Misidentified Islamic Decanter Sells at Auction a Second Time

In our September 26, 2008 NOVA-Antiques Newsletter we talked about a 1000 year crystal decanter that was misidentified by an auction house this past January. The original sale, which brought in almost $400,000, was cancelled when the owner realized that the decanter had probably been undervalued. The rare decanter, originally from Egypt and now thought to have been from between the 10th and 11th Centuries, was sold tonight by Christie’s of London for more that $6 million. One of only six similar decanters are known to exist in the world today, it has been reported that this vase was made for the Fatimid Dynasty which ruled between 908 and 1187 AD in the Middle East and North Africa. Imagine the owner’s surprise at the difference in money that the decanter brought in.

Antique Redware Pottery – A Brief History

Redware pottery, which is just what the name implies, a reddish brown colored pottery, was first made by English settlers in the 1600’s. Redware pottery was made in many different states including, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York and Tennessee. The reason it is that color is because of the iron content of the clay that was used to produce the pottery. The shades of red or brown can vary greatly depending on where the clay came from and how much iron is in the clay. Antique redware pottery from colonial times can be found to be in most cases rough and usually of poor quality. The reason for this is because of the restriction imposed on the English Settlers by the British crown in the 17th Century.

Until the revolutionary war, the settlers were required to send all raw materials to England where the clay would be turned into well designed and fancy pottery. The pottery would then be sent all over the world, including the colonies here in America. It was unlawful for potters to produce their own products lest the crown not make a huge and handsome profit on the shipment, production and re-shipment of product. Although it was unlawful, some colonists continued to make their own pottery and it was tolerated because the merchandise was of inferior quality to the pottery made in England. After the War of Independence, many potters came to the United States from England and later other countries such as Germany and produce better quality products that were able to compete with the English pottery.

Recently, an Associated Press article said that a piece of Redware Pottery made by John Alexander Lowe was auctioned for about $63,000 in Knoxville, Tennessee. According to the article this was the only known surviving piece of pottery associated with Lowe because all other findings in the past consisted mainly of shards. Case Antique Auction Gallery auctioned off redware jar which is believed to be from the mid-19th Century.

Scrimshaw Sells at Sotheby’s Auction

Scrimshaw is the name of the art that includes the carving of intricate and elaborate pictures on bones, whale teeth and sometimes the tusks of walruses. Mostly done by whalers, the carvings are normally then highlighted by adding pigments. It is believed that this art form had it’s heyday in the early 1800’s and survives today at the hands of a few hobbyists. The carvings are very sought after by collectors and can bring in tens of thousands of dollars. In September of 2005 we carried an article in our NOVA-Antiques Newsletter about carved whale tooth that brought in more than $270,000. This week, Sotheby’s announced the sale of another whales tooth.

This carving was done by William A. Gilpin and was actually signed. According to Sotheby’s this was important because other works belonging to this sailor could now be authenticated. Other examples of his existing works only contained the name of his ship, Ceres and the letter A. On this particular carving, one side of the whale tooth depicts the artist’s ship at sea on rolling waves of water. The other side of the tooth depicts a man in a tie holding his hat aloft and his hair blowing in the wind. The banner reads, “Free Trade and Sailor’s Rights.” Estimated to sell for $40,000 to $60,000, this whales tooth brought in $98,500.

Charles Rohlfs – Arts & Crafts Movement

I was reading an old article the other day about a chair that was sold by Cottone Auctions, near Rochester, New York. According to the article the chair which was expected to bring in about $30,000 at auction was actually sold for close to $200,000. Normally, this would not have been unusual if it had been a chair made by Stickley, Wright or Morris, but the maker of the chair was Charles Rohlfs. What intrigued me more was that the article said that Rohlfs was originally from the west side of Buffalo, in the same area where I grew up. I had never heard of him, so I started doing a little research and found an interesting story.

Charles Rohlfs (1853-1936) was born in Brooklyn and studied at Cooper Union and after graduation did some acting. According to some published reports, his acting was awful and he received horrifying reviews from the press. However as a result he met Anna Katherine Green, at the time a best selling crime novelist who was seven years his senior. Before his father in law agreed to their marriage, Rohlfs first had to give up acting. We don’t know how true that may be, but they married in 1884, moved to Buffalo, New York and soon thereafter Rohlfs began designing furniture.

Being one of the most creative craftsmen of the Art & Crafts movement, Rohlfs designs were a bit off when compared to the works of other famous makers of that movement. While others were using simple lines, Rohlfs was using simple lines ornamented with carvings and a mix of styles that set him apart from the rest. Working in the attic of his home at 26 Highland Avenue, Rohlfs created some of the most sophisticated yet creative furniture of the time. Rohlfs then built a mission style home at 156 Park Street in Buffalo, opened a furniture design studio and became world renowned for his abilities. In the early 1900’s, Rohlfs was made a member of the Royal Society of the Arts in London, and later commissioned to provide chairs for Buckingham Palace.

Charles Rohlfs artistic flair and individualistic design can be seen at his mission style home in Buffalo as well as an upcoming 2009 exhibition that will be traveling around the country.