CADA To Host Presentation On Antique Treen Ware

SHELTON — The Connecticut Association of Dealers in Antiques, Inc (CADA) will conduct its next meeting and educational lecture Wednesday, November 15, at Plumb Memorial Library.

The guest lecturer will be Arthur Burke of Trumbull and his presentation will cover the topic of fine small turned wooden objects often described as treen. The lecture and presentation will begin at 7 pm. Admission is free, and the public is invited.

Treen is a very old word meaning “of a tree.” It has become the generic name for small handmade functional household objects made of wood, turned or shaped by other means, and made of a relatively small number of parts. Hence, treen is distinct from furniture and cabinetry. Today the term is sprinkled about the literature of antiques and is a mainstay of auction catalogs. Anything from wooden plates and bowls, snuff boxes and needle cases, to spoons and shoehorns can be classified as treen.

Before the advent of cheap metal wares in industrialized societies, wood played a much greater role as the major raw material for common objects. Turning and carving were the key manufacturing techniques. The selection of wood species was very important, and close-grained native hardwoods as well as exotic imported woods were particularly favored.

Treen wares represent a synthesis of fine materials and meticulous craftsmanship, and their strongly functional and undecorated forms have become highly regarded by designers and collectors.

For more than 40 years, Mr Burke was a successful residential and commercial interior designer. An artist in his own right, he has embarked upon a second career in the art world since his retirement, and his boxed assemblages and kinetic artworks have appeared in numerous exhibitions throughout the Northeast.

Mr Burke is a former member of the American Society of Interior Designers and a present artist member of Silvermine Guild of Artists. A passionate and enthusiastic collector of treen, he has amassed a varied collection over the past four decades.

As part of his presentation, Mr Burke will share many pieces from his own personal collection, and he invites people who attend the lecture to bring examples of their own small wooden objects for him to identify and evaluate. 

This lecture is part of a series in the member education program that has been embarked upon by the executive board of CADA.  The organization’s objective is to broaden the knowledge and capability of its dealer organization. Membership in CADA is open to antiques and collectibles dealers of integrity and quality and also to auctioneers, appraisers, promoters and others in the antiques trade.  Some members conduct their business from shops or online, while others participate only in antiques shows. Approximately six meetings are conducted throughout the year to share information, to participate in presentations by various experts in numerous fields and to network with other members in the trade.

The Plumb Memorial Library is at 65 Wooster Street. For information, call 203-915-7662.