TEFAF New York Antique Show Oct 28 – Nov 01
One of my favorite antique shows is TEFAF (The European Fine Arts Fair) in Maastricht, The Netherlands. I try to attend every other year. Attending TEFAF is like going to a museum… but everything is for sale. You can hold the Monet, try on the $200K tiara. Standing in a booth and eavesdropping on a conversation between a vendor and a potential buyer is a mini-course on fine arts – you get the best (and yes best, also means most expensive) expert dealers from around the world in one location. After one of the 1st TEFAF shows I attended, I wrote:
As you walk about the carefully decorated stalls look around – not just at the items for sell, the great floral arrangments and the innovative décor, but at the other visitors to the fair. See that guy over there – he’s a private buyer who just flew in on his private jet. Of course, unless you are a polyglot, you might find eavesdropping on the rich and famous to be a bit difficult. You’re as likely to hear English spoken as you are Russian, Chinese, Aarbic, French, Portugese, German, Dutch or Italian. It’s as if you’ve taken the worlds wealthiest citizens, thrown them in a Baccarat martini shaker and added copious quantities of cologne, silk ascots, and mink. The cocktail comes out tasting a tad Fitzgeraldesque, but with price tags included.
The main attraction for me is jewelry – Van Cleef Arpels & Chopard have antique and vintage pieces but also a slew of jewelers have eye candy for #designinspiration.
Véronique Bamps – Van Cleef & Arpels Set of Earclips And Brooch
MacConnal-Mason Gallery Pierre-Auguste Renoir (Limoges 1841-1919 Cagnes-sur-Mer) Vue De La Poste À Cagnes
TEFAF New York returns October 28 – November 1, 2017, at the Park Avenue Armory, featuring fine and decorative art from antiquity to 1920.
Christophe de Quénetain – After a design of Jean-Charles Delafosse (1734-Paris-1791) Console
- TEFAF New York
- October 28 – November 1, 2017
FRIDAY OCTOBER 27
2 PM – 9 PM: VIP Preview (VIP cardholders)
6 PM – 9 PM: Opening Night Reception for the Benefit of Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK Invitation only)SATURDAY OCTOBER 28
11 AM – NOON: Early Access (VIP cardholders)
Noon – 8 PM: General AdmissionSUNDAY OCTOBER 29
11 AM – Noon: Early Access (VIP cardholders)
Noon – 6 PM: General AdmissionMONDAY OCTOBER 30
11 AM – Noon: Early Access (VIP cardholders)
Noon – 8 PM: General AdmissionTUESDAY OCTOBER 31
11 AM – NOON: Early Access (VIP cardholders)
Noon – 8 PM: General AdmissionWEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 1
11 AM – Noon: Early Access (VIP cardholders)
Noon – 6 PM: General Admission - Park Avenue Armory
643 Park Avenue
New York, New York - www.tefaf.com
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“This, the Dutch seemed to be saying, this is how you do an art fair.”
Diva Does Masterpiece Fair
Dear Diva Readers,
While taking Olga Granda-Scott of The HighBoy on a whirlwind Antiques Diva UK experience to introduce her to a few of our favorite fairs and dealers, we attended opening day of the renowned English antiques fair Masterpiece in London. Offering museum quality pieces, this fair is one of the best in Europe, comparing often as a smaller TEFAF.
Before heading to the fair we checked out Antiques News & Fairs to find out what the must-see booths were. Discovering that the Empress Eugenie’s pearl earrings would be on display, we headed straight to Siegelson’s booth upon arrival at the fair. This pair of natural grey pearl earrings appear on Empress Eugenie’s ears in a portrait of her which hangs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York so being able to see them first hand was quite a treat! The only disappointment? They wouldn’t let me try them on! And darling… I would have worn them well! 🙂
After meandering the antique filled aisles and stopping by the bar for a glass of champagne to sip while we shopped, we spotted one of our favorite pieces at the fair. It was a George Hepplewhite gentleman’s social table from Apter-Fredericks LTD. This rare table, one of only two known to exist, was made for social drinking. Drinking in the 18th century was prevalent at all levels of society and was so socially acceptable that by the end of the century specialized furniture was being made especially for drinking. With space for multiple champagne bottles and glasses, it’s perfect for a Diva!
