Modern Show Proves Good Design is Classic

NEW YORK CITY

:For good design in the city over the weekend of October 14-16, The Modern Show at the Gramercy Park Armory on Lexington Avenue at 26th Street was the place to be. The first of the Stella Show Mgmt Co. events to air in Manhattan for the fall season, this show is a cutting edge event featuring 85 dealers displaying furniture and accessories from throughout the Twentieth Century.

This show is all about fun and good design, a combination that appealed to a large number of New Yorkers. A large crowd was on hand for the opening and as patrons rushed onto the floor, sold tags began popping up everywhere.

"This is our first show since early summer," commented Leanne Stella moments after the show opened to the public, "and we really didn't know what to expect, but we are really pleased to see such a large crowd and that they are buying."

More than a dozen bright red sold tags hung from a variety of "Twentieth Century industrial" items in the booth of Schorr and Dobinsky moments after the show opened. "Industrial is hot!" exclaimed Rosemary Schorr, "Its time has come." The dealer had sold a steel parts bin, a couple other steel cabinets with a bare metal surface, a host of unusual two- and four-arm industrial lamps, reticulated metal waste baskets and a couple mirrors. "We're off to a good start," she said with a smile.

With flooding everywhere after more than eight consecutive days of rain, the show opened on a dreary and drizzly day. Unfortunately, the rain was not confined to the outdoors with the new roof on the armory revealing more than a couple leaks. Frantic efforts were made by management to alleviate the problem and a couple dealers finally had to resort to plastic sheets covering their booths. Fortunately, sunny skies on Saturday alleviated the problem for the rest of the weekend, allowing dealers to do business as usual.

Amagansett, N.Y., dealer Wayne Schwartz had collectors and dealers buzzing with his offering of Line Vautrin jewelry and mirrors. "This is the largest collection of Line Vautrin that you will see in the US for sale," commented Schwartz with more than 30 pieces of the rare gilt bronze jewelry and three exception mirrors featured. A large convex mirror hung on one wall of the booth with a bronze "twist" frame called "Tortillions" that was priced at $85,000. Another mirror, "Solaire," was tagged $80,000, and a smaller sculpture/mirror with a 2-inch convex mirror in the center and colored mirrors suspended 360 degrees on wires, "Ombelle," or wildflower, was marked $22,500.

The jewelry and accoutrements were also exceptional with a gilt bronze box decorated in relief with rolling ocean waves across the top of the lid highlighting the group. A small sailing ship in relief was in the center of the waves, and then on the inside of the lid, a small school of fish was "underwater." The box, titled "La Mer," had a sticker of $30,000.

New York City dealer Leah Gordon offered a great selection of Twentieth Century silver and pottery including a rare William Spratling sterling pitcher with a "wavy" handle. Other makers of sterling pitchers offered included Georg Jensen and Antonio Pineda. Pottery pitchers in the booth were also attracting attention with a pair of Picasso pieces decorated with abstract solar faces alongside a rare and early plate decorated with two bulls in black with green and blue glaze.

A couple of unusual pieces of Italian pottery highlighted the booth of Rosebud Gallery, Berkeley, Calif. With a strong Gambone look, the dealer commented that the pieces, a pair of large rooster-form candlesticks, had been made circa 1950 by Vietri, a student of Gambone's. The dealer also offered a selection of Italian glass including a nice Mazzega bottle-form vase with colorful horizontal banding and a classic shaped vase by Venini in vibrant blues, reds and greens.

Swedish ceramics were featured in the booth of Manhattan dealer Eve Shattuck including several examples of desirable Deco influenced wares by Else Claeson in a bold green and black stylized glaze. Several vases by Gunnar Nylund were attracting attention, including "porcupine" vases with a larger example in tan and two 4-inch examples, one in striking white and the other in a bold green glaze.

Chicago dealers Modbag are always popular at the show. "My bags sell best in New York," stated the dealer. "There is not really a good market in Chicago; it's too much of a conservative town." The dealer comes to the city loaded with handbags from the 30s to the 70s and the chic Manhattan ladies just gobble them up. The assortment this year included a desirable black velvet bag by the French maker Bogan, circa 1947, with a puffy accordion top displayed alongside a Lucite tortoiseshell bag by Berger in an unusual rigid form. Also offered was a selection of high-end Italian velvet bags with faux satchels and belt buckles designs, along with a gold vinyl novelty bag by Kurt Chambre that praised "parties, vacations, minks and diamonds," questioned "sex," and degraded "taxes, housework, bills and dieting."

Zeitgeist: Modern Furniture Classics of Denver, came to the show with high hopes that were fulfilled. An early sale of a large totem constructed by San Francisco Bay area artist Rudolph Hess of found wood was a standout in the booth. Painted in a rust-colored surface, the piece from the early 1950s was a quick seller sporting a sold tag moments after the show opened. Other highlights from the booth included a George Nakashima chair and a 10-foot-long Italian console. A large free-form sofa was also getting looks with its chrome base and velvety white wool-blend covering. An ameba-shaped coffee table from a Beverly Hills home designed by Paul Williams was also attracting interest. With a burl top and an inset copper planter, the pieces rested on a scalloped base.

A wonderful chair by Varichon was constructed of chromed tubular steel that was cabled together resembling a suspension bridge and had a slung leather seat. It was offered at R.E. Steele, East Hampton, N.Y., along with a free-form Gibbing coffee table.

Jersey City dealer James Infante had a booth filled with select objects that ranged from an Arts and Crafts period clock to designer objects from the 1980s. At the later end of the spectrum was a striking chromed lidded bowl in space-vessel form by Alessi that was displayed alongside an arresting pair of silver plate reticulated candlesticks by Richard Mier that paid "homage to the style of McIntosh with accents of Hoffmann," according to the dealer.

London dealers FCR Gallery Ltd were on hand for the show with their magnificent assortment of Austrian and British metalworks from the Arts and Crafts period. Long a supplier of Liberty and Co.'s antique retail shop, the dealers offered an outstanding selection of their wares including an extremely rare mirror with cutouts and enameled decoration attributed to Archibald Knox. A case devoted strictly to Liberty's work was attracting a crowd, as were the selection of other Austrian metalworks including two reticulated nut baskets with sweeping handles by Josef Hoffmann. Furniture in the booth included a sofa and two chairs by Marcel Kammerel and also a Secessionist bentwood chair by Hoffmann.

The next show for Stella Mgmt will be the Triple Pier Show on back-to-back weekends November 5 and 6, and 12 and 13.