THE BUZZ ON ANTIQUE FIREPLACE TERMINOLOGY: ANDIRONS, FIREDOGS, ANDIERS, FIREBACKS AND FENDERS

It's almost that time of year....THE HOLIDAY SEASON.....Yay! Soon we'll start dreaming of a white Christmas, making our gift lists, and snuggling up to the fire with lots of hot cocoa and plenty of valium.

So what could me more appropriate than a "hearth and home" post about antique pieces that enhance and beautify your fireplace?

You'd think this topic would be simple dimple right? After all, you just grab some andirons, throw on a coupla Cracklelogs, fire them up with that Scripto fire-wand doohickey (whatever happened to matches?) and voilá-instant fire. Well, yes, if you're a complete Philistine, this process is indeed that simple.

Philistine side note: When I was in my 30's and still a swingin' single, I had a condo with one of those concrete log, gas-ignition fireplaces. And when I had a hot date coming over, I'd put on my "crackling firelogs"cassette tape (see below) to create that oh-so-important romantic mood--it was actually very effective and my dates (all three of them) were never the wiser as to my faux romantic ambience.

Anyhow, before we get to andirons, we should talk log grates. A log grate is a metal frame placed inside a fireplace (often between the "arms" of the andirons) to prevent the wood or coal from falling out. BE CAREFUL NOT TO confuse a log GRATE with a log RACK which is the rack outside the firebox where you store your wood. Mistaking these terms could prove costly since firing up your log rack will get you 10-20 years for arson rather than a romantic evening at home. Here's a typical log grate:

But Hey Buzz, you ask, "What if I'M THE ONE WHO'S BUZZED when I come home from a holiday parté and accidentally fire up my log rack instead of my log grate: how will I know?"

A provocative question but more importantly incredibly stupid. And I like that. The answer to your question is surprisingly as simple as you are. First, just day no to drugs. Second, if "No" is not in your vocabulary but you still don't want to star in the sequel to "The Burning Bed," here's the way to tell if you done it right: start by staggering back AWAY from the fire and try to focus on the flames as best you can.

If the flames look like this, then you've properly lit the wood on the grate and congratulations:

But if the fire looks like this, then you've whoopsied big time. If this is the case, FIRST: call your insurance agent to file your claim, and SECOND, call 911:

But to truly undertsand the intricacies and nuances of your fireplace (who thought this could be so complicated??), our adventure must start with baby steps. So here we go:

Baby step 1. What's a FIREDOG? Good question because many fireplaces do have one. But what exactly are they? Firedogs are DALMATIONS (duh) like this oh-so-cute (but highly flammable) example:

If I owned this firedog, I'd call him Spot (it's tres retro, don't you think?).

Baby step 2: More relevant to our discussion of antiques, what's another firedog other than "Spot" that could hang around the fire without spontaneously combusting? That would be an antique firedog that is just another word for andirons (pronounced "AN die urns").

Andirons are metal supports for logs (real or phoney) that serve to lift the logs off the ground thereby promoting more air flow around them and making for a better fire. They also keep the logs from rolling forward. And, of course, they can be highly decorative too.

Here's a pretty pair:

Baby step 3: Can this blog entry get any more boring? Oh, absolutely. Just read on.

Let's turn now to your snooty parvenu (pronounced "PAR ven new") neighbors who bought Google stock at $105 a share because they thought the name was cute and now they're worth gazillions and rub it in your face constantly?

Not a problem. You can be wonderfully passive/aggressive and effectively put them in their place with some fancy French fireplace terminology that they'll never understand. This will also make them feel less worthy and thereby brighten your holiday season immensely.

So what's the secret word to use? It's "andiers", pronounced "ahn dee YAY") and means exactly the same thing as a set of firedogs/andirons. Just like pommes frittes are just another name for French fries and their more Americanized cousins, the Tater-Tots:

So when you visit your neighbors to drop off that holiday fruitcake, make sure to compliment them on their shiny new store-bought "andiers", then say "au revoir" and leave smugly knowing that money alone can't buy you class (but then neither can this blog).

Baby step 4: Ok, Buzz, got the andiron/firedog/andiers thing, but then what's a FIREBACK? I saw some on your website.

Firebacks can mean a coupla things. First, they relate to a time when men defended a woman's "honor" by slapping each other with gloves (this still happens a lot in West Hollywood) and then challenging each other to a duel (where each fool tries to shoot the other first). The duelers would typically march ten steps away from the other, turn and fire. The one who forgot to "fireback" would be the dead one and the other loser would "win" the girl. Talk about a Pyrrhic victory.

Ok, great. But what's an antique fireback? Antique firebacks are cast metal plates that protect the backside of the fire box against catching fire and spreading to the rest of the building.

Plus the thick iron plate serves to keep the heat radiating back into the room , thus working like a radiator and increasing the heating efficiency of the fire by as much as 50%.

Firebacks date back to the mid 15th century and were originally luxury items affordable only to royalty and the aristocracy. Thus the early firebacks show the crests and crowns of royalty and titled families. Later on, as firebacks became more affordable, they came to be embellished with more decorative designs about classical stories, nature and rural life. Today, these decorative antique firebacks are often mounted as handsome wall appliqués.

Baby step 5 (this is one long-winded baby): Ok Buzz, got the grate thing, firedog thing and all the other things but then what's a fireplace FENDER?

