If you’re not “from these parts” but you’ve experienced the French Quarter, chances are it was a jam packed good time with music, food, entertainment, and many forms of art. The Quarter always appears unending, alive and boisterous, and working at our gallery in the center of it all has offered insight into just what it takes to make this place what it is:  enthusiastic, romantic, loud, old, new, magical, matchless–You name it.  I’ve learned it happens in the early morning hours, just as the Quarter is waking.

At about 8:13 am Monday through Friday, I take a right onto Carondelet Street and begin the drive into downtown. Only at this time, it’s as though the Quarter is just waking up. I’ve concluded that it sleeps one hour a night, from 6:30 am to 7:30 am, and after 7:30 it’s snoozing the alarm clock until around 8:15. Most corners there stands a man, hosing the party from last night off of the sidewalk. In front of a hotel or a restaurant, he’s always wearing an apron and typically wears black striped pants. There is history on his face. It’s almost something you’d like to photograph, if it was a serious hobby of yours, but you’d feel pretty ridiculous photographing these men. It’s a type of moment that doesn’t quite translate in conversation, you just savor it when you see it. Rarely, I think, do most people ever get to.

This band plays just outside our doors almost every day, rain or shine...

It goes further than that. The Royal Street bands are staking their territory for the day. The wait staff at any given restaurant is having one last cigarette before shift 1. The street performers are painting themselves silver. The signs are flipping from “Sorry we’re closed” to “Come In We’re Open!” and the whole thing is unfolding, corner by corner, slowly becoming alive again.

Rau Antiques’ location here in the heart of the Quarter is almost just as important as our inventory inside. Since beginning to work in this area, I’ve discovered the distinct preparedness that goes on every day– both here in the gallery and the Quarter itself (before the crowds trickle in.) I see now there is just as much business in partying as there is in business. To work in heart of the Quarter on Royal Street is a real gift.  Fresh pralines, vibrant music, the weight-gaining food, the 200 proof drinks, the tiny paper shop, the Piano Bar (if you haven’t been, go); it all takes good ol’ fashioned labor. It’s tradition that started with work, ends with work, and in the meantime contributes to the whole cacophony of business and play that defines the Quarter. To say ‘there isn’t anything like it’ is redundant, so I’ll just end it here.

A Snapshot of our Entire Collection...

There are certain things that I can look at that just make me happy.  Fairyland Luster by Wedgwood is one of them.

The colors are wild and the color combinations even wilder.  The images take you to a far off land where mystery and magic are abound.  Creatures include floating, dancing and climbing fairies, bats and spiders, little green men call “Imps”, melting maidens, butterfly women, goblins and leap-frogging elves.  The backgrounds are lush forests, with ponds, mushrooms, poplar trees, castles, bridges and silk draped columns.  Even the names are magical, Jeweled Tree Vase, Jumping Faun Lily Tray, Castle on a Road, Imps on a Bridge and on and on.

It all started in 1909 when Daisy Makeig-Jones marched into Cecil Wedgwood’s (an heir of Josiah Wedgwood) office and asked for a job as an apprentice painter.  A bold move on her part!  She was clearly talented and she moved up quickly through the ranks.  By 1915 Wedgwood announced the launch of Makeig-Jones’s flamboyant Fairyland Lustre Design.  It was a hit!  Both Europeans and Americans loved Fairyland.  It was just the boost in the arm Wedgwood needed to get them through a rather large financial slump.

But, all was not well in Fairyland.  According to Wedgwood, by 1929 Art Nouveau fairies faded from fashion and the line was discontinued in 1929. (I think it was the Great Depression that did in the Fairies.)  Also, Daisy had grown “too big for her station”.  She would march around telling people what to do.  Eccentric can be good in a designer but no longer designing she quickly became a difficult employee, more interested in the mythical world than the real one.  So, I bet you can guess what happened next.  In 1931 she was politely asked to retire.  She left in a fury and never designed again.

I personally like and appreciate a fellow female rebel.  Go Daisy, go!!

According to Appraiser Nicholas Dawes, PBS, Antiques Road Show, “Wedgwood is one of the most famous names in the history of English ceramics and there’s 250 years of Wedgwood production.  But, Fairyland Lustreware is among the most valuable of all Wedgwood from any period.” And I would like to add, the most fun.

We have a huge collection.  My two favorites are “Lily Tray ” and the “Daventry” Bowl.  Check them out and tell me what you think?

Susan

"Mystery Suitor" by Tishbein

It’s hard to believe, but this year marks my 10^th year at Rau Antiques. 10 years of pieces coming and going, buying and selling, setting up and breaking down. It’s been an eventful decade to say the least, and all this recollection of it has me thinking of some important consistencies I’ve encountered-that in my opinion, affect YOU as the buyer directly!

Looking back, way back, from my first day of work here, I ask myself “What has increased the most in value over the run of 10 years?” The answer: Fine Art. Paintings that sold for $200,000 are now $600,000, which is an exceptional increase in value!  From my view, the Dow Jones can’t compete with that, and you have another benefit in your favor; a beautiful work of art in your favorite room, not some burly, chatty stock broker on the phone.

Now, I tend to be bullish when it comes to art, and this is strictly opinion, but I can only see this trend of art performance in the market as repeating in the upcoming decade. Again, I’m no economic financier, but over and over art has proved to retain and gain in value, and the payoff is in more than cash, it’s in beauty! Time and time again I’ve found that when you buy great paintings, by great artists, it more than pays for itself and keeps the buyer happy on many, many levels.

Have I convinced you? Then check out our extensive art collection here!

In 1762, the English Naval Armada captured Havana, holding Cuba for almost a year. It was ceded to Spain in exchange for Florida territory in the Treaty of Paris (1763). The English harvested a tremendous amount of mahogany from the island and from that point forward English furniture manufactured with mahogany was referred too as Cuban Mahogany – regardless if the woods harvest origin was another distant global locale.

The Jupes expansion table is one such item that fits into the Cuban Mahogany genre.  The table is an engineering marvel with its patented expansion mechanism – still working magnificently since its installation in 1830.  Closed, it seats 6 and opened, with its leaves inserted, it sits a group of 12 people.  One of the marvels of this circular table is that no one is left out of the conversation – it’s an all inclusive dinner party with this table.

This piece is remarkable. I never get tired of talking about it. It’s both an engineering and artistic masterpiece. If you come to the store, this is something you need to see. Ask for James, I’d be happy to show you how it works.