Shopping at NYC's Antiques & Art at the Armory

Filed under: Giveaways, Design, etc, News & Trends

Some of the prices at this Park Avenue antiques and art show are over the top, but it's still fun to look. Plus, our readers get a discount on admission to the show.

Last night, the 2010 AVENUE Antiques & Art at the Armory opened its doors for a "first look" preview of more than 60 exhibitors. The show is a collection of art and antiques that span centuries, from the 1700s to the present day, and some of the vendors traveled to New York from as far away as Turkey to display their wares.

While the prices at this show may be staggering (think four, five and six digits), most people don't come to shop. They come looking for inspiration. Booth after booth features art, furniture and decorative objects that are a feast for the eyes. If you're lucky, one of the knowledgeable dealers might share a nugget or two of information about their particular area. While your humble reporter felt a little out of place amongst the svelte, Upper East siders walking the aisles, she did get a chance to view some very fine art and antiques.

Here's a quick tour of some exhibitors who caught our eye:

At first glance, the wares at Il Segno Del Tempo S.R.L. seem like the props from one of Tim Burton's more obscure films. But after speaking with Pierre Luigi, one of the owners of Il Segno Del Tempo, I came to realize that each dummy, industrial cog and fake mushroom had a story. The impressive wheels above are actually maquettes of machine parts; a painter would have used the mannequin resting atop.

Jeff R. Bridgman American Antiques, Ltd. held one of the center booths and was adorned almost exclusively in antique American flags. A folk art dealer for many years, Bidgman took an interest in Old Glory and has been collecting, conserving and framing these beauties ever since. According to a representative from Jeff R. Bridgman American Antiques, the flags each have such unique designs because they were often hand-sewn and the American Flag had no set pattern until the 20th century.

Lynda Willauer Antiques from Nantucket, MA filled their booth with a stunning mix of antique porcelain, including an impressive display of Majolica pottery, furniture and art. While I was entranced by the dishes, Willauer called attention to the art on display in her booth, noting that they were showing works of Swedish painters; they are relatively affordable in relation to French, American and English art. But a bargain is all relative, isn't it? The oil of the cows above was listed at $4,400.

The Los Angeles-based Papillon Gallery perked up our painterly interests with a booth filled with School of Paris figurative paintings. The Jozsa Jaritz "Portrait d'Homme," at left, was a standout piece in a space filled with charming and accomplished paintings from the late 19th and early 20th century.

You couldn't miss the large-scale model of a clipper ship, which dates from the 1870s, at Yew Tree House Antiques. Mixed in amongst the 17th- and 18th-century antique furnishings were a collection of carved, wooden flying fish from Pitcairn Island, which is where the mutineers from the Mutiny on the Bounty wound up -- the mutineers sold them as souvenirs to visitors on the island from the late 19th century until the 1930s.

If you happened to be on the hunt for an oil painting of your dog's breed, Hamshere Gallery was ready with a menagerie of breeds painted in handsome hues. Their profusion of hounds should come as no surprise as the gallery bills themselves as "specialists in canine and sporting antiques." While we're partial to rescue mutts from the pound, these purebred stunners won our heart.

Haynes Fine Art of Broadway was a source of tasteful oil canvases in gilded frames. We were drawn to two simple paintings form the early 20th century, one by Cecil Kennedy (left) and the other by Harold Clayton (right). Sadly for me, these pretty floral portraits cost more than a bouquet a week for the next ten years.

Antique American Wicker deals in exactly what you would expect: American-made wicker from decades past. I spied a Park Avenue matron taking a rest in one of the antique rattan chairs - a luxury I wouldn't have dared try out myself.

ShelterPop Special: 2010 AVENUE Antiques & Art at the Armory is offering ShelterPop readers a 50% discount on tickets to Antiques and Art at the Armory, located at the Park Avenue Armory, 643 Park Avenue, New York, New York.

Antiques & Art at the Armory Show Hours:

Thursday, September 30 11:00 am-7:30 pm
Friday, October 1 11:00 am-7:30 pm
Saturday, October 2 11:00 am-7:30 pm
Sunday, October 3 11:00 am-5:30 pm

Mention discount code DBLOG to receive 50% off the $20 entry fee. Tickets can be purchased at www.avenueshows.com.

 

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