New Money, New Taste
I authored a little book prior to the pandemic titled No Thanks Mom: The Top Ten Objects Your Kids Do Not Want. To my surprise, it went viral. The heart …
Value Characteristics of Native American Rugs
What are the value characteristics of Native American rugs? The most salient value is the profound symbolism in each rug, the meaning the rugs traditionally carry for the People. Since …
1970s Table Lamp: A Swirling Compilation of Many Styles
HK sent me a matched pair of lamps. One, a table lamp. The other a swag chandelier designed in a swirling compilation of many styles to create grandeur that cannot …
Valuables That Barely Escaped the Garbage
Following is my list of ten objects my clients thought of as junk until I saw them. In all the cases below, the client called me to a home to …
19th Century Miniature Salesman’s Sample
LW owns a miniature pine dry sink, the type, when in large scale, was used before indoor plumbing. They typically lined the basin with zinc, soapstone, or copper. The dimensions …
Meaningful Hindu Temple Shrine Tapestry
IP met me at Avalon Conservation Labs in Goleta with an antique piece of tapestry, about forty-two-inch square, framed inside a Lucite box. He got it from a family involved …
Exquisite Newel Post Gaslighting Fixture
BC in Carpinteria owns an ornate lamp. In the late 19th century people considered it an exquisite newel post gaslighting fixture, beautiful yet deadly. First let’s talk about the symbolism …
Stoneware with a Salt Glaze
J owns a German saltware pottery ewer that couldn’t be more German if it tried. That style of blue relief decoration with a shiny surface dates back to the 14th …
Is it a real Van Gogh?
My 2024 article on how to decipher an illegible artist signature became a big success. Many people send me art to authenticate with questions of fakes and frauds. Gloria wishes …
Appraising Art for Homeowner’s Insurance Purposes
LW called while her friend’s house in the Palisades still smoldered. She asked this important homeowner’s insurance question: “Elizabeth, W didn’t have an appraisal for his contemporary lithography and modern …