Oh, that's an easy one: if you're a grease monkey, it's that part of a car that's usually dented and hence in need of your expert services.

If you're "in a band", which is another way of saying you're still unemployed, then a Fender is the coolest electric guitar ever. When I was in high school, my brother had a Fender Stratocaster that helped his band (called the Periscopes-don't ask me why) to win back-to-back Van Nuys High School Sock Hop Battle of the Band contests. Here's an example of a really sa-weet Stratocaster:

Sadly, in 1965, the British invasion came on the scene, my brother's music became passé, and his band was defeated by a Beatles knock-off group of sophomores called "The Shiverin' Bones' (again don't ask how they came up with that brilliantly uplifting name).

Oops, forgot to tell you what an antique fender is for a fireplace. My bad: An antique fender is a low frame bordering a fireplace to contain falling coals or wood and to discourage people from coming too close to the fire. Also, fenders were used to protect the rug or floor from flying embers or sparks. Here's my favorite 18th c. brass fender:

And there you have it. And to all a good night!

BRAS DE LUMIÉRES AND OTHER WALL SCONCES

When I first heard of a "bras de lumiére" (pronounced "brah duh LOOM myair"), I figured it was one of those kinky LED brassieres that lights up in the dark. I remember thinking "What WILL Parisian couture come up with next?!"

So this is a multiple choice question. WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING IS A BRAS DE LUMIÉRE?

A.

B.

C.

The answer in a moment.

So later I grew up and learned more about how brassieres differ from antique lighting. One factoid I learned was that a bras de lumiére is not an undergarment at all (go figure) but rather a type of sconce; so the right answer is "B".

But now you're probably wondering "Well that's just ducky Buzz, but what the heck's a sconce?" Good question.

A sconce, pronounced "skahnz", is a wall mount that is fitted to hold a candle or candles. Here's a typical pair of 18th century Italian giltwood wall sconces:

And here is another example, this one an amazing set at our gallery:

Aren't these wild? I love 'em.

When a simple wall sconce has multiple candles and is more elaborate and complex in design, it's called a bras de lumiére, as seen here:

And they can become way more foofy like this Empire one, part of a set of six at C. Mariani:

But people in the trade use the word "sconce" to mean a whole variety of things that hang on walls. Most of these items are properly called wall appliqués (pronounced "AP luh kays") since that's the generic word for just about any item that mounts up on a wall.

A good example of an appliqué that everyone calls a sconce would be this bracket/shelf and others like them:

These types of pieces are more properly called wall brackets and, although they were indeed used to hold free-standing candlesticks, they were more frequenty used to display porcelain vases, figures, girandoles (I'll cover girandoles in my next post!), other objet virtu etc.

Here's another set of these versatile brackets that are great for flanking mirrors or to embellish a small wall area:

EGLOMISÉ, CHAMPLEVÉ AND CLOISONNÉ, OY VEY!

Eglomisé, pronounced "ay glow me ZAY", also called 'verre eglomisé' ("vair ay glow me ZAY"), is a decorative glass technique where the glass is painted or gilded on the underside and then backed wih a metal foil. Shown above is an 18th century German red and gold verre eglomisé mirror.

If I ever catch someone trying to steal one of my eglomisé antiques, I plan to yell, "LEGGO MY EGGLO!"

That'll scare 'em.

Below is another example of eglomisé, this one an 18th century Southern European panel showing a kneeling figure accepting a bishop's mitre and crozier from the archangel Michael with an attendant angel:

Champlevé, pronounced "shahm pluh VAY" is a decorative metal technique where metal is etched or hollowed out and then filled with enamel that's fired. Some people confuse this with eglomisé (see above) or cloisonné (see below) but they're very different. Here's a good detail of a champlevé surface:

Champlevé was often incorporated into elaborate antique boxes or reliquaries like these:

Finally, there is cloisonné (pronounced "cloy zuh NAY"), a different decorative metal technique. In cloisonné, metal wire is attached to an object like a vase, with the wire forming an outline of a design and then the empty spaces are filled with enamel, fired, sanded down and polished to create a very different look and feel.

Here is a cloisonné vase:

And here are some other examples of cloisonné, the first with garnet glass and the second of a Chinese dragon:

With cloisonné, the surface is mainly enamel and the metal wire gives it a filigree look. With champlevé, the surface generally shows more exposed metal.

YOU, GLUE AND ANTIQUE RESTORATIONS

We do a lot of antique restorations at C. Mariani.

Maybe 1000 per year, involving everything from a Sevres vase thrown at a philandering husband to an exquisite little music chair flattened by some tub-of-lard who dozed off during a recital. The latter actually happened to this chair (it came to us like a pancake) and look at it now:

Museum quality restorations, like those that we do, increase the value of an antique and return it to its original beauty or at least a period-appropriate approximation. Try saying "appropriate approximation" ten times-it makes you dizzy.

The problem in our business is that most "antique restorers" are just CLOWNS who "restore" a piece by stripping it of its patina and applying a brand new finish. And VOILA: instant garbage.