Speaking of tables, we also came upon a stunning center table with a specimen marble top from Tomasso Brothers Fine Art. The overall booth was stunning and really drew us in, but this special table – complete with its original documents – is a stand out piece.
It was also fantastic to have a quick chat with Robert Young in his booth. Robert is one of the founders of Masterpiece – and is a leading folk art dealer in the UK. What I loved about his booth – and inventory in general – is that it was entirely different from anyone else’s at the fair. Surrounded by dealers offering polished furniture and glitzy jewels, Robert’s inventory celebrated the unpretentious creations of artisans, adding a creative depth to the overall feel of the fair. Because the fair is not segregated, it makes for an exciting experience to shop the fair – Russian jewels are in stalls next to English Folk Art opposite a stall filled with Neo-Classical busts. Each turn of the neck gives an experience to another land, another time.
All in all, the fair was a glamorous experience with museum quality pieces at every corner—net, net, Masterpiece is Diva-Worthy and if it’s not already on your social calendar consider it a Must Go on the London Antiques Scene! My only regret (beyond not getting to try on those darn pearls from Eugenie) was that I wish we could have stayed longer, but a Diva’s work is never done. We had to jet off to the hotel to get some sleep as the following day we traveled to the country to attend Salvo Fair, but more on that later! Stay tuned to the blog to hear about the rest of our week-long journey through antiques fairs of the UK!
The Antiques Diva®
Looking Forward: TEFAF 2011
Photo Credit: Max Nathan Punter – TEFAF 2010 There’s only a few days left of this year’s TEFAF – THE European Fine Arts Fair in Maastricht, ending March 21, 2010 and the time is prime for reserving your hotel for the March 18-27, 2011 TEFAF event in Holland. Hotels book a year in advance and the people who have flown in for this year’s event are now reserving their room for next spring upon their check out!
So what makes an art and antiques fair so special that you need to reserve a room a year in advance? Honey, this ain’t no ordinary fair! Competition for presenting at TEFAF is fiercer than Olympic figure skating (and behind-the-scenes stories make Tonya Harding seem down-right tame). For an antiques dealer, making the fair means they’ve made it into the upper echelon of the crème de la crème of the antiques world and only the world’s best dealers are allowed to participate in the event!
Max-Nathan Punter, an Amsterdam antiquaire and photographer, recently visited TEFAF 2010 and captured the best of the fair on his Flicker site! Dash over to visit Max’s photo gallery to be wowed by fabulous photos of TEFAF 2010 and to be inspired to plan now for your 2011 visit!
Until Next Time,
The Antiques Diva™
TEFAF 2010
The European Fine Arts Fair in Maastricht 12-21 March 2010. 
I would add to Dana’s words that vendors and buyers alike come from the four corners of the world – 82% of the participants are non-Dutch with 220 art and antiques representative checking-in from 15 different countries. Museum curators and trustees from 25 countries visited TEFAF in 2008 including the major American institutions, the Hermitage in St Petersburg, the Shanghai Art Museum, the Tate Britain in London and both the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. 
Competition for a stall at the fair is fiercer than Olympic figure skating (and behind-the-scenes stories make Tonya Harding seem tame). For an antiques dealer, making the fair means they’ve made it! Only the best of the best are allowed to participate in the event. But this year TEFAF is doing something new. They recognize that it is difficult for new dealers to “make it’ into the show when competing against buisnesses which have been around longer than many nations. Thus, TEFAF has recently added The TEFAF Showcase for recently established vendors. These debutantes are allowed to participate in the Showcase strictly on a one-off basis, thereby giving young dealers the exposure of being part of a major international fine art event. TEFAF stall rentals typically run for rates equal to buying an ownership share in an NFL football team, but these debutantes are allowed to participate for peanuts. Their TEFAF costs aren’t as high as the big boys fees, thus their “needed profit margins” aren’t going to be as high. In my opinion, these are the dealers to watch. If you like their inventory, get their names and contact information and 6 months after the fair (once the post-TEFAF- euphoria wears off and their prices have floated back down to reality) give them a call about the item you’re interested in!
As you walk about the carefully decorated stalls look around – not just at the items for sell, the great floral arrangments and the innovative décor, but at the other visitors to the fair. See that guy over there – he’s a private buyer who just flew in on his private jet. Of course, unless you are a polyglot, you might find eavesdropping on the rich and famous to be a bit difficult. You’re as likely to hear English spoken as you are Russian, Chinese, Aarbic, French, Portugese, German, Dutch or Italian. It’s as if you’ve taken the worlds wealthiest citizens, thrown them in a Baccarat martini shaker and added copious quantities of cologne, silk ascots, and mink. The cocktail comes out tasting a tad Fitzgeraldesque, but with price tags included.
