Washington Show Succeeds in the Face of Politics and Mother Nature

January 13th, 2019

Washington Winter Show, Washington, D.C.

The annual Washington Winter Show of antiques and fine art was held January 11-13 at the Katzen Arts Center on the campus of American University in Washington, D.C. This year marks the 64th edition of the show and the ninth year that it has been held at the Katzen Arts Center. The show is presented by PNC Financial Services Group and ably managed by antiques show veteran Karen DiSaia of Karen DiSaia Management. The Washington Winter Show continues its longstanding beneficial efforts on behalf of three Washington, D.C., charitable organizations that concentrate on meeting a variety of needs of underserved youth and families in the District of Columbia: the Founders Board of St. John’s Community Services, the Bishop John T. Walker School for Boys, and THEARC—Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus.

This year the theme of the show was “Elegant Entertaining.” It featured a loan exhibit from George Washington’s Mount Vernon, The Pleasure of Your Company: Elegant Entertaining with George and Martha Washington, with examples of fine porcelains and associated tablewares from several dinner services used by the Washingtons as they entertained guests at Mount Vernon.

This 98" x 93" x 24" Georgian breakfront bookcase dominated one wall in the booth of G. Sergeant Antiques, Woodbury, Connecticut. Gary P. Sergeant feels that a strong case can be made for attributing the piece to the London and Lancaster firm of Gillow & Co., founded by Robert Gillow (1704-1772). The piece features an outset center section with a well-fitted desk above three long drawers. The center section is flanked by stacks of five graduated drawers. The bookcase sections are enclosed with glazed doors with Gothic-style mullions. The stepped cornice is accented by fine dentil molding. The frieze and the corners of the bookcase doorframes feature delicate floral and vine inlay. The piece was priced at $29,500.

Drew Epstein was manning the booth of Scott Bassoff and Sandy Jacobs Antiques, Swampscott, Massachusetts. The hand-carved double-portrait frame depicts a black woman leaning toward photographs of two black subjects: a young child in a checked suit and a young woman in a formal studio pose. Dated 1916, the frame was priced at $2500.

Priscilla Boyd Angelos of Boyd’s Antiques, Flourtown, Pennsylvania, is a regular exhibitor at the Washington Winter Show. The diminutive two-piece single-door stepback cupboard is constructed of pine and dates from the late 18th century. The forward corners of the upper and lower case feature inset quarter columns and the lower storage compartment is enclosed behind a single three-panel door. The 31" wide cupboard retains what appears to be an old, perhaps original, red finish and is raised on bun feet. The price was $3950. The pink and copper lusterware articles displayed in the cupboard ranged in price from $40 to $195.

The alcove in the booth of Doug and Bev Norwood of The Norwoods’ Spirit of America, Timonium, Maryland, offered a wide array of folky items. One highlight was the large framed theorem-style still life (right), priced at $5400. The 1820-40 piece consists of three-dimensional pieces of velvet fruit arranged in what appears to be a chalk-drawn compote. The 20-drawer seed cabinet from Pennsylvania was marked $4800. The wall box was $2000; the tin man sculpture at the left, $4800; and the Nantucket basket, $2800. The various framed drawings and portraits ranged in price from $400 to $3300.

At Mount Vernon, 2019 has been dubbed the “Year of Music,” and show attendees were treated to a taste of what they may expect when visiting the home this year. On display in the loan exhibit was a newly completed exact replica of the harpsichord purchased by George Washington in 1793 for his step-granddaughter Eleanor “Nelly” Parke Custis. The instrument’s delightful acoustic properties were periodically demonstrated during the show.

The Washington Winter Show committee has a history of assembling a great event. This year was no exception. In addition to the show’s antiques and arts exhibitors, the committee scheduled a series of related speakers, panel discussions, and entertainment throughout the weekend. Many of these events took on a decided decorator/designer tone, but they always fit well within the overall composition of the show.

That said, two things loomed as potential problems with this year’s schedule. At the time that the Washington Winter Show opened, the Federal government shutdown had completed its fourth week, with no end in sight. There was concern about whether the shutdown would affect attendance of willing buyers. Second, the weather forecast called for significant snowfall on Saturday and Sunday, which also threatened attendance. It is no secret that Washington, D.C., does not handle snow well.