And this is why when you watch Antiques Roadshow, the experts always tell the toothless West Covina hausfrau "not to touch it" and just leave it, damage and all. The Roadshow experts know that 99% of folks don't have access to expert restoration resources and that the piece would be destroyed by local refinishers (or the hausfrau's all thumbs "handyman" husband seen here):

But what is a "professional" or "museum quality" restoration? Well, it's many things:

1. First, it's REALLY expensive (our minimum charge for any restoration is $1,000 and our fee can climb to over $100,000, depending on the piece).

2. Second, it's done by someone who knows the materials, methods, techniques, and styles that were commonplace when the antique was first built. That someone is a specialist in the specific realm of the damage: there are carpenters, finish restorers, carvers, leather experts, painters, gilders and the list goes on. That's why we have 33 artisans on staff. No one person can do museum quality restoration in every specialty.

3. Being knowledgeable about historical material is critical when it comes to everything from restoring paintings to restoring a veneered parcel gilt commode. For example, in the case of an 18th century parcel gilt and marquetry commode, we'd use a minimum of three kinds of glue: fish glue for structural repairs, hide glue for veneer repairs and a rabbit glue for water gilding. It's like life with Denise Richards: It's Complicated.

4. At the end of the day, a successful restoration looks and feels like it never happened. That's the mark of an expert.

But what if you can't afford a $1000 repair and a piece of satinwood veneer has "popped" (the word we use for veneers that lift over time as they tend to do) on your side table?? The answer is leave it alone until you CAN afford to have it restored properly.

But what if you're an obsessive/compulsive who simply can't stand to walk by this small imperfection on a daily basis. My best advice is to get a good therapist. But if you can't control yourself and MUST GLUE the piece back, do it with Elmer's white glue. Why? Because it's the easiest one for professional restorers to remove when you get around to fixing it properly.

Under no circumstances should you use any of those modern glues (like Super Glue, the one on TV showing the construction guy gluing his hard hat to an I-beam with one drop and then immediately hanging from it in mid-air). Those glues are meant for lunatic construction workers who want to risk their lives. Epoxy glues are permanent and will make your damage worse. And this includes Gorilla Glue and Krazy Glue as well. Just say no when it comes to using them to restore your antique.

Other factoids on keeping your antique in great shape:

• Only use a beeswax and turpentine paste wax to polish and protect from water as needed
• Dust or clean using a damp and soft cloth; don't use wool as it micro-scratches the finish; dry with another soft cloth
• Keep the piece out of direct sunlight; if you must keep the piece exposed to sun, rotate it periodically every six months or so in order to even out the inevitable fading
• Move your antiques with care: pick up objet d'art from the bottom; never drag antique legs across the floor; don't pick up antique armchairs by the arms; don't tilt back on any antique chair (this one stunt practically keeps our restoration group in business); and don't lift an antique from its side handles (they are often decorative and cannot withstand the weight)

THE BUZZ ON ANTIQUE FRETWORK

In this recession, a lot of us fret about our work or lack thereof. I'd call this "fretwork" but I can't because that means something entirely different in antiques.

So what do I call worrying the day away? Being a "Nervous Nellie". And I sure don't want to be one of those, so I try to think positively and never watch the local news. But I have to admit this economy is getting so bad that it can bring out the Nellie side in just about anyone. Sad. But getting back to fretwork:

Fretwork is a carpentry technique of cutting thin pieces of wood with a fine-bladed saw (called a fret saw) to form shapes or patterns. The fretwork pattern might be left "open" (meaning you can see through it), as often seen on mirrors (see above table and the mirror below) or table galleries, or it might be "blind", meaning it's carved into or applied to a solid surface and therefore can't be seen through. Here's an example of blind fretwork on the top of an English chest on chest:

And here's a terrific 1760 English Georgian Gothic Revival mahogany tea table with open fretwork gallery, legs, and apron detailing:

Open fretwork is also sometimes backed by fabric such as pleated silk or by mirrors, as shown here on an 18th century Italian Rococo giltwood looking glass:

Fretwork was a favorite technique of Thomas Chippendale, especially on his Chinoiserie pieces. See my earlier post on Chippendale and his furniture. Chippendale would often have multiple tiers of open fretwork stacked on top of each other. What most people don't know is that Chippendale never duplicated any fretwork patten when he did these multiple tiered layers. On a real Chippendale piece, each layer was completely different as shown here:

Although fretwork is most commonly associated with English furniture, it was used throughout Europe and Asia as a decorative technique. Here's an 18th Chinese Huganguali dressing cabinet and mirror stand, from the Qianlong period:

THE BUZZ ON ANTIQUE TERMINOLOGY: CABARET

Yes, yes, I'm fully aware of what Liza Minelli sings: "Life is a cabaret!" But that's just plain Broadway musical baloney.

A cabaret (pronounced "ca buh RAY" just like in the song--at least she got that right) is actually a porcelain coffee or tea service that usually has a pot, cups, saucers and frequently, a creamer, sugar basin and even a tray.

Here's a cabaret set of VEB Porzellanmanufaktur of Plaue, Thuringia, Germany dating to c1890:

And here's a detail shot of one of the cups. Ok, the set's a bit too foofy for my taste but then if I had great taste I'd be a decorator and not an antique dealer:

Prefer tea? Here's a lovely English porcelain cabaret tea set:

How can you tell if it's a tea or coffee set? Factoid: the tea pots are "short and stout" and the coffee pots are "tall and skinny". So the German VEB set above is for coffee and tea and the English set above is just for tea. Simple dimple.

