Spring Harbinger In Greenwich: Antiques Show Sees Good Sales

GREENWICH, CONN.

:The hunt was on at Brent and Derek Johnson's spring edition of the Greenwich Antiques Show.

Saturday morning, March 4, dawned brisk but sunny and dry, a far cry from last mid-October's event, at which the promoter/brothers had to scramble to deal with roof leaks and inundated parking lots following the near-biblical torrents of rain that preceded the show.

The imminent demise of Old Man Winter and the lure of rarities brought shoppers out of their houses and into the Greenwich Civic Center for two fine days of antiquing.

"The gate was a bit softer than last October," said Derek Johnson in a postshow phone interview, "but sales were very good."

Benefiting the Kiwanis Club of Greenwich, the show presented a wide range of merchandise, everything from country to formal or, as Derek Johnson put it, "something for everyone." It's important that people find a worthwhile object for their money - no matter the price point.

In the four years that the show has been under the Johnsons' management - the Kiwanis gave them the show to run in the fall of 2002 - the brothers have continued to tweak it in order to ensure that the merchandise offered is both of high quality and that the dealer roster is varied.

"We try to make it eclectic, along with providing price points that appeal to both the knowledgeable collector and the first-time buyer," said Derek Johnson. "Frankly, I love to see young mothers with strollers come through the door."

Dealer turnover is low - among the show's approximately 50 dealers, only a half dozen were new - and there is an unmistakable "family" ambiance with both Derek and Brent helping dealers with last-minute setup issues, their mother, Barbara, making sure dealers get fed and their father, Bruce, helping as well.

The brothers' love of antiques was nurtured at a young age when they accompanied their parents on buying trips throughout New York State - Derek Johnson's collecting passion turned out to be doorstops - and later in Maine, when the family moved there in 1986. That thrill of the hunt and finding the unknown rarity has formed the foundation of their show philosophy, said Derek Johnson. "We have tried to get people you don't see every time. For example, we have a dealer from Atlanta, [Ga.] at this show - Butte's Antiques - and this is the only show he comes north for."

Another non-Yankee, Peter Nee of Millwood Home, Millwood, Va., offered gleaming pieces of European furniture, including a fabulous and very rare 1930s "martini" bar of satinwood that was fitted with glasses and barware. Another highlight in his booth was a Russian round pedestal table with classical urn inlays and specimen woods on top with gilded mounts and stars on the base. The table was surrounded by six classical Russian maple side chairs, circa 1840.

As usual, Donald Heller of Heller-Washam, Woodbury, Conn., and Portland, Maine, took up a double booth space up front displaying his top-shelf furniture, including a Connecticut Queen Anne cherry wood highboy of "diminutive proportions yet potent country charms," circa 1770. Its form, fit and warm honey color apparently appealed to a Greenwich couple, who purchased it from Heller on Sunday. It was a good day for furniture, reported Heller, as he also sold a Chippendale serpentine front desk from coastal Massachusetts, circa 1790, featuring a shell carved lid and robust ball and claw feet, an unusual pair of English Queen Anne brass candlesticks, circa 1760 and a sculpture of a horse.

Stonington, Conn., dealer Roberto Freitas, who was added as another major Americana dealer last year, was also displaying some furniture gems in his booth. Having previously worked for other dealers, Freitas is relatively new, having entered the business as an independent in 2002. When he opened his shop in Stonington, he said, business really took off. Among the furniture offered was a Boston, Mass., Queen Anne block front kneehole dressing table, circa 1750, with original brasses and old refinish and a Queen Anne mahogany dressing table from Philadelphia, circa 1745. Freitas said the carver of the legs is believed to be Samuel Harding, who was later carpenter of Independence Hall in Philadelphia.

David Salkin of Philadelphia was one of two dealers offering Orientalia, with a late Eighteenth or early Nineteenth Century credenza from the south of China, a very old survivor with decorative elements.

"It's a provincial piece from the merchant class," explained Salkin, who also showed a pair of Ming-style meditation stools of oak from the Eighteenth Century that would not have looked out of place in a modern décor. Hanging on the booth's walls were interesting ancestor portraits, including one of a Mandarin official, his wife and concubine that dated from the mid-Nineteenth Century.

