Date: Fri 06-Nov-1998

Publication: Ant

Author: JUDIR

Quick Words:

Mint-Museum

Full Text:

Mint Museum Show; Antiques And A View From A Palace W/17 Cuts SET SS

By Anne Gilbert

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Many things made the October Mint Museum Antiques Show

something special. Among them an opportunity to view four room settings with

rare furniture and decorative art from the Tryon Palace, built in 1770 for

Governor William Tryon, in New Bern, N.C. Plus a plethora of regional examples

of antiques not usually available to Americana collectors.

In addition to fine southeastern antiques, dealers brought quality pieces from

as far away as Dallas, Boston, New Fane (Vermont) and Chicago. Happily there

were items for every budget. Prices ranged from $100 for some smalls to over

$45,000 for unusual examples of folk art, furniture and silver. It was also a

show with "southern hospitality" that began with a gala, black tie opening

night preview party and sumptuous buffet tables featuring gourmet, North

Carolina specialities.

Co-chairman Peggy McBryde was right on target when she said that "the show was

more than entertainment, it was an educational experience from beginning to

end." From the entertainment standpoint the popular PBS Chubb's Antiques

Roadshow offered highlights from its show and informal appraisals. Last year

one of the show's sponsors discovered that a painting in his attic was worth

more than the one over his sofa.

Many of the 80 booths displayed pieces of special interest to the North

Carolina market. A good example were the Eastern Carolina pieces offered by

Tyler-Smith Antiques, Greensboro, N.C. "We had several pieces of important,

Eighteenth Century furniture made in Eastern North Carolina, and all sold. I

couldn't be more pleased," Ridley Smith told me. "Since this area of the

Carolina's was sparsely populated in late Eighteenth Century, the more formal

pieces by area craftsmen are rare."

Other unusual offerings included 70 American Indian lithographs, circa 1840s,

showing the chiefs wearing peace medals that were individually priced at $150.

They sold as a lot for an undisclosed price. A fine Jacquard woven coverlet

was draped over one of a pair of circa 1880 American cast iron benches. The

coverlet sold for $300. The benches for $2,500.

The Aly Goodwin booth, with the N.E. Horton Antique collection (Black

Mountain, N.C.), offered a quilt with real southern provenance from the Hope

Plantation, circa 1800, priced at $4,400. Other plantation-made quilts, circa

1830-40, were tagged from $1,000 up.

Rarely seen at antique shows were Western medieval and Renaissance illuminated

manuscripts. As dealer Charles Puckett explained, "an illuminated manuscript

is a book, written and decorated by hand. Manuscripts which were decorated

with gold, silver or bright paint are called illuminated." He also noted that

despite their age and rarity, there is an opportunity both for the advanced

collector and a beginner. One of his finest examples was a miniature leaf

depicting a nativity scene and a Gregorian chant, dating 1549-1552. It was

done for a nun in South Flanders to carry and was priced at $9,000. Beginners

found leafs from English and German prayer books for $100.

For collectors of the unusual, antique gadget walking sticks and canes were

displayed in the "To The Point" booth (Richmond, Va.). Dealer Ray Van Orden

became interested in them when he needed a cane after breaking his hip. In the

early Nineteenth Century, gentlemen owned a variety of canes, as something of

status symbols. Canes that "could do something" became popular. Van Orden also

showed a circa 1820 cane with a cloissone watch, along with some 1920s sticks

containing flasks. Prices ranged in the hundreds.

Elegant, Eighteenth Century English silver was shining in the "Silver Vault"

booth (Barrington, Ill.). "We selected important pieces like tea services, as

well as functional items such as coffee pots and soup tureens for this show,"

said dealer Rod Tinkler. Collectors found a Rococo style sterling teapot,

circa 1830, hallmarked Edward, John and William Barnard, London, at $7,500

"There are good Eighteenth Century English spoons available for beginning

collectors," he advised. "Don't make a significant purchase until you have

sufficient knowledge." Other less pricey offerings were Eighteenth Century

cream jugs tagged at $500. Tinkler also noted that the few pieces of Russian

silver he had brought were sold early-on. "It goes fast."

