Mar 4BOOKSBOOKS GUTENBERG CHANGED THE WORLD WITH HIS PRESS. BEFORE THIS BOOKS IN THE WEST WHERE HAND WRITTEN OR COPIED OFTEN BY MONKS. AN INTERESTING STUDY OF ERRORS, WHEN THEY APPEAR AND HOW THEY EVOLVE IS SERIOUS AREA OF SCHOLARSHIP. HAND WRITTEN BOOKS ARE CALLED INCUNABULUM. …Books1 min read
Feb 28May you live in interesting times…….May you live in interesting times……. We are very pleased to introduce our new art director Jon W. Hite. You might have noticed the new and greatly improved Instagram feed. More changes are coming with his help. We hope to have our new warehouse open on Bryant in a few…2 min read
Sep 25, 2021Does it matter if something is real?Does it matter if something is real? Recently and actually fairly slowly this thought about whether or not something is real and does it matter has been developing. Classic good taste has largely passed away for almost all of us. To some degree it is a question of exposure and…3 min read
Feb 2, 2021A new Generation of Collectors Takes ChargeA new Generation of Collectors Takes Charge A fascinating thing happened when COVID19 freed up time for people to explore what is available. Collectors are no longer tethered to local markets and dealers. With a click they can be shopping anywhere in the world what is available for them. Last…Young Collectors2 min read
Jan 26, 2021Good old fashioned MagicGood old fashioned Magic Through a series of fortunate circumstances a very large crystal ball came into our lives. A short while latter it was on its way to London. Via shipper. My colleague decided not to proceed when he learned about the shipping costs. I was happy to return…1 min read
Jan 19, 2021How to tell roughly when a piece was made.How to tell roughly when a piece was made. At the moment there is an a huge rotation in the antiques market. In case you have not heard some of the best buyers are about 30 or younger. They sense an opportunity and are most likely bored with slick catalog…4 min read
Jan 11, 2021The 900 lb uninvited guest.Like it or not we are all subject to what I like to call big Mother. Far from the meritocracy we where pitched it has become an electronic gangster collecting money from sellers and buyers alike. One of these behemoths has decided to literally cut out the vender. They ruined…2 min read
Jan 6, 2021Can you make a sows ear into a silk purse?Can you make a sows ear into a silk purse? One of my favorite colleagues, a rare and talented survivor of the incredible finicky antiques trade regularly makes jokes about the idiocy that crosses the sales rooms. He likes to joke about making a silk purse and the other one…3 min read
Jan 3, 2021Evaluating art in general or for purchase.Evaluating art in general or for purchase. I spent a fair amount of time fiddling with some Chinese and Japanese paintings that needed sorting. Fortunately I have some good help available in London. They represent aesthetics I appreciate but honestly the fine details escape me. The language barrier does not…2 min read
Dec 31, 2020Some quick words about antique restoration.Some quick words about antique restoration. Sooner or later you probably will have a piece you own or are thinking of buying that needs some professional attention / repair. A classic example is chairs. Every 50 to 70 years they need to be re-glued. Natural hide glues last about that…3 min read