Michael Cohn Asian Antiquities, New York City.

Peter Curran Antiques and Appraisals, Wilton, Conn.

Red Griffin, Georgetown, Conn.

By Genevieve Ward

NORWALK, CONN. – Celebrating its silver anniversary this year, the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum is a 62-room Victorian mansion listed as a National Historic Landmark.

It is also home to a well-supported annual antiques show, which raises funds for the museum. Twenty-seven jury-selected antiques and fine arts dealers set up in the open spaces of the mansion, creating an unmatched opportunity to display fine works of art.

This year’s show echoed the silver anniversary theme, with a loan exhibit from silver specialists and antiques dealers Marklee from Alexandria, Va. and a wide range of celebratory events.

The show was complemented by events ranging from a roundtable discussion with Victoria magazine editors to a walk-through tour with Albert Hadley. Appraisal services were offered by William Doyle Galleries of New York City, and proved to be a popular feature. About 250 patrons gathered for an opening preview party, which, due to space restrictions in the museum, was held in an adjacent tent.

The honorary chairperson was author Carol Cooper Garey

New to the show was 3 Continents Antiques of New York City. Dealer Pascal Hivin sold a Nineteenth Century Louis XVI-style piano bench and a Nineteenth Century French oak bookcase, as well as French plates, an old tea and coffee silver box set and Chinese rattan jars and small boxes.

Also new to the show was Jim Campbell of New Canaan, Conn., who learned of the show by visiting in the past. He recalled, “I sold a number of decorative rdf_Descriptions, including three mirrors, a small pedestal table, a game board and a small box.” The dealer also noted a lot of interest in two Biedermeier chests of drawers and a set of American Nineteenth Century tiger maple chairs.

William McGrath, Ferndale Antiques, Greens Farms, Conn., brought display cases filled with objets de vertu such as netsuke, Inuit art, brass and scrimshawed smalls. One rdf_Description of special interest was a scrimshaw scoop with wooden handle, inscribed Vesslander, which was a whaler from New Bedford, Mass.

Fine art dealers Fletcher/Copenhaver from Fredericksburg, Va. featured works by Cordray Simmons (1888-1970), Oscar Daniel Soellner (1890-1952), Lue Osborne (1889-1968) and Augustin Hanicotte (1870-1957). Dealers

Peter Curran Antiques and Appraisals of Wilton, Conn. displayed a beautiful painting depicting skaters on a river, attributed to Charles Leickert (Belgian, 1816-1907). Sales included an important late Nineteenth Century silver service from Philadelphia.

Solomon Suchard Antiques of Shaker Heights, Ohio, exhibited both fine and decorative arts. A vast array of Quimper (the dealers’ specialty) was highlighted by a piece by Albert Beau, circa 1870. Beau was a founder of the Museum of Fine Arts in Quimper, France. In 18 years, the dealers noted that they have only soon 40 of Beau’s 150 works. The platter on exhibit was decorated in a climbing floral vine.

Asian art dealer Michael Cohn of New York City recalled, “I sold a wonderful Thangka of Manjusri, the deity of Wisdom. It was painted on cotton with pigments including gold. The central figure was beautifully detailed with smaller images of different aspects of the same deity surrounding the central image.”

Also on display was a large gilt bronze seated figure of the Buddha from Thailand. Cohn explained, “The beautiful serene face and forceful Lion pose brought interest from many people especially from those that have previously bought Asian antiquities.” Also available was a large standing figure of a goddess from Cambodia of the Tenth Century as well as photographs by the international photographer, Kenro Izu.

Silver specialists Mark Simon and Lee Gillespie of Marklee, Alexandria, Va. remarked, “We had a great show with very good sales. Our sales seemed to center around our unusual Victorian silver dining pieces with special attention to those that had been viewed at the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum Exhibition and featured in our book.” The dealers continued, “The staff at the Mansion was extremely helpful and gracious to work with. We will certainly plan to return for next year’s show.”