thing you have to worry about is who gets what because you don't want them to fight. However, to your dismay, they don't want any of it.  How could this be?  These things have been in the family for years!!!!  

The sad truth is that we are in a new generation where these wonderful items are no longer appreciated.  The china that is close to 100 years old takes up too much space, after all how often do we serve 12 people for dinner?  Paper plates will be just fine.  Sterling flatware, who wants to shine silver all the time?   How about the Waterford glasses we got as our wedding presents?  Are you kidding, costs close to $100 a glass in the store and you can't even put them in the dishwasher.  It will be easier to let them stay in the cabinet.  They can definitely use the inlaid mahogany furniture.  It cost a fortune even back then!!!!  This is true, but it also costs a pretty penny to move it.  Ikea makes furniture that can fit it my trunk, and for the price, it's ok that it needs to be put together.  Last, but not least, the Hummels.  They were brought back by grandpa 50 years ago, all the way from Germany!!!!  Sorry to say, the kids will be selling them on ebay for peanuts.  Many collectibles are just too old fashioned.

Of course, this is a generalization.  You might be one of the lucky ones who have family members that still enjoy these things. People who know that back in the day things were made to last. Those that still believe entertaining family and friends should be done often and not just on high holidays once or twice a year.  Not likely, the market is flooded with these antiques and it has been this way for the past few years.  Not to worry, many old items are still very saleable. Please see next post for that information.