Heavenly Treasures at Birchwood Manor

WHIPPANY, N.J.

: Heavenly treasures were offered at the Birchwood Manor Antiques Show on January 2-4. Glazed prancing horses from the Tang dynasty, Sevres palace urns and the original artwork from the walls of the Moulin Rouge were just some of the showstoppers that filled dealers' booths.

And if the excitement generated in the 164 booths was not enough, show promoters Jesse and Rona Kohler once again offered their free vacation promotion - first introduced in July 2003 - to everyone who attended the show. Each attendee was presented with a certificate that entitled the bearer to receive a free three-day/two-night mini vacation. Those who spent $500 or more with an exhibitor were off on a cruise to the Bahamas or an eight-day vacation.

The Kohlers reported after the show that both turnout and buying were good. "Attendance was up at the show," said Jesse Kohler. "Buying was good in many sectors. Reports from most of the dealers were good. Oriental seemed to be strong and show participant David Beauchamp sold all of his major pieces of Federal-style furniture. The vacation promotion continues to be effective for us and the public was very appreciative."

The Kohlers were also appreciative of the help they got from another family member. Sick with pneumonia and the flu as the show got underway, they were relieved that their daughter, Northeast Sales Manager Alison Kohler, was able to fill in and handle show responsibilities for them during the weekend. As it turned out, Alison has a long history with the Birchwood Manor Show. She explained, "At 5 years old I was already checking customers' coats here."

First-time exhibitors Alexander & Alexander, who made the trip from Washington, D.C., have 32 years of experience collecting Chinese antiquities. They filled their booth with museum-quality treasures that included a monumental, 32-inch-tall glazed horse that was undoubtedly made for royalty during the Tang dynasty (618-907 AD). The decoration, which included medallions on the nose of the horse, suggests a strong Persian influence. The horse was offered for $248,000.

Another showstopper was an extremely rare Tang dynasty glazed prancing horse, one of only two known examples. With a removable saddle, it was on the market for $125,000. Two caparisoned horses from the Northern Qi dynasty (550-577 AD) that still retained a remarkable amount of original pigment were selling for $32,000 for the 16-inch-tall example and $28,000 for the slightly smaller 13-inch-tall model. A pair of 28-inch-tall Tang dynasty heavenly guardians (known as Lokapalas), with detailed costumes and ornamentation (that included removable headdresses), were offered for $98,000.

From museum-quality antiquities to museum-quality artwork, time spent in the booth of KFA of Illinois is time well spent with Alphonse Mucha, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Antoine Blanchard. Flanking each end of owner Jim Kennedy's booth was an Arts and Crafts screen that was created to display a rare set of special printings on fabric by Mucha.

Given away as premiums to art gallery owners who sold Mucha's work, there are only 15 sets known to exist today. Also getting attention was a 1930s Champs-Elysee oil (24 by 20 inches) by Antoine Blanchard ($22,000), and an original oil on paper mounted on board advertising the Folies-Bergere, which originally hung on the wall of the Moulin Rouge ($10,000).

Artwork on different media - porcelain and glass - could be seen in the booth of Dan Marquette, Dogwood Antiques, Lexington, Ky. Singling out two Limoges fruit plaques, hand painted with open fruit that exposed the pit, Marquette noted that this subject is very desirable because it took twice as long to paint, requiring more artistic shading and, therefore, denoting better quality. The pair was being offered for $1,895. Pointing out two Limoges hand painted scenic plaques, Marquette noted, "Factory pairs are difficult to come by, and these are unusual in shape and subject matter." A pair of 22-inch-high, mirror image Bohemian engraved pokals, circa 1900, was offered at $5,495.

First-time exhibitor Dawn Lewis, who went from designing samplers to selling them, said needlework has always been an important part of her life. She and her husband, Bruce, made the trip from Morton, Ill., with approximately 71 samplers in tow (filling every spot of her booth walls), along with a countless number of elegant sewing tools. One sampler was created by a student who perhaps wanted to be remembered as much for her looks as her sewing skills. At 12 years of age, Ann Bromley made her circa 1840 sampler with a stitched self-portrait hidden between tree branches.

Lewis reported good sales, which included several samplers and a sewing box embellished with an Eighteenth Century embroidery on its lid. Among sewing items waiting for new owners was a circa 1800-1820 Palais Royale sewing work box ($3,850), a Palais Royale necessaire ($3,650), a figural piano sewing box ($3,675) and a circa 1780 gilt ormolu etui ($2,650) complete with an ear spoon.

Complementing these European needlework treasures, European and at times monumental furnishings could be seen in the booth of Mark Thomas Antiques, Riverdale, N.J. A circa 1910 Italian olive wood bombe armoire that was 82 inches high by 72 inches wide ($8,500), a circa 1800 Georgian tall chest-on-chest ($5,200), a mid-Nineteenth Century oak English church pew ($3,800) and an English oak draw leaf table with bulbous supports and carved skirt ($4,275) were among the items on display.

Steve and Doris McKell of Narragansett, R.I., exhibited paintings. They reported good sales that included an Emile Gruppe oil seascape, an Antonio Cirino harbor scene, some New England landscapes and an oil painting of Venice by William J. Niles. They found that this show provided a good New York base for them and they were pleased to acquire several new clients.

Brian Rizzolo from Chester, N.J., also reported having a good show. "It's a very nice, upscale show and the perfect setting for my formal furniture," he said. His sales included a triple pedestal banded table with 12 shield back chairs, another Federal-style table with satinwood banding along with eight Chippendale-style chairs, a Chippendale-style secretary, and a burled walnut chest, vanity, dresser and twin beds.

History came to life in the booth of The Sword & Pen, North Wales, Penn., with items such as the same model of a Derringer pistol used by John Wilkes Booth to assassinate Abraham Lincoln, or a signed letter from Thomas Edison dated 1931 (the last year of his life), explaining his laboratory test results to a customer. And looking every bit as fashionable today as it did in the early Twentieth Century was a Wild West Show buckskin jacket owned (and signed) by Maxine McDowell - a trick rider and Wild West personality of the teens and the 1920s.

Whitenight and LaValley traveled from Philadelphia with an unusual musical photo album commemorating the reign of Queen Victoria. Dealer John Whitenight quipped, "It's the 1900s version of our CD player - so what's new?"

Also seen was a circa 1820 bronze dore French Empire clock under an antique dome with a rosewood and marquetry base, a Nineteenth Century parian figure of a sleeping Cupid and a King's pattern silver gilt flatware service that included 20 serving pieces.

The next Birchwood Manor Antiques Show is scheduled for July 23-25. For information, 352-527-6666.