UPDATES--Goodbye Sweet Ostrich

It was not to be.......the ostrich coat went for a lot more than what we were willing to pay. But G. did bring home a couple of gorgeous lots of St. Laurent suits (about 13 total) and for good price points.

As promised, here are the photos of last week's 18th c. Chinese Lacquer Screen-The Front

And The Reverse

And here's a shot of the back corner where the altar table and screen are hiding

As you can see, it's pretty full.......hmmmm...got to get that stuff out the door. So I guess I'd better have a SALE--just go to my website mjhdesignarts.com and contact me through site.

Sending blessing for the week-end.

Mary, Jones & Cole

IVES ST. LAURENT COLLECTION

A large collection of Ives St. Laurent creations is going to be auctioned tomorrow--4 complete racks. And last week there were 2 racks-which I didn't think to photograph :(.....

Volumes have been written about Ives St. Laurent: there is nothing I could possibly add to the conversation. However, seeing so many St. Laurent pieces together was exhilarating. Every detail was perfection......the buttons, belts, hats, construction, not to mention the incredible fabrics.

This was my favorite piece from tomorrow's lots

A satin evening coat embellished with ostrich feathers--I can only imagine the woman who wore this--hopefully with a strut and black sheath underneath, black sheer stockings and fine suede heels......... I'd love to buy this coat, but think that it's going to go really high.

Here's a photo of Catherine Deneuve with St. Laurent

that probably dates to the 1970s and here is a photo of one of the pieces from the collection, similar to Deneuve's, being auctioned tomorrow

And another similar suit jacket going up tomorrow

Gerry fell in love with this metallic gold leather jacket--amazing leather and design.

Another of my favorites is this jersey animal print dress beautifully detailed with a black suede belt decorated with gilt Ives St. Laurent buttons....to die for and still current 20 years (I think) after its creation.

And finally-yes it is the amazing women of today who deserve to be wearing clothes made for power women.

Wish me luck with the ostrich coat...........fingers crossed.

Mary & Jones & Cole

18th c. CHINESE LACQUER SCREEN

Last Thursday.....well.....it was just one of those days when the bidding was super high on everything that we wanted. Here's what we did NOT win:

A lithograph by my favorite contemporary Japanese artist Toko Shinoda--she is 104 and still working--was coming up. I sold two of her lithographs earlier this year 

and really wanted this one. I love the ascending blocks (seem to be reaching for the heavens) anchored by the reeds. It was not to be: the one litho went for double what I had paid for the pair.

Amazing lamps and one was damaged

The selling price point confirmed my suspicions: they were part of an 18th c. garniture--the price soared so fast that I couldn't even get my hand out of my pocket.......

Gerry (textile collector) coveted this Chinese forbidden stitch collar

This piece, too, went sky high.

But, as we were wondering whether to leave, my little eye spotted a Chinese Lacquer Table Screen (and I do own a few screens) that had not been unfolded--I knew it was good as it was a folded 10-panel example. I barely glanced at the screen (not wanting to draw attention to it) and waited another hour for it to come to the block. And sure enough it was a "sleeper" (auction term for an item that didn't draw attention or appropriate bids). It came home with me and for just about what I wanted to pay.... finally!!

I didn't get a chance to study the screen until Roberto brought it in on Saturday--and this is what we discovered

Yes. The screen is truly amazing. An 18th c. screen composed of ten 8-inch hand-planed painted panels of an Emperor with highlighting in gold leaf. I didn't look at the reverse until G. came to help me take photos today. (Ooops, left my phone at shop so I can't show photos) The reverse panels are just as beautiful (maybe more beautiful) as the front panels as they are incised/carved court scenes. The front panels have had some restoration work; whereas, the reverse panels appear to be all original. I've scoured the Internet and haven't found any screens quite like this one--and I love it. 

Look what Roberto accomplished in less than 4 hours: the Altar Table is nearly unrecognizable

Of course, the screen is to-die-for placed on the console. Just a bit over the top. And I'm grateful...

Well, true to form, mr. small "t" not-my-president continues to work his magic. A government in chaos and shut down.....draining the swamp. Where would our country be without the millions upon millions of dreamers who have come to start a new life here? Where will we be without the current generation of dreamers who work to make this nation stronger and more compassionate than ever?

The Second Women's March will go down in history. The commitment and vision to effect positive change is growing. Hopefully, by this time next year there will be a huge change in the balance of power in the Congress--dare I say, maybe a new president?

Jones is calling me to bed.

Blessings for the week.

Mary & Jones & Cole

WE COULDN'T RESIST........

I didn't have any space (or so I thought); so how could I even dream of buying a 10ft long table?

