Full Text:

Arts Of Pacific Asia Show, March 24-28, 1999

with 16 cuts

By Karla Klein Albertson

NEW YORK CITY -- The Arts of Pacific Asia show in the 69th Regiment Armory at

26th Street and Lexington Avenue reflects what Asia Week as a marketplace

phenomenon should be all about: more offerings, more choice, more buyers. A

bi-coastal production by California's Caskey-Lees and Maryland's Sha/Dor, the

event presents around 70 diverse dealers, the vast majority of whom are

non-New Yorkers. Bill Caskey and Liz Lees do other Asian shows in California,

so 18 exhibitors from that state is not surprising, but the show also boasts

26 dealers from outside the country and, even better, 16 from other parts of

the United States.

Some dealers who travel the farthest seem to appreciate the opportunity the

most. During a chat on Saturday, which turned out to be a busy afternoon, Suzy

Lebasi of Soo Tze Oriental Antiques, Melbourne, Australia, had high praise for

the event.

"I've been coming to America for five years doing the shows, one in San

Francisco, one in Los Angeles, and the rest in New York," she said. "They're

brilliant fairs, they're just really good, and it's worth coming all the way

over here."

Lebasi continued, "People seem to like the fact that I have different taste in

things. You tend to get New York taste and European taste, and I've got

Australian taste obviously. This year, it's gone really, really well; I've

sold 60 percent of what I had. I sold this Tibetan thanks to a major museum.

It's as good as it gets for that period, late Eighteenth to early Nineteenth

Century. This screen doesn't even belong to me, but I ran out of things on the

wall and I borrowed it."

When asked what had brought him over from London, Robert Brandt explained the

basics in a few words: "New Yorkers buy -- they're better educated and they

buy art for their apartments and houses. In England, we just sell to dealers

and trade or to Europeans."

Johnny Tseng of the Dynasty Collection, Diamond Bar, California, who has done

the Caskey-Lees show in San Francisco, also appreciated that New York spirit,

which was apparent when he said, "There were a lot of people here at the

preview; it was like they were going crazy trying to spend their money. The

management is careful to keep the quality level up; all the pieces are vetted.

"East Coast people are more sophisticated -- they are exposed to more. In San

Francisco, they like the Japanese, but it's more folk art -- the mingei -- not

the really fine pieces."

Milan dealer Carlo Cristi, who had a very good show for his Himalayan art,

likes the whole idea of the week-long concentration of events in New York.

"Even though it's a long way to go, I like to be in a show during Asia Week,"

he explained. "During Asia Week, there is an international gathering. These

things are quite specialized, and here you can deal with knowledgeable people

who know already what this is about. Good things always sell, but you have to

be in the right place with the right people."

He added, "The way Americans organize these things -- they're creating an

event, they're gathering all the people together, and they're creating energy,

rather than being afraid of competitors. You stimulate better offerings --

better quality, better selection -- and people have to choose.

"It's competitive but in a positive way, because you improve the dealers and

attract more buyers. The buyer has to come, because otherwise he will miss the

chance to see all the things."

While Arts of Pacific Asia has its fair share of five and six-figure stunners,

there is also a lot under $10,000 and even things to be picked up under $1,000

for people who want to make a start with quality. The show has been

consistently good for Chicago's Three Friends Studio, according to Michael

Chung.

As of Saturday, he reported, "Opening night we did very well. Last year we had

a very good show, and we're up to a little more than four-fifths of last

year."

Chiang Oi Ling, the President of Hong Kong's Contes d'Orient, agreed that

value was important. "I think when people come here, they do find prices more

reasonable than at the other show," she said.

"We brought some Ming huang huali pieces from the Sixteenth/Seventeenth

Century, so we have a few pieces of hardwood, and we also brought softwood

furniture. One beautiful but reasonable offering was a sort of Asian pie safe,

an airy kitchen storage piece in two sections from southern China for $5,000.

She pointed out, "Southern furniture is more refined and feminine-looking

while northern furniture is more masculine and sturdy."

Once again this spring, the emphasis was on Asian textiles, a slant provided

by both the colorful offerings throughout the show and by Saturday's all-day

lecture series, "Sources of Splendor." The speakers also provided illustrated

articles on their topics for the show catalogue, which at seven by nine inches

is a far handier size to carry in bag or pocket than the usual ten pounder.

Arts of Pacific Asia continues as a twice-a-year event, with the fall edition

this year coinciding with the September Asia sales. For more information, call

Caskey-Lees, 310/455-2886 or Sha/Dor, 301/924-5002.