Small But Stylish Antiques Show Debuts

NEW YORK CITY

:There was bad weather and a bomb scare, but that did not completely deter visitors to the New York Antiques & Fine Art. This neat, compact show, a new addition to the city's fall calendar, was organized by OSAT and took place in the auditorium of St Paul the Apostle, a church on Manhattan's Upper West Side.

The range of pieces was excellent, from the Chinese ceramics to the French paintings to the Victorian jewelry to the Belle Époque posters, there was something to suit the taste of every collector.

The display case of vintage jewelry specialist Joyce Groussman of Merion, Penn., included a selection of Chanel and Bulgari. The most adorable piece, however, was a green enameled frog cuff bracelet by David Webb. A Manhattan designer and jeweler, Webb is famous for his enameled jewelry.

Another jewelry specialist, Arthur Guy Kaplan of Baltimore, had a strong selection of Nineteenth Century cameos. The neoclassical and Victorian brooches and bracelets offered proof that the art of cameo making did not decline after the Eighteenth Century.

Glen Leroux brought a touch of Hollywood glamour with an Art Deco sofa that was made as prop for a 1930s John Barrymore film. The Westport, Conn., dealer's selection of American Modern furniture also included a pair of rosewood end tables, some chairs, 1950s, by Florence Knoll, and a Midcentury table veneered with python skin by Carl Springer.

A browser's paradise of prints was brought to the fair by B. Fine Art of Beverly, Mass. Navigation, botany, trains and architecture were among the many subjects displayed.

A late Art Nouveau shaving mirror that was made in Vienna shortly before World War I was one of the highlights of the inventory of New York dealer Leah Kleman. Kleman was also showing an attractive pair of Parisian side tables from the 1940s by an unknown designer.

Betsy Greene of Grosse Pointe Shores, Mich., was exhibiting in New York for the first time. The owner of Authentic Vintage Posters says that her wares are suited for urban homes. "Vintage posters fill the walls with color. They are perfect for lofts." She especially recommends the posters of Chéret and Cappiello.

For those with space to fill there was also the mahogany dining table, 1840s, that was being offered by Putnam Antiques & Design of Greenwich, Conn. At more than 14 feet, it is longer than many city dining rooms. Putnam also had a pair of painted end tables, 1800, and a pair of newly upholstered Nineteenth Century settees. There was also an intriguing painting of a man in his study by French artist Jacques-Emile Blanche.

There were many fine pieces of Nineteenth Century furniture at the fair, including the English serpentine sideboard, circa 1880, that was being sold by Henry Fender of Glen Cove, N.Y.

At B&D Johnson Antiques, also of Greenwich, there was a pier table, circa 1828, that was of decorative and scholarly interest. The table is an early work of American cabinetmaker Anthony Quervelle and is similar to a piece in the Chicago Historical Society. The Johnsons were also selling a Hepplewhite sideboard, circa 1800, from Massachusetts, and a library table, circa 1825, with ivory pulls and waterleaf leg carving from Albany. There was also a set of sturdy Arts and Crafts period billiard room chairs made of mahogany with mother-of-pearl inlay.

A range of furnishings was also for sale by Glenbrook Antiques of Hudson, N.Y.. There were some fine revival pieces from the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, including a Queen Anne Revival highboy, a set of Colonial Revival dining chairs, and Regency Revival dining table. There was also a pretty Second Empire coffee service, that was decorated with gilding and painted flowers.

Flamboyant eclecticism seemed to be the theme at Morning Glory Antiques Inc, of Kansas City, Mo., from the Gothic Revival monstrance to the Blackamoor console table to the 1920s beaded peacock lamp. Other pieces included a letter box made from the spines and boards of old books, a pietra table decorated with mosaic flowers and birds, and a Regency harp. Among the paintings there was a charming scene, circa 1850, of classical antiquities. There was also an unusual oil portrait, 1970s, by caricaturist Al Hirschfield, who depicted his subject as a Disco Era dragon lady.

A Napoleon III sideboard was the most striking piece at the booth of Emporium, Ltd, of New York. This fine example of Nineteenth Century boulle veneer was decorated with ormolu mounts. Also at Emporium were a pair of Chinese opera figures, circa 1910, and a pair of lamps, 1920s, with painted shades depicting a lady dancing over a man's back.

The selection of Asian art from Alexander & Alexander, of Mira Loma, Calif., included a Tang dynasty ceramic horse that was decorated with three colors of glaze. The horse was made many centuries ago to be part of a tomb's furnishings.

The Chinese Art Gallery of New York also had a fine selection of Asian art. A Ming dynasty statue was among the many representations of Buddha. In addition there were the fragments, including a bronze hand from the Twelfth or Thirteenth Century and a limestone torso. A Nineteenth Century screen decorated with lacquer and paint that was made in China for export was also for sale.

The painting dealers exhibited many fine works from the first half of the Twentieth Century. Jeffrey Winter Fine Arts, of Long Beach, Calif., who specializes in Modern figurative French painting, was selling many works from the 1920s and 30s, including "Nu sur le Sofa," 1924, by François Eberl. Earlier works included "Le Coffre de Bijou," 1910, a quiet domestic scene by Paul Renaudot, "Le Salon de Billiards," 1900, by Edmond Lempereur, and "Sirens," circa 1910, an extravaganza of female flesh by Adolphe Lalyre.

Kathleen Avery of Palo Alto, Calif., sold "The Gentleman," circa 1910, by the Hungarian painter Zsigmond Vajda. "The painting is quite beautiful and captures a very particular time, place and sensibility," says Avery, who calls the picture "a favorite of many who have passed through our gallery."

Avery also sold "Trois Chevaliers," an unusual gouache by French artist Gen Paul, which was, in her words, "executed sparingly with simple and beautiful lines showing fluid movement."

Dealers credited promoter Marty Ellis with advertising the show and providing a suitable showroom. "We all would have liked to have seen more people come through," says Avery. Nonetheless, "Marty worked very hard to make this show, the first in this location, a success."