THE BUZZ ON CHIPPENDALE VERSUS CHIP-N-DALE

One of the most famous names in furniture is Thomas Chippendale.

He was an 18th century English cabinet maker and designer (who created furniture like the chair shown above). Care should be taken not to confuse him with the equally famous pair of squirrels known as Chip-n-Dale (who created nothing but a lot of mediocre programming for The Cartoon Network).

You can tell them apart pretty easily since they look nothing alike. Here's Thomas Chippendale who lived in 18th c. England:

And here are Chip-n-Dale, a coupla squirrels who live in West Hollywood (Hollywood adjacent).

As you can see, Chip-n-Dale are gender neutral cartoon characters. Some fringe elements have made the claim that they are same-sex domestic partners and occasional cross-dressers. In other words, "closeted squirrels". The photo does indicate some ambiguity and I understand that inquiring minds do want to know.

But The Buzz says,"Who are we to judge?" Wouldn't it be better if we all just joined hands and sang "What the World Needs Now is Love Sweet Love" and leave it at that? My feeling is if they're not hurting any important antiques, why not just live and let live?

But I admit to being bi-curious as what these two rodents actually DO every day. It's hard to say. Most likely, they just eat nuts, race across streets (sometimes with disastrous results), and wonder if they should change their names to avoid confusion with the famous cabinetmaker.

That's a good segue back to Thomas Chippendale, one of the most important cabinet makers and furniture designers of all time. Here's a spectacular Chippendale mirror incorporating exotic chinoiserie elements:

Pieces of furniture actually created by Thomas Chippendale are extremely rare, come on the market infrequently, and are very costly. For us antiquarians, the most important thing to understand is that the Chippendale name has become generic for all furniture made in the Chippendale style.

Here are some chair backs in the Chippendale style:

And here's a set of Chippendale chairs (note the Chinese stretchers and classic back splats):

This set of chairs weren't really created by Chippendale himself but they can still be properly called generic "Chippendale". Conclusion to draw here: not all Chippendales are created equal.

To illustrate this point, if you're offered the Chippendale sofa shown below for less than $100,000 USD, then you know it's in the style of Chippendale but not actually an authentic Thomas Chippendale piece-and that's OK.

Here's some beautiful Chippendale leg detailing (note the ball and claw foot and cabriole leg):

And here's a Chippendale corner chair:

But Chippendale didn't just create chairs. Here's a Chippendale bureau bookcase (note the Chinoiserie glazing bars):

Ok, so now we know that all furniture that incorporates Chippendale's unique design characteristics can be called "Chippendale". But where do you find those styles and design elements? You find them in his seminal book of designs: "The Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker's Director" by Thomas Chippendale.

Look here at how the Portuguese interpreted and incorporated Chippendale style in the late 18th and early 19th centuries:

Kind of wild and weird, don't you think? I love this pair. Call me if you want to buy them. 415 541 7868.

Designs introduced by Chippendale in English furniture include the cabriole leg (see the ball and claw foot image above); and for that matter he introduced the ball and claw foot itself; the straight, square, early Georgian leg (often called Marlborough--see the sofa above); the carved latticework Chinese leg; the pseudo-Chinese leg; the fretwork leg and Chinese fretwork rails/cornices; the rococo leg with the curled or hoofed foot; and the spade foot. See my articles on legs and feet for more images.

And here's a bit more Chippendale eye candy for your viewing pleasure:

SHAGREEN WITH ENVY

True factoid: Shagreen is just plain chic. It's one of those truths that are "self evident" (to quote our Founding Fathers who would have loved shagreen if they'd been decorators).

But honestly, I don't know one designer who doesn't swoon over shagreen. Here's a real swooner: an oval and brass shagreen mirror from C.MARIANI ANTIQUES:

And here's a close up of the shagreen:

Shagreen is pronounced "shuh GREEN" and is defined as an untanned animal skin that has a very granular surface, almost like pebbles. Remember Pebbles? She was Bam-Bam's playmate on The Flinstones. Here she is plopped down on the left with her family:

Wait, shagreen doesn't look like THAT Pebbles. Yes, she was cute as a button, but chic, I don't think so. Plus she has no pupils (she got Wilma's eyes) and I find that scary in a "Children of the Corn" sort of way. Don't you think?

But guess which Bedrock character in our photo ACTUALLY MIGHT just make a lovely shagreen clutch?

Is it Wilma? Nope. How about Fred? How about no again. The correct answer is DINO the purple dinosaur!

See, shagreen is untanned hides with granular indentations ("pebbles") that come from animals like donkeys, horses, sharks, sting rays, and, sadly, Dinos.

Isn't it amazing how this all ties together? Here's a detail shot of a green shagreen (I think that's called alliteration but I'm too lazy to fact check this) vintage cigarette case:

Now I know what you're thinking: "Hey Buzz, does shagreen only come in green? Is there shacream or shapeuce?" Actually, shagreen comes in any color but regardless of its color it's still just called shagreen. I have no idea why but there it is.

Here's shagreen in pink:

Est shagreen "Pretty in Pink?" Me think oui, but I don't speak French so I can't be sure.

Shagreen first became popular in the 1920's (reaching its height in the '30's) and was and is used in a variety of ways, not just on small luxury goods (like clocks, purses, etc.) but also as a surface for furniture.

