antiques

Infamous Albemarle Club Gaming Table For Sale

Filed under: Auctions

The beautiful card table shown above has quite the decadent history. This antique games table was made for the Albemarle Club in London. The Albemarle Club was a private members' club founded in 1874 and open to both men and women. The club is most famous in the annals of history for being involved in the scandal that eventually led to Oscar Wilde's persecution. It was at this club where, in 1895, the Marquess of Queensberry burst in, demanding to see Oscar Wilde, who was a member of the club. The marquis left his calling card with a note "For Oscar Wilde, posing somdomite" (sic), then a criminal accusation. Wilde claimed libel but was later prosecuted and faced prison and exile. The episode and resulting fall-out doomed his writing career and he eventually died in Paris at the age of 46.

The table is with New Orleans-based M.S. Rau Antiques and was made with Cuban mahogany and satinwood inlays. There is an elaborate key mechanism, inscribed "The Albemarle Club," at the center of the table. It has a series of locks that can only be opened by a set of brass keys. Six keys correspond to individual drawers on the table, and one large master key opens all six. The drawers contain game pieces and boards and each serves as a gaming station with its own sliding cocktail glass support and a compartment to store its own brass key. There aren't too many tables in the world like this and the listed price of $175,000 reflects the perfect blend of craftsmanship and exceptional provenance.

[via Art Fix Daily]

Tags: albemarle club, antiques, gaming table, oscar wilde

Europe 2 You Offers A Piece of Budapest

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

Spanning the distance between Atlanta and Budapest is Europe2You, a website specializing in bringing the best of Central Europe to the rest of the world. The company specializes in both vintage items and new pieces. Found wood objects, vintage wine bottles and other pieces are over 100 years old.

The company also sells functional dinnerware, bakeware and serveware imported from Central Europe as shown above. Each piece is induvidually signed and handpainted by master potter Istvan Barkonyi and made of white, European clay and is microwave, dishwasher and oven safe. Click through after the jump for more offerings from this company.

Tags: antiques, bakeware, decor, serveware, vintage bottles

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Stewart Antiques, Vintage Finds In Beverly Hills

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

As I discovered recently at the Los Angeles Antiques Show, Los Angeles has a thriving antiques culture hidden deep under an exterior that appears to only embrace the new and trendy. Right off paparazzi-infested Robertson Street in Beverly Hills you'll find Stewart Antiques, a third-generation, family-owned luxury-goods business that got its start in London in 1916. The store sells an eclectic variety of art, jewelry, and furniture spanning the ages from a Chaudet bronze to a Andy Warhol signed screenprint of Dracula. The owner, Andrew Morris, was born in London, England and spent his summers and holidays working for the family business. In 1992 he moved the gallery from foggy London to sunny L.A.

In addition to housing a cornucopia of rarities Stewart Antiques offers appraisal services for charity, probate, insurance, equal distribution or other purposes whether you need a full estate or just a single precious item evaluated. They also offer design services and buy a variety of items including 18th, 19th and 20th Century American & European Art, Antique and Estate Jewelry, Sterling Silver, Fine Furniture and Collectibles. Some of Stewart's treasures after the jump.

Tags: antique stores, antiques, beverly hills, stewart antiques

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Own A Piece Of The Original London Bridge

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Auctions

The small table above is no ordinary antique. The oak table is made from the ancient wood salvaged from the foundations of the Old London Bridge and is set to be auctioned off on June 30 by Lyon and Turnbull in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is expcted to sell for up to £3,000 (around $4,520).

The foundations of the bridge over the Thames River were laid in 1177. The wood was removed in 1833 before the bridge was rebuilt. The center of the table has a brass plaque in the center which reads: "The Oak of which this table is made was under the foundation of Old London Bridge, Upwards of six hundred and fifty six years and taken up from thence in 1833 by Sir Edward Banks and William John Jolliffe Esq. The contractors and builders of new London Bridge." That 19th century bridge was replaced by the current bridge which opened in March 1973. Material from the older bridge was sold to Robert P. McCulloch for $2.46 million and reconstructed at Lake Havasu City, Arizona where it has become a popular tourist attraction.

