NY Times Previews the Winter Antiques Show

Benjamin Genocchio of the NY Times has a preview of the 55th annual Winter Antiques show in NYC. He is impressed with the wide assortment of merchandise on display from the 75 dealers. Yes, there is the large amount of typical American antique furniture and decorative arts but there is also a lot of variety in this years presentations and dealer exhibits, including mid-century modern.

Genocchio states While the accent is on 18th- and 19th-century Americana, variety abounds: there is Asian art; glass; rugs; Egyptian, Roman and Greek antiquities; jewelry; ceramics; paintings; photography; silverware; folk art; prints; rare books — some 10,000 items in all.

Genocchio continues This year, for the first time, the fair’s organizers have allowed modern material, up to 1969, to be presented in the show. Not all of the items qualify as antiques, but increasingly these kinds of art world definitions are meaningless. Besides, the new mixture mirrors the way collectors like to combine antiques and antiquities with modern art and furniture in their homes.

As I have mentioned in past posts on the AW Blog, mid century modern is a growing sector for collectors. If it is showing up at the Winter Show, soon expect to see more and other shows and auctions. Mid Century modern accounted for nearly 25% of merchandise at the 24th Paris Biennale des Antiquaires, France's leading antique show and fair this past fall. Now at the Winter Show in NY, I would say mid century modern decorative arts has broken into the established and traditional venues of fairs and exhibits.

Eve Kahn also has an article in the NY Times about both the Winter Show and the NY Ceramics fair. Kahn was impressed with the Ceramics fair and made the following observation Dealers can be educational resources comparable to excitable, deeply informed, eloquent museum docents. Picking up a piece at a booth could set off a mini-lecture about the historical forces and peculiar personalities that shaped the original design, the enduring mysteries surrounding its production and survival, and maybe why its price is so reasonable.The prices seem relatively sensible, and the dealers especially scholarly, at the New York Ceramics Fair and the American Antiques Show. Trolling the aisles asking about the newest highlights, any rarities fresh to market, you hear just a few figures over $10,000, and there are plenty of conversation pieces available for just a few hundred dollars.

It is pleasant to see Kahn recognize the both the knowledge of the dealers and their willingness to share that knowledge with show patrons. Too many times you here of dealers ignoring potential clients, or just show patrons who would like to learn more. The dealers must keep in mind they could be future collectors and customers. It is also interesting to see what Kahn considers to be fair and reasonable prices. Too many times at these NY Americana week sales, there is such a wide range between price and value. I have witnessed at many shows extraordinary items with justified extraordinary prices, I have also seen many ordinary pieces with extraordinary prices.

To read the NY Times piece on the Winter show, click HERE. To read the Kahn piece on the Ceramics and Winter Show, click HERE.