Pound Ridge Antiques Show Brightens Holiday Weekend

Bedford, N.Y.

:Sated with turkey and pumpkin pie, buyers descended on Fox Lane High School to peruse the delectable offerings at the Pound Ridge Historical Society Antiques Show November 24–25.

What a difference a year makes. With the school construction at last complete, pack-in for dealers and parking for shoppers was noticeably streamlined this year. A new entrance into the show offered the opportunity to add four booths along the entry corridor, setting the stage in style from the get-go.

"The entrance is better. Many people commented to me on the flow of the show, customers said they didn't feel lost and they knew where they were," said show manager Martin Greenstein afterwards. "The most striking thing to me is that good antiques were selling well, which is a good sign."

Attendance was excellent and the overall gate numbers were higher than last year, Greenstein reported.

From traditional "brown wood" to dazzling fine jewelry to abstract works of Modernism and Asian antiquities, the show was set to appeal to every eye.

Robert James Walsh & Co., Windsor, Vt., had an appealing and eclectic booth with massive abstract art hung on the back wall of the booth, surprisingly complementing traditional furniture and decorative accessories stationed below.

Visitors to Au Ciel Antiques, Black Rock, Conn., beheld a vision in pastels and creams with a dizzying display of painted furniture and even a bedrail, china and more.

Jeweler Brad Reh, Southhampton, N.Y., wrote up sales for a Van Cleef & Arpels gold and diamond bracelet as well as an Oscar Heyman diamond necklace.

At Greenwich Oriental Antiques, a superb black lacquer armoire, Nineteenth Century, was prominently displayed while stationed in his customary booth, Frank Oppel, Stamford, Conn., had several fine Dick and Jane prints on display among his fine offerings of area maps and prints.

Witchtree Antiques, Woodbury, Conn., was offering a mix of Spode, majolica and English glass. On display was a pair of foo dog lamps, horn handle magnifying glasses from England and a pair of English amber glass candle holders, circa 1920.

From candlesticks to platters and attractive stemware, Horizon Antiques, Hamden, Conn., positively sparkled with fine offerings of silver and glass.

Nicholas Di Benedetto, East Quogue, N.Y., showed Jules Gottlieb's oil "American Three Masted Schooner," and over at the stand of Vicki Turbeville, New York City, Native American-inspired jewelry was attracting buyers.

"One of the coolest sales I had was a 1930s Navajo grasshopper pin with turquoise body. It's the only one I've ever had and the collector who bought it was enthusiastic about including it in her collection of Native American bug pins," Turbeville said.

Marilyn Saland Antiques, Scarsdale, N.Y., sold like gangbusters Saturday and reported strong follow-up potential from Sunday. Sales were across the board and included a painted Swedish two-drawer server, a large 1920s vintage "Pot Luck Dinner Supper" trade sign, a vintage gold lady's wristwatch, a Chinese bench and smalls.

Yesterday's Luxuries, Hamden, Conn., sold lighting including chandeliers, table and floor lamps; much sterling silver serving pieces and hollowware and some small decorative furniture.

Charles F. Breuel Antiques, Glenmont, N.Y., made a strong showing in this outing, "The crowd at this show is always friendly and generally very knowledgeable, and we have the best conversations with people we just met," said Lori Breuel, who reported the dealers sold three key pieces at the show: a folky chest from the 1840s, an English rolltop desk from the 1820s and a carved Chinese camphor chest from the 1920s.

Jamie's Antiques, Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y., also did well, selling four sets of animal-themed bookends over the course of the weekend, including a pair of Art Deco cougars on onyx bases, a pair of greyhounds on onyx, Frankart spaniel bookends and iron retrievers. Jamie Shenkman also reluctantly parted with a bronze fox doorknocker she only recently purchased in Belgium. Adding holiday "bling" were sales of some exquisite 1920s necklaces.

Melissa Bourque Antiques, Garrison, N.Y., again sold watercolors, which has been a strong category for the dealer as of late. Other sales included a tiger maple drop leaf table and tiger maple smalls. "Obviously, tiger maple always sells well…although dealers say they can never sell drop leaf tables, I sell them like crazy!" Melissa Bourque said.

For information, 914-572-4132.