Constance St. Clair Antiques.

Global Imports, East Lansing, Mich.

Glenbrook Antiques, Hudson, N.Y.

The Sacred Hear Schools’ Antiques Show

CHICAGO, ILL. – More than 700 partygoers flocked to the preview party for the 8th Annual Sacred Heart Schools’ Antiques Show produced by the Parents’ Auxiliary of Sacred Heart Schools and Wendy Management. Honorary co-chairs of the show were Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley and his wife, Maggie. An elegant party including both a live and silent auction benefited the Schools’ academic and scholarship programs.

Many antiquers also attended the preview for the early buying privileges and a first look at what the 32 dealers brought to Chicago on October 27 to 29. More than 250 rdf_Descriptions were donated for the silent auction, and the live auction conducted by Chicago auctioneer Steven Good resulted in a puppy being bid to $2,000 before going to a new home.

A Friday morning tea was attended by more than 150 guests which featured a designer panel discussion moderated by Carolyn Sollis of House Beautiful magazine. “How to Decorate With Antiques” was the topic of three Chicago interior designers: Scott Himmel, Alex Jordan and Barbara A. Leone.

New Collectors Night, a successful event last year, was repeated with Nate Berkus discussing “Living Well With Antiques.” Nate offered tips on collecting antiques and integrating them with contemporary settings for more than 100 attendees who also had a private tour of the antiques show.

This year’s committee worked exceptionally hard on publicity, and increased attendance was the result. More than 2,000 people attended this year’s event. An excellent program book provided a wealth of information from some of the experts renowned in their fields who were exhibiting at the show. Host of At The Auction on HGTV, Leslie Hindman also filmed segments for the show with Pamela Martin, Richard Brockway, and Michael Donovan.

Ancient Art International from Vero Beach, Fla., has been with this show for all eight years. Richard Brockway sold major ancient Greek vases, a very significant centerpiece mosaic from 200-400 AD, a lot of early Roman glass, Chinese ceramics, and quite a bit of jewelry. He is a leading authority on early Greco-Roman, Chinese, Egyptian, Gandaran and Near Eastern sculpture and has collected classical antiquities for more than 40 years.

Dean Tallent and James Szabo from The Merchant Princess in Macon, Ga., are both authorities in antiques textiles. They create one-of-a-kind fabrications with antique fabrics from the Sixteenth through the Nineteenth Centuries. Sales at Sacred Heart included an enormous pair of silver candelabrum which sold in the preview, armorial hangings, a ton of pillows, six pieces of furniture, and their pair of exceptionally large sofas/settees. Additionally they received orders for ten pieces for one apartment, and a bunch of armorials were also commissioned.

Andrea and Lynde McCormick, Inc. from Boston, Mass., were proudly displaying their first book published by Schiffer on Chinese Country Antiques: Vernacular Furniture and Accessories From Circa 1780-1929, and they are starting another book immediately. In addition to their book, sales included a pair of bamboo chairs, a pair of bamboo demilune tables, a bamboo oval table, two black lacquer bedside cabinets, a Nineteenth Century Japanese framed scroll, and bench, accessories, lamps, stone Foo dogs, a very large Japanese print, and an 1820 elmwood altar table.

Lanham-Merida from Easton, Md., sold almost all his furniture including a buffet de corps, French foot stools, an Eighteenth Century French armoire, bombe commodes, and a lot of good Imari porcelain. He also sold a pair of Rose mandarin lamps. About the only objects left in this exhibit were some chairs and some paintings.

From Penn Valley, Pa., Tutto dal Mondo was very pleased since they sold nicely in many categories including Bakelite, silver, Victorian jewelry, Quimper, and picture frames. They felt that the attendance was steady, and there was enthusiastic buying during the preview evening.

Robert A. Burrows from Lebanon, Conn., reported that he “loves the Chicago market.” His sales included a triple pedestal banquet table, a Federal New York sideboard, a pair of Dutch armchairs, an English dressing bureau, a cast-iron patio set, and lamps, all by Saturday.

