Twenty years ago, when I first entered the revered doors of an auction house, I was overwhelmed, and I asked myself, “how can anyone or any business know so much about so many things”? Well it only took me a few auctions to realize that they really do not know everything about everything they’re selling. En garde, my foray into the world of auction.

As time went by, I made my mistakes, but I also learned quickly when it involved my money. The first thing I learned is that I knew little about value. Over time, I came to learn that real values can be an elusive and the disciple of appraisal is a comprehensive study.

My opener involved an artwork, which turned out, to be one of those example accomplished on uh… “One of his bad days?”. Verily and sadly, I had bought the name and frankly, that was about it. I remember giving it as a Christmas gift to one of my brothers only to receive it back the next year; reminiscent of Christmas fruit cakes and New Orleans Saints season tickets…. Wait the saints are winning… What’s that about?) My value mantra now reads, bad, better, excellent and exceptional. (Good)

My second gaffe was when I purchased a minor painting by Franz Richard Unterberger from a fairly well known auction house for “the right price”! Unfortunately, as it turned out, it was not actually by that artist according to three independent experts, all of which panned the painting. Of course, by the time I figured it out, the auction house told me that my right to return the picture had expired. Never mind misrepresentation and the expert’s opinions. The auction house stood by their attribution, claiming that it was “an early work.” I guess that rather equates to buying an “early” crayola on paper from Picasso’s third grade drawing class. See figure 1.  (Bad)

Since many events seem to happen in trios, lets continue with the third ghost of Christmas past, when I purchased an artwork by a well known artist only to find out that that I had overpaid for it, “at auction of course”. As it turned out, I managed to place myself into the middle of a bidding campaign between two well-to-do privates (non-dealers), one couple that had just recently finished a three-martini? lunch at Cipriani’s (so said the specialist) and the other whose wife really had to have it because it simply matched the bathroom’s pastel colors. This painting currently adorns my mantle over the non-pastel fireplace. (Ugly)

Therefore, as it turns out, value truly can be a very elusive concept, one not to be treated lightly. By definition, value is “a fair return or equivalent in goods, services, or money for something exchanged under normal circumstances.” (I categorize my latter faux pas as temporalis duress). Overpayment never helps the buyer much when he attempts to resell and there are for some odd reason no takers. I wish auction companies had a buy-back policy in place.

Value is more than this; value should be approached as a long-term concept with serious consequences if not fully researched. Real values stand the test of time, supersede short-term fads, and are not subject to the latest “thing,” sorry Damien Hurst. (Please…. a 100 million dollar diamond skull…or should I say numb-skull!) Instead of bejeweled skeletons for value, I recommend you take a look at Hohenberg’s “A Friendly Discussion.”

The coolest table ever is our “Monumental Specimen Table”. It speaks to my Italian side.  I love it, from the hand carved oak winged lions on the base, to the two inch thick inlayed marble top with its plethora of Italian marble varieties.  It is a tribute to the maker’s ingenuity, creativity, and master artistry.

The previous owner used it for a conference table for his business, but in my mind’s eye, I can see it as a center table in a large entrance or library or even a great dining table, but most of all, I see it in my house.  If there is anyone out there that is willing to buy this for me, I will graciously accept.

One other thing I would like to mention, but we have to keep in on the QT, if anyone ever asks me if I really did what I am about to tell you, I will deny it.

I am a gardening addict.  One Sunday, I decided to move some plants around; big  plants.  Anyway, I pulled something in my lower back, but also being the slave to duty that I am, I came into the gallery.  Every step was painful, sitting was painful, standing was painful.  As I said earlier, the table is very cool.  I started thinking about the cool marble of my specimen table.  I sneaked into the back gallery where the table now stands, climbed on top, laid down on my back and pressed my lower back into the cool, cool marble. I stayed in that position for 10 minutes or so, praying the entire time that no one would walk in and see me lying on the table.  When I got up, my back felt 100% better!  I bent down and kissed the table then patted it lovingly.

Not only does the Monumental Marble Specimen table speak to my Italian side, it also speaks to my backside.