[via BBC News]

Tags: antiques, artifact, london bridge, scotland, table

Auction Features The Collection Of The Other Ed Hardy

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Auctions, Art

We've all come to associate the name Ed Hardy with trucker hats and the Christian Audigier fashion line but there is another, more refined Ed Hardy. An upcoming sale of Fine European and American Furniture and Decorative Arts at Bonhams & Butterfields in San Francisco, California includes an evening session showcasing furniture and decorations from the Ed Hardy San Francisco Collection. This Ed Hardy is a prominent San Francisco antiques dealer. His pieces include 17th century Roman giltwood tables, Murano glass chandeliers, modernist furnishings, Chinese ceramics and a collection of Hellenistic marble fountain masks some of which come from the legendary collection of William Randolph Hearst. The one shown at right, a Roman white marble fountain mask circa 2nd – 4th century is estimated at $2,500 to $3,500. The auction previews open in San Francisco on June 11th. The evening session, devoted to the Ed Hardy Collection, begins at 6 p.m. on June 14.

[via Art Daily]

Tags: antiques, bonhams, Bonhams Butterfields, san francisco, William Randolph Hearst

The Amazing And Unusual Up For Auction At Red Baron's

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

It's time once again for one of the greatest shows in the antiques world. Red Baron's Antiques in Georgia hosts huge auctions that people come from miles around to check out. The auction feature over 2500 items and have everything from furniture and memorabilia to vintage cars. It's a very unique collection every time at this shop that bills itself as the home of the amazing and unusual. The next auction, scheduled for June 25 and 26 brings together vintage firearms, a 1972 Dodge Polara California Highway Patrol Car, and something called a "Bonneville" boat/car sculpture which appears to be a wooden boat on wheels.

One of the better parts of the Red Baron inventory is the selection of architectural antiques. Another piece of the Yellowstone Club has ended up here too, a tasting room that was originally from a castle in Scotland, brought to the States in the 1940s and used in a mansion in Westchester County, New York before it was snapped up by the antiques-crazy Blixseths. There are also several bars including the "Harley Pub-Bar" shown above which has swinging doors, stained and jeweled glass windows, beveled mirrors, sink, wine rack and a storage cabinet adorned with Harley Davidson carvings and decorative bikes.

Tags: antioxidants, antique auction, antiques, red baron, red baron antiques

Masterpiece London, A Summer Spectacle Of Art And Antiques

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Events, Art

Last year we learned that London's 75-year-old Grosvenor House Art & Antiques Fair was no more. Antiques show Masterpiece Fair 2010 London provides a new place to appreciate art and antiques. The fair will take place at the former Chelsea Barracks from June 24-29 2010 and combines fine and decorative art with premium collectors' items. Joining the established founders of Mallett, Ronald Phillips, Apter-Fredericks and Asprey will be 113 exhibitors from around the world, including S.J. Phillips, Linley, Agnew's, Tomasso Brothers, Dickinson, Holland & Holland, Louis XIII and Andrew Bruce & Bordeaux Index.

London's Le Caprice will have a full restaurant on site. Fiskens will be exhibiting an Aston Martin DB4 GT and Coys is offering a £3 million 1932 Bugatti. Jewels and vintage watches, rare books as well as a wide selection of paintings will also be on display.

Thomas Woodham-Smith, Chairman of Masterpiece London, comments: "As June approaches, we are delighted to divulge some of the key highlights that will make Masterpiece London such an exciting and innovative event. Whether you are an established collector or just have an eye for the aesthetic, the Fair will offer an unrivalled array of pieces united by an excellence which lies at the very heart of Masterpiece London."

Check out some of the offerings after the jump.

[via Art Fix Daily]

Tags: antique fair, antique furniture, antiques, antiques fair, art fair, london fashion week

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Unusual Shopping: Fabrica La Aurora in San Miguel de Allende

by Alison Wellner (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Luxury Travel & Hotels, Art, Books

When you're visiting San Miguel de Allende in Mexico, it's hard to tear yourself away from its colorful, cobblestoned city center even briefly -- but if you're looking to do a little shopping, particularly for antiques, unusual housewares and art, take a short walk to Fabrica La Aurora.

La Aurora was a textile factory which opened its doors in 1902, and was once one of the largest employers in the area. It specialized in cotton, for everything from textiles to tennis shoes. Anyone who thinks that Mexico reaped all the benefit of free trade agreements should take the history of this factory under advisement: the company closed its doors in 1991, due to increasing global competition.