A William and Mary Pennsylvania cupboard, circa 1730, made of walnut with three interior shelves, flat top and trestle feet held Chinese Export ware and was flanked by French and Italian artwork at Bonsal-Douglas Antiques, Haddam, Conn. A Haley Lever (American, 1876-1958) oil on panel, "The Outing," 13 by 33 inches, was a highlight on another wall of the booth.

Nancy Prince and Phyllis Sommer of Portland and Searsport, Maine, created a corner tableau that featured lamps that had been fashioned from Nineteenth Century Persian water canteens, a mahogany roundup cheese stand on casters, circa 1800, atop a period American Federal sofa table. One of the coolest - literally - items in the booth was a framed pair of hand screens from the Eighteenth or early Nineteenth Century decorated with watercolor designs and bits of mica, which the dealers explained kept milady's lead-based makeup from melting when sitting close to the hearth.

American period furniture, folk art and fine art are specialties for Richard Smith of Portland Antiques and Fine Art, Portland, Maine. Smith had artfully arranged four early New England Indian baskets from the 1850s atop an early Eighteenth Century four-drawer New Hampshire painted chest. Also drawing admiring looks was a very rare form mahogany Boston Queen Anne birdcage tilt top tea table with piecrust top and a sweet little Pembroke table with a single drawer and false drawer in the back. The table sold early in the show on Saturday.

Lovers of Eighteenth Century English silver and porcelain could find much to admire at the booth of Martin Chasin Fine Arts, Fairfield, Conn. Chasin was showing what he believed was the earliest Queen Ann muffineer that he had ever seen, crafted in 1704 by Samuel Welde and beautifully marked. Other treasures included a pair of 1750s columnar candlesticks, a gorgeous creamware platter, also from 1750, an early Wooster potpourri and one of the earliest English teapots by Spode.

Michael Haskins from Palmyra, N.Y., quickly sold a pair of Anglo-Irish George III crystal sconces from his eclectic booth filled with furniture, decorative accessories. A Charles I English oak armchair, circa 1650 and a French astronomical telescope atop a wooden base from Portland, Maine, were among the interesting items on offer.

At Fine Arts Ltd, Greenwich, Conn., shoppers could find both paintings and jewelry - the former being the purview of James Vatell and the latter the specialty of his wife, Susan. Paintings on view included works by California plein air artist Clement Metivier (1910-1996) and Scandinavian Impressionist Finn Wennerwald (1896-1969), while a jewelry highlight was a set of early Victorian rose cut diamond and pearl day/night earrings.

A pristine coxcomb in urns quilt, circa 1890, from Lima, Ohio, was front and center at Amy Parsons Quilts, Bedford Hills, N.Y., and a windmill log cabin quilt, circa 1890, was a portrait of light and dark fabrics. Parsons, who was participating in the show for the first time, was not unhappy that she was the only textiles dealer there. Although specializing in quilts, Parsons also had a good selection of pillow covers from the early 1900s that were in great condition and affordable.

No antiques show is complete without Oriental rugs and both A.E. Runge Jr from Maine and Apadana Fine Rugs, New York City and Cos Cob, Conn., were on hand with many fine examples.

Pennsylvania primitives and accessories are always abundant at the booth of Edward and Sheila Hylan, Southbury, Conn., and this show was no exception. Examples included a Pennsylvania dry sink in pine, circa 1850; a server with dovetail case and bootjack ends, circa 1860; a bench from a Mennonite school in pine, circa 1850-60; and a pair of cherry one drawer stands, circa 1840-50. The Hylans sold the server, along with a blanket chest, some shelves, two oil paintings, a lamp and some smalls. They also had a callback on a beautiful salmon and indigo blue Oriental area rug, circa 1840-50. Sheila Hylan said that while the couple had participated in the show a few years back, this was the first time they had done it under the Johnsons' management - and they were delighted at the result.

The Greenwich Antiques Show, under the management of B&D Johnson, will return to the Civic Center again on October 14 and 15. For information, 203-618-0009.