At our C. MARIANI CUSTOM WORKSHOP, we're often asked to create Art Deco style and modern furniture laminated in shagreen. And it comes out great. But my preference is to use the faux shagreen (the thought of Dino as a handbag makes me mist right up). Anyhow, the faux shagreen available today is practically indistinguishable from the real thing so please use that.

Anyhow, how does shagreen relate to antiques? Not much really since most of it appears on pieces that are less than one hundred years old. But it was used in the 19th century on English tea caddies and also on book bindings.

Widespread use of shagreen really didn't happen until the 1920's and '30's. Here's an Art Deco floor lamp that marries shagreen with palmwood to create a very soigné (a really good word to know and pronounced "swan YAY" and meaning sleek) standard:

Words of the Day: CHIMERA AND MASCARON

These two words have always stumped me. I'd either forget what they meant or I'd forget how to pronounce them. I bet a psychiatrist would tell me that I'm "suppressing" those terms because they're REALLY SCARY and I'm fundamentally a coward. But Im not shelling out $250/hr to find out.

CHIMERA is pronounced "kye MEER uh" and it's defined as a frightening monster made up of bizarre combinations of different animals.

You'll see chimera frequently defined as a fire-breathing she-monster with a lion's head, a goat's body and a serpent's tail. Sounds like my prom date. But I think that definition is sexist so I just say chimera to connote a gender-neutral monster. Here's one that fits the bill (notice the goat head emerging from the body):

MASCARON is often mispronounced "mack UH roon" but that's a yummy cookie that Jewish people eat on Passover (they're really delicious, especially the coconut ones). Wrong pronunciation but still a great treat and highly recommended.

This is a coconut macaroon:

MASCARON is properly pronounced "MASK kah rohn" and is a grotesque mask (facial) motif, like the one shown below on a 19th c. majolica urn:

List price: $46,500 USD

GO GREEN: BUY AN ANTIQUE

In case you missed my article on DECORATI about how antiques are a great way to recycle and do your bit for the planet, here it is:

I know what you're thinking: if Buzz thinks "going green" means buying this green pair of 19th century Russian malachite urns, he ain't the brightest bulb in the chandelier. By a long shot.

He probably also thinks that buying this antique malachite ecritoire (pronounced "ay cree TWAHR" and meaning an ink stand) is another way to "go green". Is the man clueless or what?

Well, actually you're right. Not about me being clueless but I do believe that buying these antiques is good for the environment and a great way to "go green". But not because they're green in color. It's because purchasing these or any other antique is an excellent form of recycling. Antiques were and are the original eco-chic.

Think about it.

As one of the largest wholesalers of high end antiques, every time we make a sale, we're doing our part to protect the environment. There's zero pollution when you buy, use and/or resell this 18th c. French Regence bureau plat:

In fact, I like to think of C. MARIANI ANTIQUES, RESTORATION & CUSTOM as the world's fanciest recycling bin.

After all, each of our 250 year old antiques has served no less than six generations of families who have used them, abused them, moved them, heaved on them, restored them and stored them. And yet since they were created they haven't used any more fossil fuel or otherwise harmed the planet one bit. If that isn't eco-friendly I don't know what is.

Here's a pair of 18th century "recycled" antique appliqués. The detail on them is amazing plus you don't cut down one tree or mine one more ounce of gold if you buy them:

So collecting antiques is the perfect way to furnish your home without doing an iota of harm to Mother Earth. Ok, so now we know that one way to Save the Planet, is to buy lots and lots of antiques like this $400,000 18th century silvered and walnut secretaire:

But what if you're a bit short on cash this month and don't have $400k to spend, even in the name of eco-chic? Not a problem.

If you can't afford an antique, then the next best thing is to have a custom shop like C. Mariani make you a reproduction antique using renewable materials like plyboo or else old growth repurposed wood that doesn't endanger our environment.

Our workshop turns out hundreds of hand-made custom pieces every year and we always try to be as ecologically responsible as we can. One way we do this is by using old growth and previously used 200 year old European walnut. This wood is not harvested-it's collected from collapsed churches, raised buildings, and from blow downs (these are old growth trees that have been blown down in storms). Here, a C. Mariani custom workshop reproduction side table in reused old growth walnut:

We actually have a "spotter" in Europe who identifies these toppled trees the moment they're "down". And then we buy the wood and ship it here for our furniture reproductions and restorations. C. Mariani has one of the largest inventories of old growth hardwoods in the country and we trade it like a commodity. And it's a commodity that doesn't harm the environment.

Custom pieces can also be eco-friendly if they are made of new but sustainable materials (i.e., wood or wood-like materials that can be regrown quickly). There are many stylish products on the market. Take plyboo for example (bamboo veneered onto bamboo-composite plywood). It looks very similar to precious macassar (pronounced "muh KASS er") ebony which is both prohibitively expensive and not eco-friendly.

It's beautiful, right? And yet it's very earth-friendly. This bamboo replenishes itself every 6 years, so it's a sustainable and responsible building material for custom furniture.

The moral to this story is that antiques and even custom furniture (using sustainable products) are stylish ways to beautify your interiors while at the same time being ecologically responsible.

WHAT'S MORE FUN: A LAP DESK OR A LAP DANCE?

A truly thought-provoking, timely (after all, our morals are under siege), and very deranged question. But I have no shame so I'll answer it.

