Piano Baby Horror 6/15/2017 0 Comments
MLB from Chicago sends my worst nightmare, a turn of the last century German bisque piano baby figurine at about 8 inches long. In size, anywhere from 3-4” to 30” …
Chinese Snuff Bottle
S.J. sends me a Chinese snuff bottle at 3” long. This form has a bad reputation, often labeled opium bottles. These were a fashionable accessory for carrying powdered tobacco ground …
Chinese Screen
M.K. collects toys – but a friend unloaded a 20th C. Chinese black lacquer 4-panel wall screen, inlaid and embellished with mother-of-pearl, on M.K. at her house in Santa Barbara. …
Spanish Shawl
C. and S.B. sent me a photo of one of my passions, a red half-century-old Manton de Manila, locally knows as the Spanish shawl, worn for fiesta. This is a …
With money tight, silver plate flourished
K.L. wonders about the history behind a serving dish he picked up on eBay for $26. The story of silver plate traditionally used for family holidays originated in Warsaw, Poland, …
If these drawers could talk 5/16/2017 0 Comments
D.G. has a chest of drawers from her mother’s house in Upstate New York; her mom bought it in the glory days of collecting American antiques of the Classical period, …
Chagall’s “L’Accordeoniste”
J.E. sends me a lithograph in colors by Marc Chagall entitled “L’Accordeoniste” exhibiting some fundamental themes: his childlike style, dream-like figurative images (some of which are chimerical), and wonderful colors. …
Lichtenstein Print
A few articles back, R.S. saw my column on a print by Roy Lichtenstein Why Not Put All the Men on the Moon? and sent me HIS Lichtenstein print titled …
Japanese woodblock prints: Underappreciated works on paper
L.S. has two Japanese woodblock prints by Hiroshi Yoshida: “The Temple Yard” and “The Toshogu Shrine.” Since the market today is soft for these works of fine art, Japanese woodblock …
Sleeping with the Aesthetics
Sleeping in this bed, which R.S. sends from San Francisco, could have been Oscar Wilde, Max Beerbohm or Aubrey Beardsley. They would have dreamed in late 19th C. of artistic …