I began reading the auction bid sheet, indifferently scanning the items at the Orientalia sale at one of my favorite auction houses. There were Asian artwork, screens, furniture, garden seats, bronze figurines and more. The auction house seems to…
Category: Art
An art auction that, well, wasn’t
Posted in Art
I dropped by an art auction last weekend sponsored by one of Philadelphia’s oldest African American art galleries. A friend told me about it; it was only about 15 minutes from where I lived, so I…
Did you ever meet a Fuller Brush Man?
Posted in Art, Movies, and Personal items
The Fuller Brush Man never came knocking at our door. I’m very familiar with the image of this ubiquitous salesman with his briefcase full of brushes. But I never met one. I don’t remember when…
I was going through a list of artworks up for previewing at one of my favorite auction houses recently when I came across the name Frank J. Dillon. I was told that he was an African American artist who…
I had thumbed quickly through the two long rows of African American-themed books on a table at auction this week, but nothing struck me. Until another auction-goer mentioned that he had set aside a copy…
Currier & Ives’ repro print of black Civil War regiment
Posted in Art, Books, and collectibles
I was doing a sweep of sellers at a flea market Sunday and came across an oversize book of Currier & Ives Civil War prints. The book opened to one of the most interesting of its reproductions: the assault…
A house full of women
Posted in Art, Carvings, collectibles, and Gallery
I was walking through my house one day, and looking around, realized that I have a lot of women in here. I didn’t notice them because they were chattering among themselves or bumping into each…
Almost missed: A Samuel J. Brown painting
Posted in Art
I was sitting there at auction reading an antiques newspaper, not paying much attention, waiting for my next item of interest when I glanced up to see a painting being offered for bids. It looked familiar, with…
Every now and then, one particular item at auction grabs your attention. This week, it was a sweet little dark-wood handmade chair for a child named Richard. It sat alone atop a table in the…
Abuzz over Bricher $92,000 art sale
Posted in Art
Folks at one of my favorite auction houses were exceedingly excited a week or so ago over the immense sale of a painting by landscape artist Alfred Thompson Bricher. They showed off the painting and the price…