The factory is now home to antique shops, local artist studios and galleries, all amid the old machine works and photos of the factory the way that it once was. The factory was sprawling, and its maze-like space is fun to explore, even if you've got firm intentions to keep your suitcase light. (Although note bene, La Aurora has three jewelry shops and an excellent art and design bookstore if you'll make exceptions for the light in weight or light in wallet.)

Check out a directory of shops and studios here, and browse the gallery to take a tour of this most unusual shopping venue.

Gallery: La Fabrica Aurora in San Miguel de Allende

Fine Art Intermingles with Factory Machinery

Tags: antiques, art, factories, galleries, Mexico, SanMiguelDeAllende, Studios

New Technology Showcases Antique Cabinet

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art

The J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles is using new technology to showcase a very old object. A 17th-century display cabinet from Augsburg, Germany can now be viewed from a variety of different angles thanks to augmented reality. The piece, which is embellished with various woods, gemstones, marble and other inlays, can be zoomed in to show detail and a a 3D overview shows all the cabinets many doors and drawers. It's an effective way of showing a piece like this which is full of so many intricate details. Walking by it in the museum you might not stop to marvel a tiny inlaid gold ceiling or the detailed carving of a basilisk but online you can linger over each element. It will never replace seeing the object in person but it's a fascinating use of technology. To explore the Augsburg Display Cabinet, visit www.getty.edu/collectorscabinet.

[via ArtDaily]

Tags: antiques, art display, art exhibits, augmented reality, Getty Images

Contents Of Antiques Shop And House Up For Auction

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Estates, Auctions, Art

A historic home and hundreds on antiques are up for sale in Litchfield, Connecticut on June 5 in one amazing sale. A circa 1830 Greek Revival-style home known locally as the Historic Trowbridge-Thoms House belonged to longtime antiques dealer Thomas McBride who did business in the property's adjacent red barn. At 81 he decided to retire finally parting with items he took a lifetime to collect. Around 1,000 antique items will be auctioned off.

The real estate broker for the home property is Mary Helen Levine of Litchfield Real Estate Auctions, LLC, of Litchfield and the contents of the barn/antique shop and home will be auctioned by Tim Chapulis of Tim's, Inc. "Anyone attending this auction will be stepping back in time. This is what you would have come upon if you had been on the antique trail in the 1950s or '60s," said Chapulis in a press release.

Tags: antiques, antiques auction, connecticut, home auction, litchfield

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U.S.'s Oldest Inn Hosts Antique Show

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Jewelry, Events, Art

The oldest operating inn in the United States (since 1716) has has seen many events in its time but one thing it hasn't had is an antiques show. The Wayside Inn in Sudbury, Massachusetts is hosting its inaugural antiques show May 14 through 16 on its grounds. Around 50 antiques dealers from around the country will be display their wares under a 19,000-square-foot grand canopy tent with hardwood and carpeted floors. A portion of the public event proceeds will benefit The Wayside Inn Historic Site. The Wayside Inn expects to see between 1,000 and 1,500 people visit over the course of the event. Longfellow's Wayside Inn is a non-profit Massachusetts Historic Landmark. Money raised will help keep the Inn and its surrounding outbuildings including the gristmill, schoolhouse and chapel in good shape. The 122-acre property has scenic walking trails connecting the buildings.

The Antiques Show is sponsored by Skinner Auctioneers & Appraisers and will include fine art, furniture, ceramics, silver, books, jewelry and more. A preview party will be held on May 14 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Fine food, drink and music will be provided and attendees will have access to the show floor and all dealer booths. Tickets to the preview are $125 in advance and $150 at the door. Tickets for the show are $10.

[via Community Advocate]

Tags: antiques, antiques show, inn, massachusetts, sudbury, wayside inn

Los Angeles Antiques Show Runs This Weekend

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Events, Art

Los Angeles is a city that has a strange relationship with the past. It's accused of being a city with no history and yet it is a city that adores and reveres old things, as long as it can remake and reinvent them. For collectors and designers alike, the playground is open this weekend. It may not be one of the most famous antique shows but the Los Angeles Antiques Show, which runs through Sunday, is a great showcase of dealers from Southern California and around the world. The show features jewelry, fine art, collectibles of all sorts, fine silver, rugs and furniture from a wide variety of eras. The show is at the Barker Hanger at the Santa Monica Airport and runs through Sunday and costs $20. Why should you go? Let the pictures tell the story, a few selected images are after the jump, more in the gallery below.

