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Maine Antique Digest, March 2015 23-B

- SHOW -

Old Greenwich, Connecticut

Greenwich Winter Antiques Show

by Julie Schlenger Adell

T

he Greenwich Winter Antiques Show,

held December 5-7, 2014, has arrived in

this town 30 miles from New York City

on the first weekend of December for several

decades. It has gone through a few manage-

ment changes but remains the event that her-

alds the Christmas season in this land of old

and new money.

As in years past, the opening night preview

benefited the Greenwich Historical Society.

Some 400 town residents and their guests ate

and drank their way through the booths of the

43 dealers, some of whom have been at the

show for 20 years or more, and some of whom

were there for the first time.

Dealers’ comments on the weekend show

ranged from “fabulous” to “good” to “eh.”

Most agreed that the gate was light, especially

over the weekend. Sales were made in booths

where the dealers are known and have a loyal,

strong following, including Jeff R. Bridgman

for American flags, The Spare Room for vin-

tage jewelry and ceramics, Michele Fox for

textiles and Bakelite, B. Gallagher for fire-

place accessories, Nula Thanhauser for vintage

purses, Fletcher/Copenhaver for paintings, and

Nancy Steinbock for vintage posters.

Gary Sergeant of G. Sergeant Antiques,

Woodbury, Connecticut, said his business had

“the best year yet” of the past ten years. “The

best merchandise is selling, and people are

buying the higher quality pieces.” For those

who declare that “brown furniture is out,”

Sergeant, who has been in the business for 42

years, disagrees vehemently. “People appre-

ciate good furniture,” the dealer said. At the

show he sold a Regency walnut center table

with paw feet and a pair of small gilt Chippen-

dale mirrors.

Some other sales at the show included an

Auguste Edouardt silhouette, a mahogany

American kas, andirons and fire tools, and an

18th-century maple tap table from Hanes &

Ruskin Antiques, Old Lyme, Connecticut; an

1860 Scottish portrait of a sitting teenage girl

from Neverbird Antiques, Surry, Virginia; and

Davenport china in an ivy leaf pattern and a

Chelsea porcelain plate from The Spare Room

Antiques, Baltimore, Maryland.

Jewelers had a strong presence at the show,

including DK Farnum Estate Jewelry, Lake-

ville, Connecticut; Lawrence Jeffrey Estate

Jewelers, Litchfield, Connecticut; and New

York City dealer Brad Reh. Other dealers who

also offered jewelry included Marion Harris

of New York City, who sold some Scottish

jewelry; Poirier Schweitzer, Montreal, Que-

bec; T.J. Antorino Antiques, Oyster Bay, Long

Island, New York; and Glen Leroux Antiques,

Westport, Connecticut.

This was the third year that Frank Gaglio’s

company, Barn Star Productions, managed

the show. Exhibitors new to the show were

Schulson Autographs, Millburn, New Jersey;

Hanes & Ruskin, Old Lyme, Connecticut;

Nancy Steinbock Vintage Posters, Chestnut

Hill, Massachusetts; David and Donna Kmetz

of Douglas, Massachusetts; and Shaia Oriental

Rugs, Williamsburg, Virginia.

For residents of Greenwich, the Winter

Antiques Show is one event in a triad that

includes a holiday boutique and a holiday

house tour and luncheon. The events are held

under the name Antiquarius and help fund the

Greenwich Historical Society.

The historical society is based in the

Bush-Holley House, a National Historic Land-

mark that once housed the Cos Cob art colony.

The society maintains a research library and

archives, the Vanderbilt Education Center, and

the 1805 Storehouse Gallery, with rotating exhi-

bitions and a museum shop.

Further information is available at (www.

greenwichhistory.org) a

nd

(www.barnstar

.

com).

Dealers’ comments

on the weekend

show ranged from

“fabulous” to “good”

to “eh.”

Bakelite jewelry from the 1930s and 1940s was displayed

and grouped by color at the booth of Michele Fox Antiques,

Weston, Connecticut. Prices ranged from $150 to $350.

David and Donna Kmetz, art dealers from Douglas, Massa-

chusetts, offered

After the Theater

(above) by William Baxter

Closson (1848-1926), 10" x 10", for $5800. Closson was a wood

engraver who began painting in the 1890s. He is known for

his depictions of women and children.

Lanesville, Gloucester

(below) by Antonio Cirino (1889-1983) was $1850. Cirino,

born in Italy, settled in Providence, Rhode Island, and spent

summers in Rockport, Massachusetts.

The 12 famille rose Chi-

nese export plates were

displayed by Philip Col-

leck, Ltd., New York

City, which specializes

in antique English fur-

niture and works of art.

Each plate has a central

peony with café au lait

and gilt foliage. They

were marked $12,500 for

the 12. The rare Regency

chinoiserie pagoda-form

birdcage, circa 1880,

19½" (to the hanging

hook) x 12" x 9½", was

also $12,500.

A Noah’s ark with 120 animals, mostly pairs, was available from Marion Harris

of New York City. Accompanying the German-made ark was a letter of prove-

nance detailing the original purchase in 1820 along with letters of family ownership

throughout the 19th century. Harris asked $9500 for it.

This Pennsylvania Dutch dower chest, dated 1778, from Berks County

was available from Roberto Freitas of Stonington, Connecticut, who had

reacquired it from a client. Freitas asked $58,000 for the 22 3/8" x 50½"

x 22¼" chest with a dovetailed

case opening to a till, its inside

lid stenciled “Peter Derr,” and

fronted with three arched pan-

els. The center panel is painted

with two unicorns and an olive

tree.