The American Antiques Show at the Metropolitan Pavilion

The American Antiques Show at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York took place in New York this past weekend. A benefit for the American Folk Art Museum, the exhibition allows visitors a unique opportunity to see beautifully edited collections up close and to speak to the collectors one on one. It's an experience not unlike visiting the galleries of the wonderful museum itself, in the sense that you are surrounded by a bounty of amazing American folk art pieces. In case you missed the show, you can visit the American Folk Art Museum in New York at 45 West 53rd Street.

There were more than 40 exhibitors at this show, and we found them to be refreshingly willing to talk to anyone who expressed interest in their collections. The dealers come from all over the country--from Maine to Michigan to Pennsylvania. We've learned much of what we know about American antiques and folk art from conversations with these dealers over the years. It seems that every collectible has an interesting story to tell, and who better to tell it than the expert collectors themselves.

If you have an opportunity to visit an antique show in your area, take our advice and talk to the dealers about whatever catches your eye. The dealers are passionate and they're generally very willing to share their knowledge and experiences.


My personal favorite question to ask of a dealer is, "So, where'd you find this piece?" I can't tell you how many amazing responses I've had to this question. I love hearing about family histories and how things were made, or how a piece fits in to American history. So step right up and ask questions, you'll be sure to learn something new, and even make new friends along the way.

Here are five of our favorite pieces from the 2010 show:

1. BIRD CAGE
This fanciful Bird Cage, aka. Avian Palazzo, grabbed our attention immediately because it is such an elaborate and detailed structure. The dealer, Stephen Score, from Boston, Massachusetts even put two lovely red toy birds inside to make it feel even more real. The piece is painted its original color. It dates back to about 1840. Email Dealer Stephen Score of Boston, Mass



















2. CAMEL
This camel was used as a trade figure in front of a tobacconist shop in Brooklyn, New York. It would get rolled out onto the street in front of the store every day to attract customers. It dates from circa 1880, and retains its original paint. The dealers are Judith and James Milne from New York City.



3. POLYGON QUILT
This exquisite and very rare "sun burst" iconic American Quilt dates to 1830 and originates from West Newbury, Massachusetts. It was most likely made by one quilter because the handiwork is so uniform. She even hand loomed the tape all around the edge of the quilt. In an unusual twist of good fortune, the dealer, Collette Donovan, of Merrimacport, Massachusetts was able to learn more about the provenance of this piece through a found photo (see below) of this quilt hung from the clothes line of a family's home in West Newbury, Mass. It was accompanied by a hand written note saying, "Regarding Star of Bethlehem quilt. Photo of unknown (at this time) member of the Mosely family of Indian Hill Farm, West Newbury, Mass. July 1937. Indian Hill Farm complex built by Major Benjamin Perley Poore, descended to Mosely family relatives on BPP's death in 1880's." There's one for the history books.






4. RELIEF PAINTING
This unusual painting was receiving much attention when we came upon it. Two different customers were considering it simultaneously. The artist, George Mason created this two dimensional work based upon his memories of his childhood in North Stonington, Connecticut. George lived to be 105 years old. If you look closely, you'll see that the car is sticking out from the garage, and some of the trees are projecting off of the canvas. Very creative artist, dear George. He would have been happy to see how well his work was being received.




5. CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION FLAG
If you look closely at this early American Centennial Celebration Flag, you'll notice that the "1776 - 1876" is spelled out with 10- pointed stars. This is apparently one of the most graphic of all early examples of American flags. According to the dealer, Jeff R. Bridgman from Historic York County, Pennsylvania, many fantastic star patterns were made in the patriotism that accompanied the celebration of the Nations' Centennial in 1876, and this is among the best of all examples. Furthermore, flags with stars that spell out numeric or alphabetical characters are among the rarest of all designs.



Hope you had a chance to attend the show!
Suzanne and Lauren