Tags: antique fair, antique show, antiques, art, los angeles, los angeles antiques show

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Sotheby's First Home Auction in 20 Years

by Carrie N. Culpepper (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Auctions

On May 31 antiques lovers and voyeurs can step inside Virginia billionaire-cum-winemaker Patricia Kluge's 45-room estate in Albermarle County, Va., for a peek at what could be theirs. Kluge's grand estate, Albermarle House, is on the market and she plans to sell off its contents during a two-day auction conducted by Sotheby's on June 8 and 9. Those who buy an auction catalog are welcome to the preview the auction items on-site in May.

"Albemarle House, [Kluge's] collaboration with designer David Easton, rejuvenated high-style country living in the United States in the English tradition, which had declined since the early 20th century," says Sotheby's Worldwide head of French, Continental and English furniture, Alistair Clarke.

Sotheby's will auction Kluge's entire collection within the house, much of which came from top dealers in the U.K. and private collections around the world, including Chinese paintings and works of art, books, sporting guns, jewels, lighting and decorative objects as well as designer gowns by Christian Lacroix and Givenchy. The Kluges' gilded life will be on the auction block.

The home itself is for sale, too. Kluge hasn't had any luck selling the 300-acre estate, which she originally listed for $100 million in October 2009. It's a wonder why she hasn't been more patient with the mansion and its 23,538-square-feet, eight-bedrooms and 13 baths. She recently reduced the price to $48 million after less than a year.

Gallery: Patricia Kluge's Albemarle House

Tags: albemarle house, albemarle virginia, AlbemarleHouse, AlbemarleVirginia, antiques, kluge estates, KlugeEstates, luxury real estate, luxury real estate auction, LuxuryRealEstate, LuxuryRealEstateAuction, patricia kluge, sothebys, Sothebys International Realty, SothebysInternationalRealty

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Swann Galleries Early Printed Books Auction

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Books

There's something magical about turning the pages of an old book, with all that history and ancient knowledge snuggled and sleeping between the sheets of paper. Swann Galleries will be offering up a collection of early printed books and manuscripts belonging to the late Lawrence Feinberg, who was a bookseller and specialized in ancient manuscripts. The accumulation includes a diverse assortment, with some pieces dating back as far as the 9th century. A few examples are a portion of a 9th century Bible in Latin with text from Ecclesiastes, a first edition of a rare book on weather prediction, and a first Humelberg edition of the only surviving Roman culinary text from 1542. Most pieces are valued at somewhere between $1000 - $3500 each.

The books will be available for public viewing at Swann Galleries in NYC from May 7th - 11th and the auction will begin at 1:30pm on May 11th. Get an illustrated catalogue and make arrangements to attend via the Swann Galleries website.

Source

Tags: antiques, auctions, book, book auction, book auctions, books, expire-images:2010-5-20, swann galleries

Luxist Wants To See Your Unexpected Treasures

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

We've noticed a little something on this site. Whenever we write about a collectible that sold for a great deal of money, some people weigh in with details of their own belongings, some seeking answers on questions of valuation. It's fascinating and we want more. So Luxist is launching a new column, Unexpected Treasures, to help get you some answers. We'll be working with appraisers in a wide variety of fields to help you learn a little bit more about your belongings, and like the optimistic title of this column, maybe we'll find something amazing.

If you want to enter a piece for possible inclusion, email unexpectedtreasures@luxist.com. In order to evaluate an object we will need enough good quality jpg images (high resolution if possible) so an appraiser can see the object from every angle and as much history on the object as you have. If your treasure will be of general interest to our audience, we will have one of the appraisers look at the item and post one or more of your images of the object on www.luxist.com along with the appraisal and potentially comments from the appraiser. Because the value of your objects are influenced by many factors that may not be evident from your images, an appraisal will only be a rough estimate of an object's value and must not be used for insurance or other valuations; its true value may be much less or much more. Please take your valuables to a local appraiser for those purposes.

Finally, please note that by submitting images for evaluation, you grant AOL Inc. an irrevocable, royalty free, perpetual, worldwide right and license to use the images and your history of the object in any manner, and syndicate this content in any medium and through any form of technology or distribution.

Looking forward to seeing your treasures!

Tags: antiques, collectibles, unexpected treasures

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