Date: Fri 11-Dec-1998

Publication: Ant

Author: SS

Quick Words:

Delaware-Antiques-Chubb's

Full Text:

Delaware Show

WILMINGTON, DEL. -- The gymnasium area of the Tatnall School never looked

better than it did on November 12 when patrons arrived to view the 35th annual

Delaware Antiques Show. Fifty of the leading dealers from around the country

were there with attractive booths and most found good customers among the many

who attended the show. This year the attendance pushed very close to the 4,000

mark, up 13 percent from 1997.

H.L. Chalfant Antiques of West Chester, Pa., offered a nice selection of

furniture including a Chippendale cupboard in walnut with scroll top and

carved rosettes, turned vase and flame finials, glass doors in the upper

section and raised panel doors in the lower. It was from Pennsylvania, circa

1775. Nearby a Chippendale mirror in mahogany hung over a four-drawer chest.

The mirror was of English origin, circa 1760, with gilded phoenix.

"We had an excellent show," Moe Wajselfish said, noting that "sales included a

couple of very fine woollies, lots of bronzes which were good sellers on

Sunday, the last day of the show, and a good number of Staffordshire pieces

including some children's name plates and cups." One of the woollies was dated

1860 and had gold thread, raised crown decoration, and pictured the H.M.S.

Tribute. An architect's table, which unfolded to accommodate large drawings,

had a red sold tag on it before the show ended.

Jackson-Mitchell from nearby Centerville, Del., had a large booth which was

guarded by a good-sized pair of terra cotta lions, French origin, circa 1860.

At the front of the booth, mounted on a tall pedestal, was a child's armchair,

Charles II, of carved walnut and caned, English, circa 1680. It was

elaborately carved with cherubs and crown in the crest.

Forager House of Nantucket, Mass., always seems to come up with interesting

collections and this time a grouping of American christening bonnets, late

Nineteenth Century, decorated a portion of the back wall; a grouping of

sailor's lace baskets was displayed near a selection of paint-decorated book

boxes. George Korn, one of the owners of Forager House, mentioned that "we

always have a selection of Nantucket baskets, and for this show we brought

along a set of stencils depicting the alphabet and enough snow eagles to

outfit a good sizes roof."

Donald Sack of Skytop, Pa., not only experienced a good show, but also a

slight bout with a medical problem on the last day. As this paper reported in

a recent issue, he is now doing fine and is back to being Donald Sack American

Antiques of Skytop, with no affiliation with the family firm, Israel Sack, in

New York City. "I don't have a shop, will be doing a number of shows including

Delaware, Philadelphia and Greenwich, and have plans for some consulting work

along the way," he said. "I really like what I am doing, and that is the way

it should be," he added.

Swarthmore, Pa., dealer Robert Edwards showed stained glass windows, Prairie

School, American, circa 1915, colored and textured glass, and a pair of Arts &

Crafts style settees, circa 1910, American, quarter oak with the original

finish. Diana Bittle of Waynewood, Pa., offered a large carved wooden eagle,

English origin, with the original black paint with gold highlights, circa

1830, which hung over a Pennsylvania chest in walnut, three drawers over two

with in the top portion and two drawers in the lower section. Among the pieces

of pottery in the booth was a rare salt-glazed lion of large size, mid

Nineteenth Century, English, in the reclining position.

"The show was fantastic for us," Pat Guthman of Southport, Conn., said, noting

that sales during the first hour of the preview included a round hutch table

together with the set of six New England Windsor side chairs which surrounded

it. Sales of hearth iron, ceramics, a bronze casting of a lobster, and several

pieces of New England stoneware were made.

Also of Southport, Peter Warren experienced a good show and while he did not

sell any furniture, he did part with a quantity of English Eighteenth Century

pottery, including creamware and basalt pieces. "I thought that the preview

crowd was better than past years," he said, "and the people not only showed an

interest in things, but they were also buying."

One of the highlights in the booth of Nathan Liverart and Son was a mushroom

armchair from the Lebanon-Norwich School, circa 1700-1710. It dated from the

Pilgrim century and caused considerable attention on opening night. A

Chippendale bureau with reeded quarter columns in cherrywood, bold ogee feet,

Connecticut Valley origin, was among the furniture in the booth and a large

bull weathervane by Howard & Co., copper and cast zinc, 1860-1880, rested on

top of a five graduated-drawer chest.

One of the nicest pieces of iron to come on the market in some time was a duet

stand with four adjustable candleholders, Eighteenth Century, probably from

England. It was shown by Grace and Elliott Snyder of Egremont, Mass., along

with a diminutive New England desk, burl veneer and maple, measuring only 33«

inches wide. "Sales were good," Grace said later, noting that they sold a New

England bed coverlet to a Baltimore dealer, an Eighteenth Century needlework

picture, a couple of hooked rugs, including one with a floral design, and a

New England decorated mirror.