Bruce Emond of Village Braider, Plymouth, Massachusetts, offered this 19th-century German porcelain centerpiece marked $2900. The pieces are arranged in the form of a walled garden. Each section is highlighted with ormolu rims and swag decoration. Emond speculated that the urns would have held cut flowers and that the open containers were perhaps planted with miniature garden foliage.

Claudia and Bob Haneberg of The Hanebergs Antiques, East Lyme, Connecticut, offered this nice selection. The carved and painted patriotic eagle dates from the 1950s and was priced at $1200. The Pennsylvania lyre-base card table with a shaped top was tagged $2500; the tea caddy, also lyre shaped and with two hidden drawers, $1200; and the silver candlesticks by London maker William Bateman, 1822-23, were priced at $6500. The ship’s portrait by renowned maritime painter Antonio Jacobsen (Danish/American, 1850-1921) depicts the passenger/cargo vessel Aransas, and it is signed by the artist and dated 1881. It was priced at $14,500.

The top of this circa 1760 carved mahogany games table is 42" in diameter and exhibits a central reservoir, with five equally spaced token bins. The edge of the top displays extensive carving, as do the knees of the pad-foot legs. The central urn-form pedestal features vertical fluting and spiral reeding elements. The original playing surface was likely a solid-color baize material but is now fitted with a Victorian-era needlework cover. James M. Kilvington, Inc., Dover, Delaware, offered the table for $14,500.

This grouping was found in the booth of Mark and Marjorie Allen of Laconia, New Hampshire. The maple chest, New Hampshire, circa 1770, 48" high overall, features two over five graduated drawers. The case rests on a low bandy-legged frame. The chest was tagged $4250. The circa 1860 oil on canvas painting of two brook trout on a stream bank amid foliage was $3950. The five-piece 18th-century Dutch Delft garniture displays a Three Bells factory mark. Each piece is decorated with the same scene of a hunter and his dog. The set was priced at $5500.

I attended the show on Friday, hoping to miss any weather-related drama. Everything was moving ahead as planned. Friday’s luncheon and lecture was presented by well-known entertaining and events planner Bronson van Wyck. His intriguing topic, “Born to Party, Forced to Work: 21st Century Entertaining,” was a sellout.

Other events on the weekend’s calendar included a panel discussion, “Elegant Entertaining at Home,” moderated by ELLE Décor editor-in-chief Whitney Robinson, with noted design panelists Sarah Bartholomew, Leanne Ford, and Eddie Ross. Jazz Night, aimed at younger buyers, has become a Saturday evening staple at the show. It came off as planned, albeit with reduced attendance. Sundaes on Sunday, an ice cream event aimed at very young antiques buffs, was also a sellout.

Bill and Susan Beck of Beck’s Antiques, Fredericksburg, Virginia, offered this stunning circa 1720 Dutch colonial slant-top desk, constructed of teak with bold ebony moldings, with the case raised on slightly compressed ball feet. The interior is fitted with concave double prospect doors, an array of stepped drawers and cubbies, and a slide-top storage bin. There are a total of six hidden compartments within the fitted components. The fall-board hinges are replacements; all other hardware, including the key, is original. The piece likely originated in Batavia (modern-day Jakarta, Indonesia). The price was $6800.

As may have been expected, snow or no snow, shutdown or no shutdown, the realities of the world of today’s antiques shows were evident at the Washington Winter Show. Some dealers did very well, while others did not. Plenty of sales were observed, most of which were in the fine and folk art categories, but sales of larger architectural and furniture pieces were reported.

The Washington Winter Show is an event, not simply a weekend distraction. Serious antiques dealers and aficionados and individuals eager to learn about antiques, fine art, and, yes, design, should always mark the show on their calendars. I look forward to the 2020 edition, which is already well into the planning stage.

For additional information, see the website (www.washingtonwintershow.org).

This corner of Taylor Thistlethwaite’s booth was dominated by the circa 1790 tall-case clock from Maryland or Virginia. The case is walnut and exhibits its original, unaltered finish. The clock face is not marked, and the case is by an unknown craftsman. It was priced at $8500. The stoneware pitcher is German and was tagged $500. The etched Queen Anne mirror was marked $2200, and the oil on canvas, Old Mill and Cotton Press, dated 1858 and signed by John A. Malambre, was priced at $3200. Thistlethwaite Americana has locations in Alexandria, Virginia, and Glasgow, Kentucky.