It’s this latter reason that I send you to the show. When you go to a museum you can’t touch the art, you don’t get to see the reverse of the painting and you certainly don’t hear how much money a Monet costs. But at TEFAF, you can do all these things. Entrance for 2 into TEFAF costs more than I spent on the pair of brass turn-of-the-century-Polish candlesticks I bought at a flea market in Gdansk which grace my table, but the cost is worth it. At 55E per person (it does include the stupendous fair catalog – eye candy itself) you might be wondering why I’m sending you there. Unless your budget is a whole lot bigger than mine you most likely won’t be doing any buying at the fair. Consider it a day out window shopping. But, oh honey, the window shopping is good. Down right Divalicious.
I always tell Diva Clients who are interested in learning about antiques to go to the museums. Study the art, study quality and then take that knowledge home with you and out to the flea market and apply it at prices that don’t rival the USA’s national deficit. This is why you go to TEFAF.
Ben Janssens, Chairman of TEFAF’s Executive Committee, said: “There is no evidence that the jittery financial markets have discouraged art buyers and in fact the reverse seems to be true. Visitors said to me that they see no point in investing in stocks at the moment and prefer to put their money into art and antiques. What has also been encouraging is the increase in visitors from Asia including, for the first time, two groups totaling 20 people from mainland China.” 
Dates for March 2011 are not yet available but typically TEFAF posts the next year’s dates within weeks following it’s current fair. This information, my friends, is key for you. It might be too late for you to catch a train or book a flight to this years TEFAF, but you will certainly want to add TEFAF to your 2010 calendar and while you’re at it go ahead and book the hotel. Hotels for 30 miles around book up a year in advance.
Just as TEFAF has vetting committees to guarantee the quality, authenticity and condition of the work (taking works of art that do not meet their high standards out of the dealers possession until the fair is over), I have a Diva Guarantee that will be the finest fine arts fair you’ll ever attend!
The Antiques Diva ™
All Photos by Max-Nathan Punter
Last Minute Diva! Dutch Old Masters at Sotheby’s Amsterdam & TEFAF 2010 Dates
Willem Willemsz van der Vliet, A pair of portraits of Willem de Langue and Maria Pijnaeker.Both oil on panel, each approx. 113.2 x 86.3 cm. Estimate €80,000 – 120,000.
Dear Diva Readers,
With the May 5th Sotheby’s sale, here’s your chance to score an Old Master or at the very least examine one with the blue light. One of the things I love most about high-end antique sales is the opportunity to get up close and personal with museum pieces without the constraint of the museum security guard watching over my shoulder! I’m the girl you wonder about when you see her getting escorted out of the museum for pressing her face too close to a master-piece. I’ve been known to set off more than one security alarm over the years – most recently at the Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin when I was examining an 18th C painting done of the street in Berlin where I now live. In my defense, I come by it naturally – when my mom came to visit me in Paris she got us kicked out of the chateau in St Germain-en-Laye for opening a closed door to the dungeons. Like mother like daughter! That said, if you’re like me and want to see the reverse side of paintings, ask endless questions about the techniques used, it’s provenance, (who owned it/when) and learn the prices of museum-pieces, then you should definitely visit the May 5th, 2009 Old Master’s sale at Sotheby’s Amsterdam!
Raise your paddle for great landscapes, still-lifes, portraits, biblical and genre scenes by Dutch old masters from the 15th to 18th century. Given this is A’dam, the sale has a special focus on the Dutch Golden Age. One of the highlights is a stunning family portrait by the 17th century master Jan van Noordt which is remarkable for its quality, elegance, coloring and size. Also of particular interest (see image above) in the art community is a pair of portraits done by the Delft master Willem Willemsz van der Vliet, of the charming 17th C couple – Willem Reyersz. de Langue and his wife Maria Pijnaeker. Willem de Langue (1599-1656) was a notary in Delft who worked for several artists including Delft’s famous home-town boy Johannes Vermeer.