This is a 19th c. French fruit wood lap desk:

Let me begin by saying that I'm no expert in lap dances. I've never actually had one. And I don't recall ever having given one. But I have seen them on "Rock of Love" so I do get the concept.

OK, so we agree that I'm clueless about lap dances. ON THE OTHER HAND, I'm cluefull about lap desks. In fact, I own one and I enjoy it a LOT, mainly as a decorative accessory.

Given both my knowledge and lack thereof in these two areas, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that lap desks and lap dances are BOTH fun, just different kinds of fun.

But what's my definitive answer as "The Buzz", the antique expert guy who has a huge kiddie following (I've been told that as many as one to two "tweens" have mistakenly landed on my site after Googling "How to get a Buzz on")?

To those youngsters, I say "Just Say No to Drugs and Yes to Antiques". Both will cost you plenty but at least with antiques you won't have to listen to your Mom whine. "ARE YOU ON SOMETHING AGAIN?" Now that I think about, she may ask you that in either case. But let's get back on topic: lap desk vs. lap dance-what's funner?

Given my quest to take the high road, maintain a "touch of class" here, and having zero experience in lap dances, I'm going to say that lap desks are the much preferred type of fun for kids of all ages. They are also my personal pick for that "hard to find' gift" for those very special occasions like your 10th wedding anniversary (plan on your wife kicking you out when she sees the gift. But look at the bright side: you had 10 years of wedded bliss before she mercifully put an end to it).

So here's the argument for the fun of lap desks: before the advent of Twitter, people couldn't Tweet. Or for that matter phone, type, telegraph, email or text. But what they could do, dare I say, is WRITE to one another both for business and pleasure.

And writing was considered something of an art form both as to penmanship as well as content. And lap desks allowed people to write letters to each other from wherever they were, either from home or while traveling. And this was a big part of their recreational not to mention business lives.

During the 18th and 19th century, lap desks — also known as writing boxes, writing slopes, writing cabinets, or writing desks (as Jane Austen called hers) were used for writing from home (where they were placed on tables), or at your country manor house or retreat, as well as when traveling via land or sea.

People of means traveled between homes, offices and resorts frequently and this led to the widespread use of these portable desks. Most of these desks took the form of a box with a sloping lid (that would fold down to create a stable writing surface) which could be used for writing not only on a table but also on one's lap, hence the name “lap desk”. Lap desks themselves were always personal items reflecting the tastes, style and social class of the owner.

They were generally made of mahogany, walnut, or fruitwood but the finest examples were created in exotic materials like horn, ivory, bone or lacquer. Here's one made of elk horn with carved and inked Anglo-Indian ivory detailing on the interior:

Lap desks not only provided a writing surface but also had compartments for paper, ink, and sealing wax, so they really served as a modern day briefcase for many people. Here's a Japanned lacquer lap desk:

So before Twitter, email, texting, telegrams, typewriters, and other modern ways to communicate, the written word was the communication of choice and the lap desk was a valuable possession for every cultured individual who could write and travel regularly.

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FLUTING AND REEDING?

Although I failed t0 make the cut when I tried out for my high school band, I believe the term "fluting" is a musical one that means playing a weird stick-like instrument that no one can figure out why any kid would want to play.

I'd call it a silver PVC pipe with holes to blow in. Luckily, my extensive research indicates that fluting poses no danger to either the floutist or anyone in the audience (presuming anyone shows).

Reeding, on the other hand, is the remarkable human ability to decipher the printed or written word (you're reeding right now!), except this skill is properly spelled READING.

I can't decide if that was funny or just plain stupid. Or maybe both. Hey, it's Sunday and I'm waiting for Mad Men to come on so I have idle time on my hands.

Actually, reeding and fluting are decorative carvings or moldings. Reeding is linear convex moldings (meaning it sticks out and proud from of the surface) with narrow channels separating each "reed". This decorative technique can be carved, cast or be applied molding.

Fluting is the exact opposite: it is linear concave (meaning inward curving) channels with narrow upcurved channels separating each fluted section. Here you can compare the two (in case you didn't catch the difference in the last picture):

Ok, Mad Men is starting...gotta go.

THE TIMELESSNESS OF ANTIQUES, NATURE'S BEAUTY, AND COMMON HORSE SENSE

Some things are truly timeless. I can think of three off the top of my head:

1. FINE ANTIQUES:

2. THE BEAUTY OF NATURE:

3, And of course, "BUZZ'S RULES TO LIVE BY":

No, that's not a typo and I swear it's not me just being full of myself (although my tighter-than-capri pants might beg to differ).

Over the past thirty years, I've compiled a list of things that I thought could make me a better person, better co-worker, better businessman, and also add to the fun of my job. And guess what?! Although stranger than fiction, these sometimes very obvious "rules" have really help me, my friends, and associates. So I thought I'd share them here with you in the the hope that you may also find them useful....and valuable:

BUZZ'S RULES TO LIVE BY

1. Have Integrity

· This means don’t lie, cheat, or steal.

2. Be on Time

· This means (oddly enough) don’t be late –and yes, one minute late is late.

· Always strive to be on time or a little early to your job, meetings, appointments, etc.

· If you’re going to be even one minute late, call before-hand and let the person know.

