Steve Elmore, Santa Fe, N.M.

Classic Antiques, Chicago, Ill.

Sandra Chadwick, Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada.

Zig Zag Antiques, Chicago, Ill.

ROSEMONT, ILL. – During the weekend of April 6 to 8, the 25th Annual Chicago O’Hare Spring Antique Show and Sale returned to the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center with approximately 300 select antiques dealers from across the United States and Canada. This Spring Antiques Show weekend also featured the 5th Annual Chicago Antique Native American Art Show and Sale with 50 select dealers from the United Sates and Canada showcasing baskets, weavings, beadwork, rugs, jewelry, books, pottery, Kachina dolls, Eskimo, Northwest coast, and more.

Dolphin Promotions, Inc. presented both shows with a single admission ticket price. Unfortunately, the show weekend was the first beautiful spring weekend in the Chicagoland area after a long, cold winter in addition to it being a major religious holiday, so attendance and sales were not what they should have been for two significant antiques shows.

This was also a new location for the Antique Native American Art Show as well as a new promoter for this show. Most of the exhibiting dealers were pleased with the spacious location and arrangements for the show. They felt that attendance will improve when showgoers adjust to the new venue for the show.

One of the first pieces we saw at the Native American show was featured by Morningstar Gallery from Santa Fe, N. Mex. Hanging on the wall was a Plains man’s war shirt that was in excellent condition. It dated circa 1880, was a very rare rdf_Description in full color, and the dealer explained that a war shirt was a most prized possession of a Plains man. It wore a $225,000 price ticket.

From the same date was a toy Kiowa cradle with a beaded white background with floral motif on painted boards that was $60,000. A circa 1875 Kiowa strike-a-lite case with blue background and German silver drops was $7,500.

Trotta-Bono American Indian Art from Cortland Manor, N.Y. was showing one of “the best canoes in North America” that dated circa 1890 and came from the Algonquin/Quebec area. It was a birch bark canoe with deocrated bark and was assembled with square pegs and was tagged $20,000. More affordable was a circa 1780 Iroquois beaded cap for $3,500, a seven-piece basketry bottle collection for $5,500, a late Nineteenth Century Apache basketry canteen for $1,250, and a circa 1865 beaded belt from Northern Plains/Plateau for $4,200.

On of the dealers having a very successful outing was Linn-Tucker Indian Baskets from Portland, Ore and St Louis, Mo. Linn had strong sales and sold more than 30 Tlingit baskets. Linn also pointed out that the Chicago area collectors are very education-minded and next year’s show will include lectures as it has in the past. Still available was a Yokut for $2,350, a Pomo for $1,250, a Nevada Shoshone for $2,950, and a Maidu for $10,500.

Two newcomers to this show were Brant Mackley Gallery from Hummelstown, Pa and Jeff Cherry from Pine Plains, N.Y. Their joint exhibit was outstanding, and they were both pleased with their sales. Two large pairs of snowshoes sold along with a horse martingale, a six foot Penebo birch bark carved model, Woodlands beadwork, and additional birch bark pieces. In original condition was a Santee or Woodland Sioux Indian bead decorated lady’s cape on red wool stroud with abstract floral motif with rare birds in tree pictorial imagery that was sinew and thread-sewn tagged $16,500.

Dating circa 1820-40 was a Huron Indian moose hair embroidered birch bark panel with floral wreath motif and Federal American eagle in the center for $2,800.

Steve Elmore from Santa Fe, N. Mex sold lots of jewelry, a black Santa Clara carved jar, and a Hopi polychrome vase. A circa 1910 San Ildefonso polychrome olla attributed to Martina and Florentino was $26,000, a circa 1890-1900 Santa Clara blackware olla was $4,600, a circa 1940-50 Hopi polychrome bowl signed Fannie Napeyo was $5,800, and a circa 1890 Zuni heartline deer olla was $7,250.