True Russian palace furniture is so rare and so incredibly beautiful; we’re always thrilled when we have the chance to offer it to our clients. We just received an amazing pair of Russian palace slipper chairs that really capture the opulence of mid 19th century Russia. Hailing from the girls’ room at Peter’s Court, the chairs are exceptional in both beauty and provenance.

Without question, these fine walnut chairs were carved by a furniture making genius… just look at the delicacy of the draped flowers that overlay the flowing seat back. Note how the curving legs allow the seat to literally hover in space. The art work alone would indicate that these are palace pieces but the original inventory labels on both chairs confirm it.

The chairs belonged to Duchess Vera of Wurttemberg, Grand Duchess of Russia and later to her daughters Elsa of Wurttemberg and Olga Nikolaevna. The labels read “H.V.v.W. private property no. 1853″ and “P.E. Villa” on one and “ON” on the other.

Duchess Vera’s story is at once intriguing and a little sad. At an early age she proved to be a difficult child, prone to tantrums and fits of rage and suffering from what was called a nervous condition. Her parents, hoping to avoid embarrassment before the Russian Court, and Vera’s uncle Tsar Alexander II, entrusted Vera to King Karl of Wurttemberg and Queen Olga who themselves were childless. They came to love Vera despite her illness and eventually adopted the girl.

Duchess Vera, who was rather plain in appearance, eventually outgrew her disruptive nature and married by arrangement Duke Eugen of Wurttemberg who would die in a duel just three years later. Vera had a son who died just 7 months after birth and twin daughters, Olga and Elsa. Though she never married again, Duchess Vera became a well-known and respected figure in German society, lending her name and financial assistance to more than 30 charitable and religious causes. She was not without controversy and was occasionally at odds with her Russian side of the family. She died when she was just 58 years old.

It is really quite extraordinary to find a matched pair of chairs of such a lovely appearance and with such a rich provenance, considering that many artifacts associated with the Russian court were destroyed. They are really special.

Container day is a really great time at M.S. Rau. Even though we have to be at work so early, the excitement of opening the boxes overcomes our sleepiness! There are so many unique pieces to find amidst all the cardboard and paper.

My favorite piece in our new container has to be the  German Maximilian Field Armor. It was a true group effort just to get this piece unwrapped. A leg here, a torso there, and even the horse’s tail was wrapped up by itself! With so many comments and jokes made with each unwrapped section, it was a massive team effort to get ‘him’ put together. Once everything was assembled he was quite a commanding sight.

Reminding everyone of days gone by, this has been a gallery favorite, not only for the people working here, but for the customers walking through the door. At first glance, this knight sitting astride this massive horse looks very real! Visitors are always amazed at the great, unusual pieces we are able to find to bring into the gallery, and it is the pieces like this wonderful suit of armor that keep our customers coming back for more. They love adding the unique conversation pieces to their homes. Please call me, I would love to tell you more about it!

One of my true pleasures is being able to buy a piece that I have only ever seen in a museum. In our last shipment, we had on it maybe the “ugliest” antique I’ve bought in years, and it excited me more than any of the gorgeous objects that came with it. This camel saddle, made in 1799 for Napoleon’s troops during the Egyptian campaign, is one of three that we know of in the world (the other two are in the Musee d’Arms in Paris). Measuring a very impressive ” and made for a double hump camel, this unique saddle was part of the war that literally changed how we view the world.

This mixture of cultures brought us our first modern understanding of Egyptian life in the time of the Pharaohs thanks to the discovery of the Rosetta stone which became instrumental to our modern understanding of hieroglyphics. It was, in fact, the closest the east and west had come sine the 1490s. This was the time when one of Napoleon’s troops (perhaps the one that sat on this saddle!) shot off the nose of the Sphinx with a cannon. It is interesting to note that Napoleon actually lost this battle but because he made it back to France before anyone else, he proclaimed himself the victor.  This “victory” eventually helped propel Napoleon to becoming emperor.

The saddle itself was beautifully hand made for an officer and is still in superior condition. It is a great slice of history and my favorite object that arrived in our shipment. Now, I just need to find a double-hump camel…

Bill