By David S. Smith
Palm Beach, Fla.
:The softly illuminated blue lights projecting the name of the Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show onto the exterior of the convention center, framed by silhouettes of the swaying palms that line the exterior of the building, set an enticing mood for the opening of this prestigious event.
Said to be the “largest show of its kind in the United States,” the annual show opened for a five-day run on February 13, featuring more than 200 international exhibitors. Massive in size and comprehensive in breadth, the event showcases collections of everything from fine art and sculpture to jewelry and furniture ranging in date from antiquities to contemporary, inclusive of the Twenty-First Century.
In just its sixth year, this show has grown to enjoy enormous popularity. The Palm Beach Show Group, owners of the event, reported a record attendance of more than 50,000 people — and “guests came ready to buy,” management crowed. Indeed, as the show prepared to open for Friday evening’s preview party, traffic jams were once again witnessed as patrons attempting to gain access to the valet parking lots caused congestion throughout the area by backing up the main thoroughfare, Okeechobee Boulevard.
Management reported more than 6,000 on hand for the gala preview party, a benefit for the Historical Society of Palm Beach County, breaking previous attendance records. With a staggered opening, Palm Beach Historical Society supporters hit the floor at 5 pm, followed by a huge crowd of regular patrons at 7 pm. Funds raised from the evening, which included a $25,000 donation from the show’s management, will benefit educational programming at the Richard and Pat Johnson Palm Beach County History Museum.
“The turnout for the evening was fabulous,” said Kae Jonsons, director of development for the Historical Society of Palm Beach County. “Our guests look forward to this event each year and are always astonished by the quality of items.”
Kris Charamonde, managing partner of the Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show and co-owner of the Palm Beach Show Group, was pleased with the show’s results and commented in the days following the show that sales remained strong despite the economic recession.
“Over time, hard assets are one of the most solid asset classes for capital appreciation and a hedge against inflation,” reasoned the promoter. “Consequently, art, antiques and jewelry take precedent during unstable economic times over traditional investments such as the stock market and real estate. The extraordinary collections showcased at the Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show cannot be found anywhere else, so this makes our show the ideal opportunity for people to view and purchase long-term investment assets.”
A handsome event, the show is laid out in a fairly straightforward manner, which luckily provides for a good sense of direction in the cavernous hall. Despite the show’s enormity, it is also a cozy and intimate place to shop.
Jewelry and art are among the most prevalent items seen across the floor, followed by accessories of all sorts. Those looking for furnishings will find a limited, but premium and varied, selection.
“Exhibitors noted that while guests were more thoughtful and conscious of quality versus price,” the show managers stated, “they were still purchasing.” Reported sales included an important painting by Guillaume Seignac at New Orleans, La., dealer M.S. Rau; several fossil stone murals in the six-figure range at EO Stone of Doral, Fla.; and a solitaire rectangular-cut diamond ring valued at $100,000 was among the jewelry reported sold from the stand of Betteridge Jewelers, Greenwich, Conn.
“Final sale figures at this year’s show were right on par with past years,” stated Gus Davis of the prestigious jewelry firm Camilla Dietz Bergeron Ltd, New York City. “Despite the recession and global economy, we were encouraged that there is still a strong interest in great wearable jewelry.”
Fine art is a cornerstone of this show, and management reported sales “across the board, from old European masters to contemporary works.” Among the sales made by dealers around the floor was an important painting for six figures that was moved at the booth of Connecticut dealer Thomas Colville Fine Art. Among the featured lots in Colville’s stand was a 40-by-34-inch oil on paperboard, laid on canvas, by John LaFarge titled “A Boy and His Dog (Dickey Hunt),” circa 1868. The impressive and attractive painting was displayed between two other gems from Colville’s selection, “The Pond” by Theodore Robinson and “Ville d’Avray” by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot. Also displayed was a John Singer Sargent watercolor and pencil on paper titled “Egyptian Water Jars.”
A monumental Edward Laning oil on canvas titled “The Attic” was displayed by Childs Gallery, Boston. Priced at $128,000, the painting measured 39 by 52 inches. Donald De Lue’s bronze depicting a leaping Greek godlike figure, “Cosmic Being,” was another of the highlights.
Questroyal Fine Art, New York City, reported the sale of several paintings, including an oil on canvas titled “May Morning” by George Loftus Noyes, as well as an oil on panel work titled “Still Life, Wilted Rose” by Hovsep Pushman. The dealer’s varied assortment included works by Romare Bearden, “Melon Season” priced at $150,000, Charles Courtney Curran’s “A Seat on the Summit” at $125,000, an Alfred Thompson Bricher “Seascape” at $155,000 and Willard Metcalf’s “On the Suffolk Coast” that was stickered at $195,000.
Rehs Galleries of New York City sold several paintings, including a work by Julianne Duprey, circa 1893, a work by Edward Cortez, circa 1950, and an oil on canvas by Louis Valtat titled “Sous-Bois et Personnages,” with a value of $30,000.
Arader Galleries of New York City sold a series of Nineteenth Century orchid watercolors from the firm’s extensive selection of artwork. Also displayed was a series of “The most famous images of Native Americans” from a series of hand colored lithographs from the 1836 portraits by Thomas McKenney and James Hall. Reasonably priced at $3,500 each, they were from the History of the Indian Tribes of North America produced in Philadelphia.
Also on view at Arader was an image befitting the Florida location, a John James Audubon aquatint engraving with original hand color of the “American Flamingo.” From the Robert Havell Jr 1827–1838 series, the image was from The Birds of America. Displayed alongside the colorful flamingo was another Audubon, “Whooping Crane.”