Across the convention center was the Spring Chicago O’Hare Antiques Show. Green Acres Antiques from Chester, Vt. always has a great show in Chicago, and this spring was no exception. John reported that he sold mostly high-end furniture including almost all his Renaissance Revival pieces, oak pieces, and slag glass lamps. Still available was an Eastlake style Victorian walnut triple bookcase in the original finish for $3,200, and a Victorian Renaissance Revival walnut davenport desk for the same price. In the original finish was a walnut Victorian sheet music stand for $685, and an unusual walnut marble top sheet music stand for $1,200.

Showing at O’Hare for the first time was Antique Interiors from Riverwoods, Ill. Rod and Sue Bartha were pleased to sell an oak two-seat, oak chairs, a Victorian music stand, and a lily lamp. Dating circa 1885 was a very rare early Victorian walnut smoking stand tagged $2,750, and an early oak corner cabinet with the original finish, lock and key from the same date was $2,450. A harvest table with turned legs and two center drawers was $2,300, and circa 1930 pair of Capodimonte signed and dated lamps was $4,500.

From Boston, Mass, Chinese Country Antiques sold a fine Eighteenth Century walnut altar table, a matching pair of black cabinets, and smalls. Chalice Antiques form Mount Olive, Ill also sold a lot of fine Victorian furniture examples. Finishing Touch Antiques from Wautoma, Wis sold a Chippendale dining room set wit five leaves and eight chairs, an Eastlake cupboard with marble top, a French vitrine, and a French kidney-shaped desk.

From right in Chicago, Silver Treasures sold a lot of fine silver. Dorothy’s Antiques from Boca Raton, Fla sold examples from her collection of Eisenberg jewelry, lucite purses, vintage hats, and vintage costume jewelry. Vintage Eyeware from Amherst, N.Y. and Miami, Fla was doing well with their vast collection of 1930-1970s new old stock of frames and rare antiques wire and tortoise pieces dating from 1700. Their eyeware is also used for props in film, theatre, and advertising.

Jacques Berten Maritime Antiques from Fort Lauderdale, Fla featured selection of Sunderland lustre jugs and plaques, sea antiques, navigational instruments, ropework beckets, and swords.

The Merchant Princess from Macon, Ga set up a huge display of pillows of all sorts and sizes, sofas, chandeliers, mirrors, and lamps. New dealer Abstracta from Mobile, Ala specialized in Scandinavian modernism pieces including Orrefors and other Swedish glass, pottery, silver, and jewelry.

Clock dealer John Heiden form Barrington, Ill sold two good Vienna regulator clocks, one with two weights. John reported that “wall clocks are back in vogue.”

First-time exhibitor Arabesque Antiques from Valley Falls, N.Y. showed a circa 1880 English walnut bonnet top breakfront armoire with carved pulls and molded base tagged $10,000. An earlier piece was a circa 1820 American Federal secretary/bookcase tagged $4,500.

Attributed to Elkington, Sheffield, England was a circa 1890 silverplate stag epergne with brilliant cut crystal bowl and plateau mirror tagged $6,000.

Superb European porcelains including fine Meissen were sold by Philomena Antiques, Inc from Denver, Colo. From nearby Downers Grove, Ill Fermette Antiques has added majolica, copper molds, and some French and Belgian furniture to their excellent selection of Quimper to round out their offerings for the collectors. Sales included some Quimper and majolica pieces.

Wellesley House Ltd Fine Antiques from Lake Forest, Ill sold a tortoise and sterling English clock and some other smalls. They had an excellent selection of brass candlesticks, tea caddies, small furniture examples, and pictures frames. Their best piece was a scalloped edge tortoiseshell tea caddy with mother of pearl and an inscription reading “4th October 1866” that was tagged $7,500.

In addition to jade, Peking glass, snuff bottles, Japanese ivory, and scholar’s table rdf_Descriptions, Asiantiques form Winter Park, Fla had some fine furniture at this spring show. A Seventeenth Century Haunghuali scholar’s table was a rare example tagged $25,000, and a pair of Juanguali horseshoe back armchairs with dreamstone panels was $23,000. A very rare Seventeenth Century Huanghuali screen was also $25,000.