Highlighting the David Dike booth (Dallas, Tex.) of fine art was a late,

Nineteenth Century American landscape by Robert Vonnoh of Connecticut.

For collectors of English and Continental porcelain, the James M. Labaugh

booth (Pound Ridge, N.Y.) had a pair of eye-stopping, yellow, porcelain,

Coalport cache pots, circa 1805-1810. They were tagged at $14,800 the pair.

However, as he pointed out, "beginning collectors will find a selection of

Eighteenth Century cups and saucers. They not only retain their value, but add

decorative touches for as little as $100."

"Chauncy" a carved, wooden artist's male model, circa 1840, had a continual

crowd of admirers. This rarity was priced at $25,000 in the Phillip W.

Pfeifer, "Le Cabinet Scientifique" booth (Lahaska, Penn.). Nearby was a

striking architectural model, circa 1870, done by an apprentice. It was tagged

at $45,000.

Among the fine art displayed was an oil on canvas, "A Quiet Moment" by French

artist, Lee Lufkin Kaula (1865-1957). It was priced at $28,000 in the Alfred

J. Walker Fine Art booth (Boston, Mass.).

For angel collectors, there was a pricey pair in the Rhinehart Antiques booth

(Katonah, N.Y.). Even with some damage, one of the circa 1870 European angels

wore a $2,400 tag. As Rhinehart explained, "they are so scarce that collectors

overlook the damage." Apparently the same held true for a Seventeenth Century

carved figure of a woman, with missing hands, priced at over $4,000 in the

Winsor Antiques booth (Woodbury, Conn.). A pair of French, Eighteenth Century

brass pricket candlesticks in the same booth were priced at $4,700, while an

Eighteenth Century European, oak chest with a carved base was $4,800.

Always popular, and hard to find, was a full bodied, copper weathervane, bull

form. Made in the last quarter of the Nineteenth Century, it was priced at

$9,800 in the Rutabaga Pie Antiques booth (Chesterfield, Mo.).

An example of the growing popularity of "Raj" (Anglo-English) furniture and

decorations was a handsome satinwood and carved ebony cabinet, circa 1880. It

was offered for $14,500.

A pair of red lacquered cabinets, Nineteenth Century, Chinese, profusely

inlaid with mother-of-pearl, was priced at $25,000 in the Georgian Manor

Antiques booth (Fairhaven, Mass). As the booth manager noted, "The blood red

color is what makes them important."

It was a great evening for Marty and Faye Shapiro (Finnegan Gallery, Chicago,

Ill.) who had a hard time keeping up with buyers of their architectural and

garden items. "It's like collectors have really discovered the importance of

pieces of old buildings. The business has really taken off! They are respected

as pieces of art and history," Shapiro said. Five, hand-carved pine

architectural ornaments, circa 1860, in a scroll shape and a pair of shell

cement panels wore sold signs. A 40-drawer apothecary chest was priced at

$5,700, and a store sign, circa 1860 was tagged at $975.

The Fran Campbell Antiques and Interiors booth (Newman, Ga.) had sold signs on

several items almost as soon as the doors opened. Among them, a fine

Eighteenth Century tall case clock made by Henry Hurt, with chinoiserie

lacquer motifs. Still awaiting a buyer were four green lustre, Staffordshire

poodles, circa 1880, priced as a grouping for $1,150, and a pair of cut glass

decanters tagged at $650.

Collectors of small boxes found a good selection in the Sherwood Antiques and

Restorations booth (Macon, Ga.). Among them were tortoise and mahogany tea

caddies priced from $400 to $3,000. Sherwood also had a selection of

Eighteenth Century English, George IV chests priced from $2,000 to $10,000.

Among the special events was the Saturday morning lecture by Nancy Richards,

titled "Restrained Elegance. Treasures from the Collections at Tryon Palace

Historic Sites and Gardens."

Other events included the Friday lecture/box lunch, with Philip M. Jelley, Jr,

from Sotheby's, who spoke on "The Ten Criteria of Collecting" and the

collectors tour and coffee led by Robert Lawler, the show's professional

manager.