3. Keep your commitments

· If you say you’re going to do something, then do it.

· If you can’t keep a commitment, then ADVISE the person that you can’t do it and why (and tell them this BEFORE the deadline passes).

4. Always Close the Loop

· You open a loop when you tell someone you’re going to do something. Until you get back to them saying “It’s done or it’s not done and here’s why”, you’re leaving the loop open.

· Open loops cause people anxiety, waste time and label you as unreliable. And who wants to work with someone like that?

5. Emails

· When you copy (cc) someone, be prepared for that person to ignore it or erase it.

· Never rely on a cc to get an important message to someone.

· Blind copies are a bad idea-by definition, they’re the opposite of open communication and indicate there’s a problem that needs resolving.

6. Count to 10

· When you get angry with a co-worker or client, stop before you say something stupid that will make things worse (and you’ll regret later).

· Count to 10 first or, better yet, sleep on it and 90% of the time you’ll have a different and constructive response the next day.

7. The Only Acceptable Attitude is a Positive One

· Never “give attitude” or be negative. Giving attitude has never solved a problem; on the contrary, it usually makes things worse.

8. Play on your Team, not Against It

· Treat your co-worker the way you would like to be treated-that means keeping each other posted and working together to deliver the best results possible.

9. Lose the Backstory

· As interesting as it is that a project is late because your mother had appendicitis and your toilet overflowed, that’s called "backstory" and guess what? No one cares. So don’t waste people’s time with it-just get the job done as quickly as possible and move on.

10. Leaving Notes for Co-workers

· When you drop off a note on someone’s desk or chair, make sure you put your name on it and some indication of what you want them to do with the information (e.g., FYI, per your request, please call me about this, etc.)

11. Spend your Employer’s Money as if it Were your Own

· If you’re having trouble understanding this concept, please resign as soon as possible. There are currently openings at Jack-in-the-Box that might be perfect for you.

12. The Rule of Pages

· Whenever possible, try to fit a document onto one page. It makes life so much easier for everyone. But if you just can’t keep it to a single page, then make sure you number your pages.

13. The New York Times

· Never put anything in writing that you wouldn’t feel comfortable seeing on the front page of the New York Times.

14. Top of the Pyramid

· This means that the last 5% of time/effort on a project can improve the quality of the entire project by 25%-so always spend a few extra minutes after you’re “done” with a project to reread, rethink it, and make any final tweaks that might make it great.

15. Meetings

· See Rule No. 2.

· Never show up at a meeting without a pen and paper.

· If you have handouts for a meeting, get them to the participants BEFORE the meeting starts so they can review them and understand the issues when your meeting begins.

16. Spelling is Important

· Use “Spell Check” and make a special effort to spell people’s names right-it’s amazing how a misspelled name can upset a client.

17. Make People Right, NOT Wrong

· When you identify a problem or see that someone made a mistake, move quickly to resolve/correct this mistake (if possible) and then just explain the mistake to the person who made it and agree on how that error can be avoided. Don’t waste your time and others pointing fingers and blaming or trying to shame the person who erred. All that demonstrates is that you're mean, a bully, and an insecure mess. Other than that, you're perfect.

18. Be Generous with Information

· Share information with your co-workers as appropriate and necessary so that your team is always up to date and knowledgeable.

· People who intentionally withhold information to “keep their job secure” or to “make them look smarter” are losers and frauds.

19. Ask for the Bad News

· Although we love to hear compliments from our clients and co-workers, the smartest way to learn how to improve is to ASK FOR THE BAD NEWS (i.e., what did we do wrong or how could we have made it even better?).

· You’ll be amazed at how much valuable information this will yield.

20. Write So that a Twelve Year Old can Understand

· When you write a note, letter, speech, etc. write it in clear and simple English that can’t be misinterpreted by your reader.

· In other words, write clearly in a way that a 12 year old could understand – don’t use big esoteric (good example) words or sentence structure to make you look smart. If you really are smart, people know that from your daily behavior and your ability to communicate clearly.

21. To Lose a Client is a Great Sin (unless the client is habitually unprofitable in which case it's a blessing)

Antique Terminology: CARTOUCHE and GUILLOCHE

I've been racking my brain trying to come up with a couple of antique terms that I think are "essentials" to know but always give me fits when I try to use them in a sentence. And here they are: CARTOUCHE and GUILLOCHE.

Random musing: I wonder if I have some psychological blockage on them because of a couple of humiliating experiences I had during my somewhat odd childhood. Don't get me wrong, my folks were the greatest but their child-rearing skills sometimes bordered on the, how shall I put this, unorthodox.

Let's start with CARTOUCHE (pronounced "car TOOSH"). Here's one:

This word has always flummoxed me because when I was kid I was only allowed to call buttocks either "fannys" or "tooshies". Never but never was Baby Buzz allowed to utter words like "read ends", bums, butts, or derrieres: only fannys and/or tooshies were acceptable. And just FYI, "asses" were not even a remote possibility because they're farm animals at petting zoos and not something refined people talked about.

Now that I think about it, my family had a whole panoply of "polite" kiddie terms and phrases for practically every bodily function and anatomy part.

Here's an example of how this "polite" vocabulary system worked for me: I was instructed that instead of saying passing gas, I should quiety say, "Pardon me, but I just took "a tooshy-burp".

