The official weblog of M.S. Rau Antiques

Pitfalls of buying at auction: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

John Finnegan — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:35:15 +0000

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.”

Keep this under the table…

Susan Lapene — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:03:51 +0000

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.

Palace works of art from Imperial Russia

Jim Cottrell — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 21:38:07 +0000

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.

All the king’s horses and all the king’s men…

admin — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 17:06:06 +0000

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!

Straight from the back of a camel?

Bill Rau — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 20:32:30 +0000

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

Authenticating 19th Century bronze sculpture

John Finnegan — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 20:53:39 +0000

bronze statue 'Music' by Jules-Felix Coutan

Many people have asked me, “how can you tell the difference between a new and old (19th C or earlier) bronze sculpture”? Moreover, I suspect many beg the question but hesitate to ask it for a variety of reasons.

I remember not so long a when dealers and auction houses considered 19th century bronzes decorative items, to be used as doorstops, much like those little cast-iron Boston terriers on the shelves of local junk shops. Good 19th-century European bronzes are much more than doorstops, or decorative pieces of sculpture. Once considered ornamentation they often found their home placed in a corner; I, however, ascertain that they are verily “fine art”, and valuations are beginning to reflect this.

When I say “fine art”, what I am defining is the highest echelon on the art pyramid, simply regarded as the best. In years past, dealers and auction houses cataloged these artworks as decorative. I am here to aver the contrary and finally the rest of the market is beginning taking notice.

On average, it took 4-5 months to produce a 40-inch bronze sculpture and it involved no less than five or six artisans’ participation in the creation of the sculpture. (This of course depended upon the size of the foundry.) The process started with the original model. The foundry then reduced or increased the size of the original in a plaster form. Casings were fashioned around the arms legs, torso and other sections using a method known as “sand casting”. Rarely used at this time on the other hand, lost wax or “cire perdue”, was preferred because of the preponderant requirements such as materials rather than sand casting which was more laborious and therefore at this time less expensive. The molds were cast and then “chased” or chiseled, after which the bronze was “finished” and then patinated in either acid or lacquer.

Bronze Sculpture, Hymenee by Charles-Adrien-Prosper d'Epinay

When I inspect a bronze sculpture, I look for the following criteria:

Detail- Older bronzes have sharp internal detail as opposed to sharp external cuts.
Finishing- protruding edges are always smoothly rounded and never “scraped”.
Separate castings- The arms, legs, extremities, attributes (i.e. Diana’s bow), are “pieced and pegged”, where the lines are precisely and often very difficult to identify.
Patina- patinas and colors were closely held trade secrets within the foundries. Creating a consistent and beautiful patina was extremely challenging due to variations in waters (chemicals) and the coloring agents such as barium for browns. The Barbedienne foundry became known for their “Barbedienne brown”, which emulated the color of milk chocolate.

In addition to the aforementioned points, I would like to note that this entire process took much laborious effort on the part of many skilled craftsmen, and the finished product always distinguished itself from other eras and especially from those of late!

Moreover, with 19^th-century examples, sculpture details are crisp but rounded. The incised cuts are “scratch patched or non-linear” and never wheel driven. And finally, the older patinations generally show areas of wear and most always exhibit a distinction in colour and depth. I always look for areas of wear on the sculpture where the piece would have been picked-up repeatedly resulting in patination losses. In addition, protruding elements often lose the original patina as well.

Regards,

John

M.S. Rau hosts Martin Miller’s Gin Blogger’s Reception

Misty Blair — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 21:08:29 +0000

The 7th Annual Tales of the Cocktail experience recently brought “spirited” enthusiasts to New Orleans for libations and camaraderie. On July 7th, M.S. Rau Antiques played host for a reception put on by Martin Miller’s Gin for Internet bloggers, where web diarists from across the country gathered to catch up, sip cocktails and enjoy our wine & spirit collection. Martin Miller’s Gin is celebrating their 10-year anniversary of distilling the world’s first super premium gin, and Martin Miller himself was onsite to discuss his story and passion for making a great gin.

Jon Santer serves Palin’s Christmas Punch at the event.

M.S. Rau Antiques proved to be the perfect setting for this event, as our stunning collection of wine & spirits antiques wowed the crowd. Our 1930’s Deco “Portable Bar” set was the hit of the night. Also attracting much attention was this silverplate monoplane cocktail set, which features everything needed to craft a delectable libation, including a shaker with strainer, a large inner flask, two hip flasks, 4 cups, a spoon with olive fork, a cork screw and a funnel. This particular model is now one of the rarest and most desirable items among collectors of distinguished cocktail memorabilia, ranking as one of the finest shakers ever created. Another favorite was an 1870’s Baccarat crystal cavé liqueur housed in a bronze-mounted, ebonized rosewood chest inlaid with ivory, tortoiseshell, brass and enamel. The set comprises three crystal decanters and 12 cordials all trimmed in gold.

