A Passion for Glass in Westchester

OLD GREENWICH, CONN.

:"It's a small world and we all suffer from the same addiction."

So glass dealer Knute Peterson, of Knute S. Peterson Antiques, Bloomfield, Conn., describes the palpable camaraderie among exhibitors of the Westchester Glass Club Collectors Show, conducted April 16-17 at the Greenwich Civic Center.

At this 29th edition of the show, intermittent shades of cobalt, amethyst, ruby, amber and canary yellow glowed from the booths of 60 dealers featuring Depression, Carnival, brilliant cut, contemporary, pattern, early American and European art glass. The offerings attracted increased attendance this year, according to manager Douglas Reed, and sales on the floor reflected this.

"It was the best show I ever had," reported early blown, Victorian and art glass specialist Philip Liverant. The Colchester, Conn., dealer sold a lamp chimney, tulip vases and early glass. "I brought fresh merchandise and I priced it right."

"Almost all of us are members of different glass charters," said Betsy Hewlett, who specializes in early American pattern glass. "We're very used to sharing information with others." For Mrs Hewlett, Westchester is always her best show of the year, and she reports making mostly retail sales.

Drawing patrons at the entrance was a Le Verre Francais acid-etched, circa 1924 vase by Charles Schneider featuring black cats in a variety of poses, priced $11,500 in the booth of Philip Chasen Antiques, Oyster Bay, N.Y. Cats and fish subjects make up the rarest of Schneider's creations.

A signed Mueller Freres 13-inch mottled vase, circa 1925-27, bore the signature for Ovington of New York and was $3,500 in Mr Peterson's booth. Attic Mouse, Camillus, N.Y., featured a Pilgrim cameo "Summer in the Mountain" vase, 10 inches tall, for $6,000, and a "Tulip Garden" vase for $8,000.

Among other highlights was a 1900-1910 engraved teapot by Tuttle, Corning, N.Y., priced $1,100 at Pleasant Valley Antiques, Brookville, Md. A. Beckwith Antiques, Pleasant Valley, N.Y., offered a pair of 14-inch ruby stained mantel lusters, circa 1870s, for $975.

A gorgeous blown, engraved, gilded and enameled French dessert set in an Art Nouveau peacock design, circa 1890-1900 comprised one large and nine small plates. The set was $475 in the booth of Nosegay Antiques, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.

A set of Libby "Kimberly" goblets was $900 at Doorway to Glass, Pennsylvania. Lill-Bud of Massachusetts featured a shield-based "Banner" tray in amethyst for $125, and "Horn of Plenty" and "Bellflower" decanters ranged from $95 to $450. An Adams & Co. "Thousand Eye" gas lamp, circa 1880, in the booth of Iris Cottage, Canaan, N.Y., came with three different fonts and was $400.

Political glass at Kelso Antiques of New York included a memorial Garfield plate priced $67 and a Ulysses S. Grant "The Patriot and Soldier" tray tagged $89. Grace Guido of St Augustine, Fla., offered a syrup bearing the image of Columbus for $225.

RGL Antiques featured a cobalt freeblown creamer, circa 1820-50, possibly Pittsburgh district, for $1,400.

Lee Anne Wilson's display was possibly the most unique: The Lancaster, Penn., dealer used Morton salt containers to create a tower of shelves for her offerings, topped by a Steigel-type cobalt footed salt, late Eighteenth Century, priced $625.

The show also featured a talk by Joan E. Kaiser of Cape Cod on "Patrick F. Slane, the Forgotten Glassmaker," a study of the American Glass Company. According to Mr Reed, the talk was well-received, attracting 80 people on Saturday and nearly all the dealers on Sunday. Mr Reed has set the dates for next year's Westchester Glass Club Collectors Show as April 29-30, "leapfrogging over Harrisburg."

It is an event that deserves a visit. "It's better than a general show," said Peterson, "because you have one small area of antiques as the only focus. Everyone's in a good mood and you get to see some wonderful stuff."

For information, 973-763-4524.