Another of the original Sacred Heart exhibitors was Zane Moss Antiques, Ltd., from New York City. The preview was very good for Zane, and the rest of the show resulted in steady sales in all areas. Zane felt that “the crowds have grown, and the advertising was good. There is a lot of interest in antiques in this area.” Early sales included a leather chair, A Scottish sofa table, two hall benches, a writing table, a corner bookcase, some ceramics, tole, lamps, and picture frames. For Zane, Sunday is the comeback day for furniture so he expected to have additional sales before the conclusion of the show.

Judy Rosenbloom of The Treasure Chest from Highland Park, Ill., put together a special collection of suffragette jewelry for this show. This year represents 80 years of women having the right to vote. Women were both interested and touched by this jewelry. The color stones utilized were green, white, and violet which is an acrostic for “Give Women The Vote.” These piece were made about circa 1908-1920 and are Edwardian and Art Nouveau in design. One style utilized the chain link which was a symbol for “chains of oppression.” Judy has become so interested in these pieces from her research that she will continue to search for and exhibit this jewelry.

Tribal art specialist Kip McKesson now spends most of the year in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. Sales included a little of everything including African masks, baskets, and jewelry.

Newcomer, Cunha-St.John from Boston/Nantucket, Mass., did an interview on Fox News before the show opened on Friday. They sold very well and were quite pleased with the show. Sales included a painting entitled “La Fana” by the American painter Louis Kronberg which was a major portrait of a Spanish dancer. Kronberg’s works are exhibited in the Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. They also sold a circa 1870 English zoetroppe, a Regency fitted men’s dresser box in mahogany with ebony and satinwood banding, a clock, major inkwells, and lots of accessories by Saturday.

Michael Donovan from Nashua, N.H., is known for his antique wicker furniture from the “Gatsby” era. Michael sold several pieces of fine wicker at this show.

Pamela Martin of Martin International from Oregon and New York sold the very large fancy yellow diamond in her case, some Japanese pieces, bronzes, and 1920s and 1940s jewelry. Pamela reported that platinum was selling in Chicago and that the trend is too large stones such as her 30 carat citrine.

As usual Fraida Aland or Rare Finds, Ltd., from Northfield, Ill., sold very well including lots of fireplace equipment such as chenets, screens, fenders, and coal bins, bamboo furniture, English porcelain, crystal, and epergnes. We love her collection of outstanding French lady’s hat forms from the 1950s in Paris used by milliner Mitzi Lorenz and English hat forms, too.

David and Helen Colby from Sarasota, Fla., sold a 1760 early George III linen press with big oval doors, bracket feet, and dentil molding, a display cabinet, sterling silver, and lots of Staffordshire dogs. There were “holds” on almost the whole rest of the booth on Saturday, so there probably were additional furniture sales as well.

When we stopped in at John and Patricia Snead from McLean, Va., sales included a secretaire, wall clocks, Shelley china, furniture and stools, but no tall-case clocks as yet, although there were a lot of interest in them. Patricia reported that both good Shelley china as well a fine quality clocks are getting harder and harder to get.

Caroline Lhomond of Lhomond and Associates from Paris and New York filled her exhibit with original Aubusson tapestry designs. All were life-size models for Nineteenth Century French tapestries that were painted with gouache on paper. Called “cartons” these are works of art in their own right and can be framed and displayed. Each one is an original.

Lynn Rogers from Oakbrook Ill., was very pleased to sell a lot of oil paintings as well as her Oriental blue and white porcelains. She is pleased that the show seems to be growing every year.

Barbara Fine Associates from Beverly, Mass., was very pleased to have a lot of repeat business for her antique prints from last year. Sales were across the board in all categories and in a wide range of prices. Barbara brought a special selection of Basilius Besler Sixteenth Century copper folio engraved botanicals to Chicago this year.

Didier Lorence, Inc., from St Tropez, France, sold an expensive Italian Venetian late Nineteenth Century dining table along with six chairs along with some other fine French antiques. The show committee is not resting on its laurels and is already preparing for next year’s Sacred Heart Show.