This fantastic Art Deco cocktail set comes apart to reveal a shaker, strainer, large inner flask, two hip flasks,
4 cups, a spoon, a corkscrew and a funnel.

Christmas in July! Our Latest Container Has Arrived

Bill Rau — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 21:29:46 +0000

A fantastic inlaid and bronze mounted table by French ebeniste Charles-Guillaume Diehl

It’s always an exciting day for us when our container finally arrives from Europe…it’s like Christmas in July! The 40-foot container arrived last week and our entire staff gathered at the gallery just before dawn to begin the task of unloading the treasures from the truck. Just arriving in the French Quarter in the early morning light is magical…a light fog usually hangs over Jackson Square and all is quiet. You can almost imagine that you’ve stepped back in time…until you reach the gallery where it’s organized chaos as we all scramble to unpack (very carefully) literally dozens and dozens of boxes. The fun part is that you never know what each box might hold…you just know it will be something extraordinary and special.

We’re now busy photographing and preparing the pieces to go on our website, so please keep checking back with us. We’ll be adding pieces daily. The fasted way to see our latest pieces is to visit the Recent Acquisitions section of our site where you’ll find the latest gallery additions. Click on “Recent Acquisitions” on the navigation bar at the top of any web page on the site.

There were so many great things on the container, it would be difficult to list them all, but a few of the highlights are:

• A fantastic Charles-Guillaume Diehl center table, beautifully embellished and in superb condition;
• An amazing German Maximillian Field Armour for both man and horse, complete with saddle and all mounted on a modern life-size model of a horse and rider;
• A superb old Sheffield silver epergne with a stag hunt motif;
• A fine George I walnut bureau cabinet of the highest order.

These are just four of the many, many wonderful pieces we’ve received. If you would like more information about the container, please call us toll free at 866-349-0705 and one of our sales consultants will be happy to discuss any of the pieces that you may find interesting.

We thought we’d have a little fun with the container, so we’ve posed one simple (o.k. not so simple) question to our sales team: What is your favorite piece from the container and why? With so many great things to choose from, it is a rather tough question. We hope you enjoy their answers. Stay tuned…you can read the answers in their individual blogs which they will be posting in the next couple of days. We’d like to hear your stories as well. Do have a story about a special piece you uncovered on a trip or on when you were out antiquing? We’d love to hear it! Send them to us at info@rauantiques.com or just respond to one of the blogs.

“Shaken, not stirred!”

Susan Lapene — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 20:05:40 +0000

Set on casters, this bar was easily rolled out for quick service and can be accessed from either side.

When I saw the Art Deco Ship’s bar come out of the container truck, my first thought was of Bond, James Bond. In my mind’s eye, I could see James Bond, maneuvering through a luxury liner’s crowded, smoky casino. Bond, sleek and polished, quaffed, beyond handsome and of course wearing a perfect tuxedo. Bond’s eyes suddenly lock on an exquisite red haired, buxom woman nearby and her eyes lock on him. She nods and raises her glass to him. He nods back and smiles seductively. He looks back to the bartender standing behind an incredibly lacqured walnut art deco bar with chrome trim and glass top. It is as sleek and polished as he is. He orders.

A dry martini,” he said. “One. In a deep champagne goblet.”

“Oui, monsieur”, replies the bartender.

“Just a moment,” he glances back to the voluptuous red head who stares back at him intently; her lips wet. “Three measures of Gordon’s, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it’s ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon-peel. Got it?”

(Casino Royale (1953), chapter 7, by Ian Fleming.)

As Bond makes his way over to his awaiting beauty, he looks back over his shoulder at the bar and thinks. “Love the bar. Make a mental note to talk to the Captain about buying it; would be great for the London office.”

Ok, so I have an imagination!

Susan

Pietre Dure, the Original Rock Stars

Jim Cottrell — Wed, 27 May 2009 21:44:17 +0000

Pietre Dure is an art-historical term for the technique of using small intricately cut and highly polished stones to create what amounts to a painting in stone. I love the idea of painting in stone. You take the beauty that nature has formed in stone over millions of years, in every shape and color imaginable and use them to create incredibly detailed convincing pictures. To say the least, this is a painstaking art form… one that only few artisans over the centuries have mastered to perfection. We have had the pleasure over the years of offering some amazing example of Pietre Dure. Take for instance the spectacular pair of Russian Pietre Dure ormolu and malachite plinths that we acquired recently. The artist carefully selected stones that would portray the many elements in the classic scene of a vase with flowers. One stone illustrates the curve of a vase while another gives the delicate natural warmth of a flower petal. Each stone is cut and polished until it is perfectly suited for the “canvas.” A pair of plinths such as this would have taken many months to complete, but the result is amazing. If you’d like to learn more about Pietre Dure, or this lovely pair of plinths, I invite to you contact me.

Superb Russian Malachite and Pietra Dura Plinths

Fondest regards,

Jim