Photo courtesy of TEFAF
Should you not be able to make this Sotheby’s sale but are salivating over the thought of touching the masters, then plan ahead to attend TEFAF next year. TEFAF, The European Fine Arts Fair, is the crème de la crème of arts and antiques fairs – this is the best antiques show in the world. Here you rub shoulders with museum curators and jet setters (as well as mere mortals like me who can’t afford a master but love the opportunity to see their price tags). Next years TEFAF will be March 12 -21, 2010 – book your airfare and hotels now to insure you have a place to sleep! Beds book up early and airfares into Holland skyrocket this time of year! To read more about the 2009 TEFAF, click here!
Tot Ziens,
The Antiques Diva™
Last Minute Diva – TEFAF
Diva Readers,
I would add to Dana’s words that vendors and buyers alike come from the four corners of the world – 82% of the participants are non-Dutch with 220 art and antiques representative checking-in from 15 different countries. Museum curators and trustees from 25 countries visited TEFAF in 2008 including the major American institutions, the Hermitage in St Petersburg, the Shanghai Art Museum, the Tate Britain in London and both the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. .jpg)
Competition for a stall at the fair is fiercer than Olympic figure skating (and behind-the-scenes stories make Tonya Harding seem tame). For an antiques dealer, making the fair means they’ve made it! Only the best of the best are allowed to participate in the event. But this year TEFAF is doing something new. They recognize that it is difficult for new dealers to “make it’ into the show when competing against buisnesses which have been around longer than many nations. Thus, TEFAF has recently added The TEFAF Showcase for recently established vendors. These debutantes are allowed to participate in the Showcase strictly on a one-off basis, thereby giving young dealers the exposure of being part of a major international fine art event. TEFAF stall rentals typically run for rates equal to buying an ownership share in an NFL football team, but these debutantes are allowed to participle for peanuts. Their TEFAF costs aren’t as high as the big boys fees, thus their “needed profit margin” aren’t going to be as high. In my opinion, these are the dealers to watch. If you like their inventory, get their names and contact information and 6 months after the fair (once the post-TEFAF- euphoria wears off and their prices have floated back down to reality) give them a call about the item you’re interested in!
It’s this latter reason that I send you to the show. When you go to a museum you can’t touch the art, you don’t get to see the reverse of the painting and you certainly don’t hear how much money a Monet costs. But at TEFAF, you can do all these things. Entrance for 2 into TEFAF costs more than I spent on the pair of brass turn-of-the-century-Polish candlesticks I bought at a flea market in Gdansk which grace my table, but the cost is worth it. At 55E per person (it does include the stupendous fair catalog – eye candy itself) you might be wondering why I’m sending you there. Unless your budget is a whole lot bigger than mine you most likely won’t be doing any buying at the fair. Consider it a day out window shopping. But, oh honey, the window shopping is good. Down right Divalicious.
I always tell Diva Clients who are interested in learning about antiques to go to the museums. Study the art, study quality and then take that knowledge home with you and out to the flea market and apply it at prices that don’t rival the USA’s national deficit. This is why you go to TEFAF. You go to TEFAF to educate your eye so that you recognize quality (and while you’re there to try and hone in on a few free glasses of champagne). The worlds best antiques have been gathered in this one location (I cringe to think what insurance for the fair must cost). No where else (includng the world’s best museums – the Louvre, the Rijksmuseum, the Uffizi or the Met) will you find a collection of art and antiques this good in one locale… that is, until next year. For the fair has been held every March since 1975, recession or no recession.
Ben Janssens, Chairman of TEFAF’s Executive Committee, said: “There is no evidence that the jittery financial markets have discouraged art buyers and in fact the reverse seems to be true. Visitors said to me that they see no point in investing in stocks at the moment and prefer to put their money into art and antiques. What has also been encouraging is the increase in visitors from Asia including, for the first time, two groups totaling 20 people from mainland China.”
Just as TEFAF has vetting committees to guarantee the quality, authenticity and condition of the work (taking works of art that do not meet their high standards out of the dealers possession until the fair is over), I have a Diva Guarantee that will be the finest fine arts fair you’ll ever attend!
The Antiques Diva ™
All photos except for the one indicated are property of Art – das Kunstmagazin
The Antiques Diva & Co is a LAPADA Approved Service Provider
The Antiques Diva & Co is the Official Tour Guide of Paul Bert Serpette at The Paris Flea Market
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