Date: Fri 26-Feb-1999

Publication: Ant

Author: JUDIR

Quick Words:

Miami

Full Text:

Miami Modernism Show A Boffo Production

with 23 cuts

By Anne Gilbert

It was an outrageous and wonderful bit of showbiz that Jacques Caussin

presented to collectors at his sixth annual Miami Modernism Show, January

22-24. And it paid off big time for the 65 dealers who participated. "Most of

the high-end designer pieces had sold by Sunday," Caussin said. "I had to

apologize to people on Sunday because the show was cleaned out."

On Friday, preview night, the curtain went up at 6 pm as guests were welcomed

with music from the eras. Ten minutes into the show, the buzz was on that

dealer Peter Linden of Decodence, San Francisco, had turned down offers of

$17,000 and $22,000 on a circa 1920 Jan Eisenloeffel clock. He shortly got his

asking price of $25,000.

Richard Wright, of Oak Park, Ill., had a color knockout display that included

a purple George Nelson sofa with original fabric, $20,000, and a Verner Panton

cone chair with a bold blue cushion, $4,000.

"The market is maturing," Wright said. "It takes a certain amount of affluence

since the very best pieces are harder and harder to find." He pointed out that

recently a double marshmallow sofa sold at auction for a record $66,000. "Most

of these buyers are in the 30 through 50s age group." He advised that for

beginning collectors there is "lots of 60s, 70s material." Other prices in his

booth were an Eames screen, $4,500; George Nelson bubble lamp, $1,200;

Robsjohn-Gibbings glass top coffee table, $4,600; and an Eames child's chair,

$6,500.

Colorful Higgins glassware was catching attention in the Jeffrey Ligan

(Belvair, Miami Beach) booth. Rarities such as the only known chandelier done

by Higgins and an original edition of a 30-piece Rondelay set, circa 1955,

were priced $3,200 for the late 50s chandelier, $3,800 for the Rondelay set.

Another rarity was a 24-inch prototype circular tray for the daisy pattern,

the largest mold form they could apparently make. It was priced at $4,800.

Late 60s mobiles were priced from $1,400 to $1,850.

The booth of American Salvage, of Miami, was definitely "space out" with TVs

in the shape of astronaut space helmets priced from $275 to $525 and robot

toys tagged from $250 up. "Moon rocks," rock, textured plastic lamps were

priced from $325 to $625.

Dan Ripley, Indianapolis, Ind., has switched from Italian art glass to

Bakelite, having sold his collection at last year's Treadway auction.

Noteworthy was a Venini vase designed by Bianconi priced at $11,500. As Ripley

explained, "good pieces are hard to come by."

Boomerang Modern, West Palm Beach, Fla., offered a Heywood Wakefield bedroom

set priced at $52,000. Art Moderned Antiques, Tampa, Fla., had an interesting

Vladimir Kagan-style coffee table with blue tile top, circa 1950s priced at

$295.

Eye-catching was the booth of Twentieth Century Scandinavian Furniture and

Decorative Arts, Stockholm, Sweden. Eight bullhorn chairs designed by Arne

Jacobsen were flanked by a red gyro chair designed by Eero Aarnio, circa 1968.

Hanging over them were red, yellow, blue and white lighting fixtures designed

by Vernor Panton, circa 1960s. The bullhorn chairs were $500 each; the gyro

chair was $1,800, and lights, $200 each.

The Collage booth, Dallas, Tex., exemplified the often stark simplicity of 50s

decor. A large Eames poster advertising their designs was priced at $40. A red

upholstered aluminum chair was priced at $675. A Pol Henningsen hanging lamp,

circa 1950s, was priced at $675.

It was back to the Deco era at Deco de Luxe, New York City, with a silver leaf

cabinet priced at $2,600. An Italian Murano glass framed mirror, tagged at

$2,200, was displayed on its top. Also noteworthy was a blown glass chandelier

by Barovier for $8,400. A pair of white leather and goatskin French armchairs,

circa 1920s, were $7,200 a pair. Oscar Rey, the dealer, pointed out a beauty

of a suitcase: an Amelia Earhart with rich veneering, priced at $650.

Pioneer dealer Michael Glatfelter, of Mode Moderne in Philadelphia, Penn.,

offered a lounger by Bruno Mathsson priced at $2,200. "This is always my

favorite show," he said. "I think after the millennium this time period will

just keep getting stronger." Also draped on the wall was one of six rolls of

circa 1950s Schumacher wallpaper priced in total for $195. Glatfelter said he

watches for wallpaper store closings for his discoveries.

A developing art category, found in the Streamline Illustration booth of Penn

Valley, Calif., were auto concept illustrations from the early 60s. Prices

ranged from $1,200 up.

Trendy novelty cocktail shakers in the booth of Barnard, from New Hope, Conn.,

were priced at $600 for penguin shaped to an aluminum Deco style with wood top

at $1,200.

The display of Mr Modern, Chicago, Ill., was lit up with a variety of store

lighting fixtures. Dealer Dan Colclough "took all 90 down in one day, in a

department store in Acton, Indiana." The pieces were priced from $225 to $850.

On their way out, collectors were picking up this year's striking Miami

Modernism Show poster for $45. Yet another collectible for the future.