Twice each summer Jackie Sideli assembles more than 50 antiques dealers for a small, one-day show that has become a great tradition over the last dozen years at the Soule Seabury House. This year, the first session of the Tiverton 4 Corners Antiques Show was on July 1, and weather cooperated for this outdoor fair – one of the few nice weekends so far this spring and summer.
Sideli reported that the results were “pretty good,” with more than 650 customers coming in for the day. If anything, she added, the first good weather Saturday may have kept potential customers busy at some other things, but even so, the majority of dealers were pleased.
Sideli added, “I was thrilled with this year’s show, rugs sold well; there was a lot of furniture and small antiques and accessories leaving all day. Several dealers of fine art were at this first session and they did well.” Kim Kassner of the Brewster Shop, Brewster, Mass., was pleased with the results, selling some delft, silver and other small items enough to make the effort and investment worth it. She was in the only building on the property used for the show along with a half dozen other dealers.
Just across the aisle from Kassner was Patricia BargerAntiques from Fairfield, Conn. Barger brought many outstandingpieces to her exhibit, but her most important offering was an oilon canvas by John Frederick Herring Sr painted in 1851. Its firsttime out, this painting of a Nineteenth Century farm yard wasoffered at $75,000.
Print dealer Anne Hall, Sturbridge, Mass., was also in the barn with a large collection of her antiques ready for the wall in both period and contemporary frames and some unframed. On an adjacent porch Denise Scott was offering an early Nineteenth Century primitive watercolor in a period frame, probably original, for $575. Scott from nearby East Greenwich, R.I., was also offering a large collection of small antiques, including several early silhouettes, some hooked mats and a small collection of pewter for the dining table.
The majority of the dealers were set up on the gently rolling grounds of the historic site under the trees and in tents. As this is an outdoor arts center, the grounds feature several contemporary sculptures.
There were two dealers of Oriental rugs, TLC Rugs, fromAlexandria, Va., and Biuk Fardin, Fairfield, Conn. Fardin wasoffering a collection that centered on a vintage Persian Kerman,while TLC was focusing on antique tribal rugs. One was a CossackZakoor from Azerbaijan, dating to about 1900 and with a price tagof $7,500. Also in the broad field of antique textiles was ConnieBrown, who was offering a portion of her collection of early quiltsand coverlets.
A newcomer to the show was Suzanne Bullitt of Hollis, N.H. Often with help from her husband, Bullitt has been doing shows since early in the year, offering a collection of furniture typical of what would have been used in a home in New England before 1820. This time, she had a tavern table in mixed woods with drawer and stretcher base together with a matched pair of New Hampshire ladder back chairs. The accessories included some early textiles and pewter dishes and mugs.
Another dealer new to shows was Slocum and Schaffner, West Tisbury, Mass., which is on Martha’s Vineyard. Having closed their shop there recently, Bruce Schaffner and Sue Slocum Angeley now bring the antiques to customers at show. There was an early American slant lid desk in excellent condition and also a chip carved document box from about 1825-1850 priced at $650. Their sales included a child’s Windsor chair and some other small antique accessories for the home.
Robert Trites and Laura Schoene from Red Rock, N.Y., were offering a diverse collection, including some early Twentieth Century wicker. The set was not the usual look but more of the Art Deco style with bent wicker or bamboo and other shapes. Schoene also finds some early paint decorated furniture, including a collection for the bedroom and some regency pieces.
A local dealer, Richards Antiques of Barrington, R.I., wasoffering several tables full of small early antique objects. Therewas some Gaudy Welsh ceramics; pewter was used to make plates,tankards and some of his serving pieces; early candlestick holdersin brass and other materials; even some bone drinking cups.Whatever did not sell went back to the full time shop inBarrington.
Coming down from Portland, Maine, for this show and several others during the week, Indian Pipe Antiques was happy with this first stop on their trip. The partners sold several paintings and a collection of small accessories during this show.
Attendance at this first of the two shows is, according to Sideli, “usually a bit less than the follow up show, August 19.” She said the later show has all the locals and also the full complement of summer people from the area, which includes nearby Newport. For information, 508-324-4900 or email at sidelishows@aol.com.