Last night, when Gerry and I decided to buy this table (at my insistence), I didn't have an inch to spare in the shop. But "where there's a will, there's a way" took hold of me. When I had previewed the auction on Wednesday, I quickly glanced at the table and discounted it as huge (no space) and not in good shape and I had never seen a table quite like it. Gerry, on the other hand, did pay more attention and, fortunately, took photos and measured the table. I had thought that it was longer than it actually is and (best part) it breaks down into parts for moving.

After hemming and hawing for a while, we decided to pass. But I kept thinking about the fact that the supporting side pedestals are carved with very high relief dragons and there is fine fretwork throughout...so I called G back and said we had to buy it (still not an inch to spare in shop).

I got to auction right at the beginning (they like to move the big pieces out of the way early) and thought that I might have to wait quite a while--but after only about 10-15 minutes (thank goodness LA freeway traffic had flowed), up came the table........and then, all of a sudden it was mine!!! We paid more than I have in the past for altar tables, but still a great buy.

The most amazingly serendipitous things happened just before and just after I bid the table: I sold a desk before the bid and a 75" dresser a few minutes after (and there went the no "room objection"--how silly I would have felt if I had continued to "think small").

    Intent and stepping out in faith--hard to do, but getting easier.

I haven't been able to find anything quite like this table on the net.....I think it dates to the mid-19th century; it's most probably elm and the carvings appears to be intact. Roberto has his work cut out--at least a day, if not more to really clean and wax and wax again and again..........Don't you just love those dragons?

Prayers are desperately needed for Montecito and Santa Barbara. This tragedy is almost too much to fathom, maybe I'm shell-shocked by all of the disasters and tragedies of the past few months...I feel numb. So many families ripped apart...my heart is beginning to ache for them.

mr. trump is showing his true colors--a Nation that upholds the rule of law; believes in the equality of all men; is founded on the labor and passion of immigrants; has links to Haiti that go back centuries; a Nation that is inevitably linked to Africa as the ancestral home of a huge percentage of our population--we cannot allow trumpian bigotry to be what represents us to the world and to ourselves. We need stronger ties to Africa; we need to fulfill our commitments to assist in the rebuilding of post earthquake Haiti. Strengthening Haiti will serve to strengthen all of us.

              RESISTANCE is the only path open to us.

                           And we will PERSIST. 

Blessings and strength,

Mary & Jones & Cole

CAUGHT MY EYE

A fellow dealer at The Pasadena Antique Center brought this amazing mirror in on Saturday. It's huge--I would guess at least 60" diameter. It's brutalist to the max and I want it. (Unfortunately, the price point is too rich for my blood)

I don't know who the designer was or its country of origin; it is really powerful. Definitely speaks to my proposed method of ending misogyny. 

MAYAN

For the past two days our kitchen and family room floor has been undergoing a complete redo. Today, the initial workman was accompanied by a second man. As I listened to them this morning, I was puzzled. Both the initial and second workmen were obviously Hispanic and I had been speaking with them in Spanish; when they spoke to each other, they were not speaking Spanish. The language was soft and beautiful and definitely tonal. I spoke to them and asked where they were from. It turns out that they were from Yucatan. (Although I was raised in Mexico, I have never been to Yucatan) and were speaking Maya. I was truly humbled, although I speak (poorly) a couple of other languages and am bi-lingual in Spanish, these men were truly trilingual moving easily between English and Spanish and Mayan. Mayan was, by far, the most melodious and beautiful of the three.

The Mayan civilization of Southern Mexico and Guatemala reached its peak around AD 800-900, with its astounding scientific knowledge and city states fading into the tropical rainforests shortly after 900. Yet, 1300 years later these men were speaking Mayan in my home. 

(Don't know how to link sites, etc.--I know I'm technologically very challenged.)

Anyway, I went to trusty Wiki and U-tube and discovered the most hauntingly beautiful Mayan music. If you have a moment, it's worth the time to listen to some Mayan music to close out 2017 and bring in a more mindful, loving and just 2018.

ZUBER SCREEN

Today, I finally remembered to take a couple of shots of the Zuber wall paper screen that I bought at auction a couple of week ago.

As you can see, it's a French country scene in which hunters and their dogs predominate. I wish this were a chinoiserie theme...but I'll settle for the French countryside. Judging by the border pattern, construction (with paper laid to a roughly woven canvas) and the hand painted paper on the reverse, I'm dating the screen to about 1825-40. Most of the screen is in super condition, however, the screen must have been stored in a leaky attic as the upper corners all show water damage and the black of the border has bled onto the stunning blue sky. I'm going to try to have the screen restored, but only the sky portion and slightly into the black border section, as any thing further would involve beaucoup bucks!

I'm taking a few days off from my long commute. We'll see how that goes.......I'm not very good at resting.

Blessings for 2018--politically it appears to be headed for a ride........

Mary & Jones & Cole