An attribution to Jacob Brown was given to a walnut tall chest with lace

drawer, Chester County, Pa., a 1760-1785 piece with the original brasses in

the booth of Philip Bradley of Downingtown, Pa. Several sideboards were

offered at the show and one of them, a Philadelphia example, was in the

Bradley booth. It was of mahogany, with inlay, and dated circa 1790-1800.

A flag quilt made of 1,896 pieces of fabric hung in the booth of John Keith

Russell of South Salem, N.Y. It was made by Mary M. Hall Harrington and

quilted by her daughter-in-law, Sadie Atkinson Harrington of Dayton, Ohio, in

1905. Among the Shaker pieces of furniture in the booth was a one-door

cupboard, painted pine, from Sabbathday Lake, Me., or Canterbury, N.H. It was

37« inches high and dated circa 1800.

There was still room on the walls of the booth of M. Finkel and Daughter for

more samplers, "but we thought 62 at one show was enough," Morris Finkel said.

Of that number, 12 were sold during the run of the show. "It looked like a

chair day to me," he continued, referring to sales of one Windsor armchair and

a set of six Sheraton side chairs.

An English swell-front sideboard in mahogany, circa 1800, with figured veneer

and string inlay, was shown by E.L. Oakes Antiques, Old Brookville, N.Y.

Hanging over the sideboard was a painting of "The Young Huntress" by Arthur

John Elsley, London. This oil on canvas measured 36 by 26 inches and was

signed and dated 1894.

One of the larger pieces of furniture in the show was a walnut raised panel

shrank, seven drawers in the base, in the booth of James L. Price Antiques,

Carlisle, Pa. It was of Pennsylvania origin, circa 1780, with old surface and

the original brasses. A Queen Anne highboy and matching lowboy were from the

Delaware Valley, circa 1750.

Charles and Rebekah Clark of Woodbury, Conn. offered a classic

bookcase/secretary from Boston, circa 1820, in mahogany, popular and pine. It

rested on tall turned legs. Of Philadelphia origin was a pair of five-light

girandoles, gilt brass and glass, circa 1850. "This was our second year in

Wilmington and it was one of the best shows we have ever had anywhere,"

Rebekah Clark said. Making it successful was the sale of several upholstered

pieces of furniture, parian ware, a pair of cast iron lions, and a pair of

Philadelphia game tables.

Furniture offered by Anthony Werneke of Pond Eddy, N.Y. included a Chippendale

secretary bookcase, flat top, with a Providence or Newport origin. It was in

mahogany and dated circa 1770-1785. In the center of the booth was a William

and Mary gateleg table from Boston, circa 1700-1725, in walnut.

Another secretary bookcase, American Neo-Classic, was shown by Federalists

Antiques of Kenilworth, Ill. It was New York State, mahogany and figured

mahogany, with glass doors in the top section. It dated circa 1830. A pedestal

base extension table, three leaves, New York, circa 1830, was also in mahogany

and figured mahogany.

An attribution to Anthony Querrelle, Philadelphia, was given to a Classical

carved mahogany sideboard in the booth of The Schwebel Company of Chicago,

Ill. It was dated circa 1840 and over the sideboard was a still life, oil on

canvas, by Bella Russell, circa 1875. An American Empire pier table with

mahogany veneer, probably Meeks, New York, circa 1835, had the original

surface and Egyptian marble top.

Many of today's shows, including the Delaware Antiques Show, plan full

schedules of event which run both during and either before or after regular

hours of the show. Some of these programs involve the exhibitors, such as

guided tours of the show and panel discussions, while other tap outside

talent.

This year the honorary show chairman was Chris Jussel, the host of Chubb's

Antiques Roadshow; the committee felt that this association brought more

people to the show. According to Winterthur spokeswoman, Hillary Holland, "we

had to turn people away at the appraisal session which ran from noon to 4 pm

on Sunday." She felt that people were inspired by the Roadshow and while no

great treasures were brought to the show, a very good Tiffany lamp was among

the more interesting items.

Appraisals were in the hands of members of the American Society of Appraisers,

and all were from Philadelphia. Included were Leslie Lynch Clinton, a personal

property appraiser; Richard de Wingert, appraiser for Freeman Fine Arts; and

Barry Slosberg and Eric Cohen of BSS Incorporated. Lectures were given by

Elizabeth Stillinger and Priscilla Roosevelt; a Young Collector's Evening on

Saturday included dinner at the Vicmead Hunt Club.

The show next year is set for November 12-14 at the Tatnall School, again a

benefit for Winterthur.