Things to see at the International Fine Art & Antique Dealers Show

NEW YORK—Being at the International Fine Art & Antique Dealers Show is like shopping tens of the world’s finest museums all at once. In its 24th year, the show has returned to the Park Avenue Armory at 67th St. this month.

With over 60 exhibitors of fine paintings, sculptors, antiquities, and jewelry, the experience can be quite overwhelmingly magnificent, as if all the beautiful objects from history have spilled out over an exhibition floor. Here are some highlights from the press preview to get you started:

At Douglas Dawson Ethnographic Arts, see ceremonial gear and ritual objects from various African cultures, as well as torques that were once used as currency. It’s unknown exactly how much they were worth when these cumbersome objects were in circulation, but they are worth something like $21,500 now.

A 19th century Ainu robe from Hokkaido is a rare look into the disappearing indigenous culture of Russia and Japan. Featuring a beautiful blue-and-beige pattern, the robe is woven from attus, the fibers from elm trees.

At S. J. Shrubsole, you can find a variety of antique English and American silver and and jewelry. Make sure to ask about Etruscan and Egyptian revivalist jewelry brought into vogue by the building of the Suez canal in the 18th century.

Over at Samina Inc., feast your eyes on elaborate jewels from the Mughal to Deccan courts of India. Many of these fascinating pendants, bracelets, and headpieces were passed down through the generations.

If you love hunting (or the idea of it), visit the booth of Sladmore Gallery. There, you will find oil paintings of steeds and hounds in action from 19th and 20th century American masters such as Arthur F. Tait and Percival Leonard Rosseau.

Did you know that Winston Churchill was an accomplished painter? See a still life of his at MacConnal-Mason Gallery. Also, do not miss the Sidney Richard Percy titled “Llyn-y-Ddinas, North Wales,” 1873. The 19th century British painter is revered for his breathtakingly detailed landscapes of the Welsh mountainside.

“Wales was in great vogue at the time for its picturesque and romantic scenery,” said Marcus Halliwell, the gallery’s director. “This painting would have been purchased by an industrialist from a smog-filled city.” The price you’d pay for such a view today? $140,000.

Find your way to Daniel Crouch Rare Books for an astonishing collection of maps from the golden age of European cartography. See with your own eyes the first printed map of the world. You’ll know it when you see it—it’s got the Pope at the center and both Adam and Eve have beards.

Learn other wacky facts about maritime history and see the world as it used to be seen.

“You know, even after having sailed to the coast of California and finding out that you cannot sail around it, it still appeared on maps as an island for a hundred years! It’s absolutely bonkers!” said Crouch. You’ll see the Sunshine State floating off the mainland on a map created by the Belgian cartographer Ferdinand Verbiest, who was commissioned by the Chinese emperor.

The Drucker Antiques booth is filled with fine silverware from Georg Jensen (1866-1935), the renowned Danish sculptor-turned-silversmith. Proprietor Janet Drucker has written a book about the man and his work.

For a day-trip to Ancient Greece, visit Phoenix Ancient Art. Marvel at a rare and well-preserved mosaic depicting Ganymede and Zeus in his many animal transformations. Owner Hicham Aboutaam has legends to tell about each of the pieces, which include several vessels and one of the most significant partial sculptures of Aphrodite available outside a museum.

See detailed ivory and ebony wares at European Decorative Arts Company, antique English furniture at Ronald Phillips, Japanese lacquerware and painted screens at Erik Thomsen, and an impressive set of celestial and terrestrial globes priced at $1.3 million at Shapero Rare Books. These and many other treasures are to be found throughout the exhibition hall.

The International Fine Art & Antique Dealers Show is organized by Haughton International Fairs with the cooperation of the National Antique & Art Dealers Association of America (NAADAA). This year’s show runs from Friday, Oct. 19, through Thursday, Oct. 25, at the Park Ave Armory. Admission is $20 at the door. For more information, visit www.haughton.com

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