More than a century ago, in 1884, S. Kent Costikyan left his native Turkey for the United States. In Constantinople (now Istanbul) his father had developed a rapport with the missionaries stationed there and he decided to send his son to Colgate Academy (now Colgate University) in Hamilton, New York, to pursue theological studies. The Costikyan family was in the …
Mysterious art deco designer surfaces at auction
Art-deco furniture up for auction
This Week’s Top Lots: June 15 – 19
Top lots in the world of antiques
Léonard Boudin at the Flagler Museum
Unboxing the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum’s 50th birthday present
Inspired by antiques: 18th-century porcelain botanical plates
This week I’ve turned my attention to a lot of three Chelsea porcelain plates dating from the late 18th century that are coming up for auction on Saturday June 20 at Pook & Pook in Downington, Pennsylvania. Each plate is decorated with leafy branches and tiny ladybugs and butterflies that capture the playful and animated side of the natural world. …
The Graham Arader Sale: An auction of rare prints, maps, and books with a charitable twist
On Friday June 19 Sotheby’s New York will offer a special single-owner auction, The Graham Arader Sale, which comprises 202 lots of rare prints, books, maps, and paintings that document European and American history from the 16th through the 19th centuries. W. Graham Arader III has been a dealer of this material for thirty-seven years. With galleries located in Philadelphia, …
Silver conservation and restoration
The restoration efforts of Jeffrey Herman
Great Estates: Frederic Church’s Olana in Hudson, New York
Our upcoming June issue features a number of exhibitions and events that mark the 100th anniversary of the Hudson-Fulton Celebration (and the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson voyage up the eponymous river). Among them is a new exhibition at Olana, the estate of landscape painter Frederic Edwin Church, Glories of the Hudson: Frederic Edwin Church’s Views from Olana, which was …
Inspired by antiques: Roycroft arts and crafts andirons
As a decorator I can tell you that fireplace accessories are usually a bit of an afterthought, but the exceptional andirons at right could serve as inspiration for an entire room. Made at the turn of the last century by Roycroft, the arts and crafts workshop founded by Elbert Hubbard in East Aurora, New York, this pair comes up for …
Behind the Screen: A look at Summer Hours with François-Renaud Labarthe
An interview with François-Renaud Labarthe