Antique

1810 English Globe Writing Desk Offered By Rau Antiques

Filed under: Decor

As long as we have had organized society we have had trendy stuff. At points in the 18th and 19th century, globes were hot. Map making was a bit of a romantic thing at the time, intrinsically mixed with exploring the world and conquering new places. Having a map of a region meant you knew and understood that far off place - instantly making you pretty darn cool. Everyone wanted in on the "worldly" action, and people with wealth all wanted world map globes. These globes had to be hand-made and done with pretty extreme precision - although they weren't exactly as accurate as they are too. Ahh, the virtues of modern cartography.

In addition to globes themselves being hot - globe-like objects were equally hot. This for instance is a very rare writing desk that was meant to fold closed and look like a globe. How cool is that? I think that Ikea should carry these. This one was made around 1810 during the Regency Period in England by Morgan & Sanders. It is referred to as "metamorphic furniture." Meaning that it changed in someway. Today we would probably call it "transformer-orphic furniture!"

Tags: antique, desk, globe, globes, rau

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Trial over "The Trial": Kafka's Letters Headed to Israeli Court

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art, Books

Academics are desperate to get their hands on a collection of letters that once belonged to author Franz Kafka, the genius behind "The Metamorphosis" and "The Trial." But, their efforts have been stymied by Have Hoffe and her sister, Ruth Wisler. The two ladies received the documents from their mother two years ago (when she died at the age of 101). Previously, the materials belonged to Max Brod, a German author who wrote a biography of Kafka. Brod died in 1968 and left the letters to Hoffe's and Wisler's mother, Esther.

The battle over the literary booty is on its way to Tel Aviv Family Court. The letters currently sit in two bank vaults, though scholars are worried that they aren't being stored properly. They see in the letters a potential treasure map: they may indicate the location of some notebooks confiscated from Kafka by the Gestapo. The issue became a legal matter when the sisters sought to ratify their mother's will, at which point the Israeli government became involved. Esther Hoffe only allowed a handful of researchers to view the letters and didn't make them available to the public -- a sore spot for interested scholars.

Had Kafka's wishes been respected, there would be no problem right now. The letters would have been burned.

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Tags: antique, antiques, franz kafka, FranzKafka, israel, kafka, tel aviv, TelAviv

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Swedes Show Love for Bergman at Stockholm Auction

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Art

All year, I've sifted through story after story in which auctions either miss or barely attain low-end estimates. So, the action at Bukowskis auction house in Stockholm easily caught my attention. The chess set (probably) used in the match against Death in Ingmar Bergman's 1957 film "The Seventh Seal" sold for a whopping 100 times the minimum. So, where bidders are committed, there is still plenty of life in the auction market.

The pieces, made from wood and plaster, went for $143,270 shortly after midnight (local) on Tuesday morning. The low-end for the chess set was between $1,400 and $2,100. In total, 339 lots sold at the Bukowskis auction, resulting in $2.5 million, 8.5 times the minimum aggregate asking price of $285,000. Bergman's writing desk, designed by Carl Malmsten, moved for nearly $23,000, and a pair of night tables adorned with scribbled personal notes by Bergman sold for just over $48,000 – despite the commencement of bidding at $2,800.

Depending on the estate, it seems, the auction market is coming back.

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Tags: antique, antique auction, AntiqueAuction, antiques, auction, auction-house, auctionhouse, auctions, bergman, bukowski, ingmar bergman, IngmarBergman, sweden

J. Peterman English Pub Signs

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Art

Whether you're looking for the perfect final touch for your home bar or simply love antiques and English history, these pub signs available from J. Peterman are truly unique specimens. Each authentic and hand-painted and many still in their original wood or metal frames, the collection includes subject matter going back to the time of Queen Victoria. Some signs represent subject matter commonly used by pubs over the years (such as the swan in this sign) while others are more unique, like the Wilton Arms sign shown here that honors the coat of arms belonging to the local lord. Prices vary from $495-$1895.

Gallery: J. Peterman English Pub Signs

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Tags: antique, antiques, england, english, english pub, english pub signs, EnglishPub, EnglishPubSigns, historic, history, j peterman, JPeterman, pub, pubs, sign, signs

Vintage Airline Food Carts

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Dining, Wings

It's not on too many products that you find "authentic small dents and scratches" listed as a selling point and a good thing, but the case of these Vintage Airline Food Carts is one of the few exceptions. Available in several fun exterior finishes, the interiors all feature a retractable serving tray and 14 racks to hold drawers and shelves (which you can buy separately). The doors close with standard latches and each has a magnetic catch to help it stay open while you're using the cart, plus of course all the carts come equipped with the handy pedal-locking wheel brakes flight attendants rely on so dearly. $1450

Via Acquire

Gallery: Vintage Airline Food Carts

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Tags: airline, airline food, AirlineFood, airlines, antique, antiques, cart, carts, flying, food cart, food carts, FoodCart, FoodCarts, vintage, vintage airline food carts, VintageAirlineFoodCarts

Leona Helmsley's Belongings To Be Auctioned Off

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Celebrity Shopping

Leona Helmsley's dog Trouble may have walked off with a $12 million inheritance but the little pup has no use for artwork, silver, furniture and other items so these are being sold off at Christies. Around 500 lots of goods belonging to the late billionaire will be sprinkled throughout Christie's auctions this spring. Christie's has said that they expect to bring in a total of $4 to $6 million from the sales which will go to the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust. The first sale items will hit the auction block this Friday in an auction of important American silver. You can pick up her Tiffany silverware which is estimated to sell for $20,000 to $30,000.

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Tags: antique, auction, christies, leona helmsley, LeonaHelmsley

Mechanical Watch Movement Cufflinks

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

This set of Mechanical Watch Movement Cufflinks set in 18K gold is designed for timepiece collectors or creators, or just for lovers of history as they are created from gears, levers, and jewels taken from watches of the early to mid twentieth century. A mix of antique and modern appeal, each authentic vintage cuff link will have slight variations in shape and size. Gift boxed complete with authenticity certificate, set shown here in gold available for $1404. Also available in sterling silver, and if you like this look also check out the mechanical watch movement pendant and chain.

Via BornRich

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Tags: antique, cuff, cufflink, cufflinks, gold, link, links, mechanical, movement, vintage, watch

Meneghini Antique Refrigerators

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Dining

Although they may have an antique appearance, there is nothing old fashioned about the Meneghini refrigerators. The fridges are produced by Robeys out of materials that range from aged cherry wood to Lebanese cedar and mahogany, with solid brass handles that are sturdy and timelessly beautiful. On top of the stunning finishes, or rather within them, lie ultra-modern interiors, with natural lighting, glass shelves and even appliances (optional), including coffee makers, microwaves, ice makers and even ovens. Appliancist has some apparently exclusive photos of one of the newer models. We don't have an exact price on these units, especially since there is a lot of customization involved, but don't be surprised to see them at upwards of £20,000.

Click past the jump to see what types of interiors we would love to see in our fridges:

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Tags: Antique, appliance, fridge, Meneghini, refrigerators

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Metallic Space Curtain

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

The "space" in the name of the Metallic Space Curtain is likely to refer to the fact that the unusual curtain can be used to divide a space into two separate areas, rather than resemble something that is from outer space, although the glimmering piece could very well have been inspired by the night sky. The curtain is composed of over 2,000 individual squares of thin, platinum-colored metal. It measures 99"x99" and can be used either as a divider or as a wall covering. The piece was designed by Paco Rabanne Sofwear around 1970 for Baumann AG, Switzerland. Price: $14,000.