Galerie Mark Hachem of New York City had a tremendous show, with several sales by artist Fernando Porras, including “White Waters,” “Woman” and “Big Feathers.” Four dreamscapes by artist Cheryl Maeder sold, including “Dreamscapes: Beach Series VI” and “Dreamscapes: Beach Series XIII.” Additionally, several sculpture pieces sold, including two wood and marble works by Galloni titled “Anima Silenziosa” and “Automno,” as well as two bronzes by Keyser titled “Fifi” and “Chantal.”
The Englishman Fine Art & Antiques of Atlanta touted a very successful show, with more than five important works sold, including two oil on canvas paintings by German artist August Wilhem Leu, “A Sunset on an Italian Coast I,” circa 1865, and “Sunrise on an Italian Coast II,” circa 1866. Also sold was an oil on copper by a Fifteenth Century Old Master.
New Orleans dealer M.S. Rau Antiques reported sales, including a work by Julien Dupre and a work by Guillaume Seignac titled “Nymph on a Fountain.” Other items sold included a large Tiffany flatware service set, as well as a large soup tureen by Paul Storr.
New York City dealer Robert Lloyd offered a rare Georgian silver beer jug, circa 1767, that was sold in the five-figure range, as well as several other early Georgian pieces, including a set of six English salt dishes, circa 1786, a collection of Scottish snuff mulls, circa 1820, and a cream pitcher by silversmith Peter Van Buren, New York, circa 1795.
Another highlight of the booth was a rare late Renaissance document box, circa 1580, that the dealer believed had been made for a member of a royal family. Inlaid with mother-of-pearl and brass wire, the box was stunning in its appearance and remarkable in craftsmanship.
A French silver plate cocktail service by Jean Désprès, circa 1960, was listed among the items sold by Spencer Marks Ltd of Southampton, Mass., valued around $18,000, as well as a Tiffany service flatware set and a John Jacob gravy boat, London, circa 1736.
Michael Teller of T.K. Asian Antiquities remarked, “This year we had the most sales overall than we’ve ever had at this show. Clients were interested in every facet, from the archaic — 1500 BC — to the contemporary. The attendance at this show is, and continues to be, incredible.” The Williamsburg, Va., dealer sold more than ten pieces from a Dali marble mural, all originating from the Yunnan province and selected from the Cang mountains, valued between $7,500 and $45,000 each.
Wellesley House, Ltd of Lake Forest, Ill., sold an 1880 billiard “snooker” scoreboard by J&E Ascott that was valued at $80,000, as well as a half-size snooker table by the same artist, circa 1890.
If diamonds are a girl’s best friend, then the Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show must surely be their favorite haunt. “Jewelry counters maintained constant crowds throughout the show’s five-day run with specific interest in signed pieces,” stated management after the show. Hollis Reh & Shariff of Southampton, N.Y., had an important Tiffany & Co. 25-carat diamond brooch sell from its booth, while Jewels in Time of Boca Raton, Fla., sold a five-carat emerald-cut diamond that had been valued at $150,000.
Other sales reported from the jewelry stands included a significant Art Deco diamond necklace, circa 1925, at Sandra Cronan.
London exhibitor Symbolic & Chase reported the sale of a coral, emerald and diamond bangle by David Webb in the $80,000 range.
A rare resonance double time zone contemporary watch in rose gold by FP Journe was sold by Aaron Faber, New York City, $70,000, as was an unusual Patek Philippe stopwatch, $72,000.
Other sales included a large Oriental pottery figure of horse and rider that was finely modeled and retained vestiges of detailed original polychrome decoration, circa First/Second Century AD, by Ralph M. Chait Galleries of New York City. Antique map exhibitor Charles Edwin Puckett, Akron, Ohio, sold several wonderful maps and medieval manuscripts. Majolica specialist Charles L. Washburne Antiques, Solebury, Penn., sold a pair of Minton cobalt blue fluted trumpet-shaped vases with morning glories and foxglove, circa 1870, $25,000.
Christopher Anthony of Christopher Anthony Ltd, Boston, remarked that he had a spectacular show with many contemporary furniture sales, including a brown chaise lounge with mahogany lacquered elements, circa 1930–1940s, that was originally made for the salon at Saks Fifth Avenue. A Mid-Century American circular side table with black lacquered top and mahogany legs went to a new home, as did a sterling silver suite by Towle in the D’Orleans pattern, circa 1921.
American antiques authority Jeff R. Bridgman sold a large antique flag with 13 stars in a flattened oval version of the 3D Maryland pattern of the Civil War period, circa 1861–65.
Timepiece exhibitor Larry Dalton Antiques Ltd of Scarsdale, N.Y., sold a German ivory carved bird box and a hand painted, gold plated, hand engraved piece, both by Griesbaum, circa 1900 and 1920, respectively. Also sold was an EF Caldwell American mantel clock, circa 1900.
The annual lecture series remained a popular event, with seats at practically every lecture filled to capacity. Lectures included “Tiffany Style: 170 Years of Design” with John Loring, design director of Tiffany & Co.; “The Greatest Art Collectors of All Time” with Contessa Maria Vittoria Colonna Rimbotti, president of Amici degli Uffizi, Italy; “American Art: What’s Hot, What’s Not” with Debra Force. Arlie Sulka of Lillian Nassau was another to present a lecture.
The Palm Beach Show Group will host the Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show again over Presidents’ Day weekend, February 12–16, 2015. The group’s next scheduled show will be the D.C. Spring Antiques Show in Washington, D.C, March 6–9. For information, 561-822-5440 or www.palmbeachshow.com .
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