Roger D. Winter of Solebury, Pennsylvania, offered this George II burled walnut secretary bookcase desk, 1730-40. The bookcase section features three shelves with four small drawers over long drawers. The slant-top desk section is fitted with an array of small drawers, pigeonholes, and hidden compartments, and the case is configured with two small drawers over two graduated drawers. The entire piece is decorated with herringbone and crossbanding veneers. The piece was tagged $14,500. The blue and white Chinese export platters ranged in price from $125 to $1200.

Denise DeLaurentis of Fine Antique Prints, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, offered six Georges Goursat caricatures. The images are pochoir prints, intended to be viewed as a panorama, depicting an afternoon among the Parisian gentry around the turn of the 19th/20th century. Goursat (French, 1863-1934) was best known by his nom de plume, SEM, and for his light-hearted views of French high society. Each of these framed prints is 14" x 41". The set was priced at $8200, but the prints could be purchased individually for $1550. Let’s hope that the set stays together.

Jasmine Doussiere of Silver Art by D & R specializes in antique French silver, with locations in Marseille, France, and Baltimore, Maryland. Here is a late 19th-century replica of an enameled honeypot originally created for Napolelon I by French silversmith Jean Baptiste-Claude Odiot (1763-1850). The gilt bronze and lapis enamel container is approximately 6¼" high and is decorated with gilt bee sculptures. The bees are removable, attached to the body with tiny tusk and wedge fasteners. The interior of the pot is fitted with a cut-glass insert. The honeypot was priced at $1700. The Odiot firm remains in business today, and a modern version of this piece is available.

Ken Kelleher of Kelleher Fine Art, Turlock, California, is a familiar exhibitor at the Washington Winter Show. This bright oil on canvas by Emmanuel Charles Bénézit (French, 1877-1975) is inscribed on the back Orangers au soleil (Orange Trees in the Sun) and dated 1916. An accomplished painter in his own right, Emmanuel Charles Bénézit was the son of Dr. Emmanuel Bénézit, the creator of Bénézit Dictionary of Artists, the go-to pre-Internet source for information related to the world of art. The painting was tagged $8500.

Lincoln assassination memorabilia frequently appears in the marketplace. Richard Thorner of Resser-Thorner Antiques, Manchester, New Hampshire, holds a framed relic of the event, a piece of wallpaper from the Presidential Box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., mounted along with two handwritten notes indicating that the scrap was removed on April 15, 1865, the day following the assassination. The price was $6500.

This small (41" x 48" x 19") Federal sideboard from Massachusetts in mahogany and mahogany veneers, 1800-10, features finely turned turret legs and a single-board top. It was tagged $5500. The reverse-painted portraits of George Washington are German, circa 1825, and were meant for the American market. They ranged in price from $1450 to $2200. These items were offered by Jesse Goldberg of Artemis Gallery, North Salem, New York.

June 2019 is the 100th anniversary of the Congressional vote that began the process that culminated one year later in ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, prohibiting denial of voting rights based on sex. To commemorate the event, Timothy J. Stevenson of Carlson and Stevenson Antiques, Manchester Center, Vermont, compiled a large collection of items related to the long history of the women’s suffrage movement. This framed cover is from an 1884 issue of Puck, the first successful political satire publication in the United States. The cartoon shows caricatures of Belva Lockwood (1830-1917) and Benjamin Butler (1818-1893), each a third-party candidate in that year’s presidential race. It is interesting to note that although women could not vote in the presidential election, Belva Lockwood received over 4000 write-in votes in the race ultimately won by Grover Cleveland. This piece of women’s suffrage history was priced at $2200.

This pair of andirons was offered for $1400 by Bob Withington of Withington & Company Antiques, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, who stated that this unusual shell form is the first that he has seen. The cast-iron shells have no maker’s mark. They stand 15½" high, and the log supports extend 21" deep.

Originally published in the March 2019 issue of Maine Antique Digest. © 2019 Maine Antique Digest