And, to add insult to injury, I actually called it that until junior high school when I finally connected the dots to the much more simple and elegant "Breaking Wind." Sounds like a lovely folk-song, don't you think? Yes, yes, everyone else just called them "farts" but let's not go there.

So I think that's one reason I mentally block the word "cartouche". The other reason is a little more obtuse but equally strange.

Let's start with remembering that Baby Buzz was taught that a rear-end was not really a rear-end but a fanny or a tooshy, right? Ok, so far, so weird.

But just when you think it can't get any stranger, Baby Buzz then finds out that, as fate would have it, BOTH of his grandmothers had exactly the same name: FANNY. You can imagine my confusion and humiliation when I had to introduce both of my Grandma's as "a coupla Fanny's". I still have the scars.

But what does a cartouche or Buzz's carthatic confessions, have to do with antiques? Actually, very little. But the term CARTOUCHE is important to know because it's a frequently seen motif that looks like an opening scroll or tablet, like this 18th century marble wall appliqué (pronounced "APP luh kay") of a family coat of arms:

The second term that gives me mental blockage is "guilloche," (pronounced "ghee YUSH" or "gi LOWSH", and both are fine).

I used to think this was how poor Marie Antoinette lost her head. But in reality, she owned many pieces of furniture and trinkets adorned with beautiful guilloche designs and not a single one harmed a hair on her chinny chin chin. Unfortunately the same can't be said of the guillotine (and by the way, Marie Antoinette never said "Let them eat cake." What she really said was "My feet are killing me but let those feet ache!" but sadly she was misunderstood in all the bedlam and the rest is histoire.

A GUILLOCHE is defined as..well..it's hard to put into words. It's kind of a running ornamental form of interlaced curved lines. I know that means nothing to you but take a look at this drawing and you'll recognize the form-it's neoclassical:

And here's another guilloche, this one Romanesque and part of a castle wall in Ireland:

And this guilloche is punctuated with rosettes:

One final comment: the term guilloche is also used to describe an engraving technique perfected by Fabergé on his exquisite eggs and other vertu collectibles. These intricate metal engravings were overglazed with jewel-toned translucent enamels to heighten their visual effect. Here's an example:

And here's another: this one is a Faberge guilloche cigarette case (smoking kills but it might be worth it if you could owned something this beautiful...note to kids: that was a joke, don't smoke).

The Buzz on Antique Beds 101

I don't sell a lot of antique beds. Why is that?

Maybe I just stink at sales. But more likely, it's because:

1. Many antique beds were heavily upholstered or were built right into (and were part of) room paneling (called "boiserie" and pronounced "bwah zer REE"), and as a result, not that many genuine antique beds survive to this day; and

2. 18th c. and 19th c. antique beds were not built to our modern standard sizes (e.g., Eastern King, Cal King, Queen, etc.)--and very few people want to do custom matresses and linens.

And even fewer people are foolish enough to "chop" a perfectly good antique bed to conform to modern dimensions. That explains why our custom workshop is often tasked with creating antique-inspired bed reproductions. Here's a lacquered chinoiserie king bed we created:

Nonetheless, I get a lot of questions and requests for antique beds so it's probably worthwhile to cover them here.

You can best understand antique beds if you understand antique bed terminology:

Tester or baldacchino: a full canopy that may or may not be supported by posts

Half Tester: a half tester is a partial canopy above the headboard

Lit (pronounced "lee"): the word for bed in French

Lit à Colonnes (pronounced "ah coh LUN"): a four poster bed with a full canopy. Here's an example of an English Jacobean lit à colonnes

Lit à Couronne ("ah koo RUN"); a lit a bateau (boat bed) with a crown shaped canopy

Lit à la Duchesse ("ah la doo SHESS"): a bed introduced in the 17th c. with a low headboard

Lit à la Polonaise ("ah la puh low NEZ"): a bed where the head and feet are the same size

Lit à la Turque ("ah la TURK"): a bed placed horizontally against a wall

Lit d'Ange ("DAHNZH"): a bed with a tester but no posts (the tester floats like an "angel" over the bed)--the à la Turque bed above is also a lit d'Ange.

Lit de Anglais: ("dahn GLAY"): same as a lit à la Turque (see above)

Lit de Parade ("duh puh RAHD"): a bed with elaborate curtaining and canopy

Lit de Repos ("dur ruh POE"): a daybed

Lit en Bateau ("ahn ba TOE"): a boat shaped bed

Lit Jumeaux ("zhoo MOE")k: a twin bed

Why do people purchase high-end antiques?

I get asked this a lot, especially since our antiques at C. Mariani

are some of the finest and, yes, some of the most expensive in the world.

Well, for some people, it's the desire and means to live "like a queen". And owning important antiques reflects their station in life, status and prestige, like Queen Elizabeth II:
In this category, it's important to distinguish between people who live like a queen and people who just act like a big queen. That's an important yet subtle difference that every urban sophisticate should recognize.

An Italian giltwood and pietra dura 18th c. center table truly fit for a queen:

List price: $321,000 USD

Then there are clients who buy antiques as investments that not only add beauty to their home but also represent a legacy that can be passed down to their children to secure their financial security, like Joan Crawford forgot to do with Christina, shown here in happier days (note the smart matching bonnets):

Ok, maybe that was a bad example. A better example would be Leona Helmsley who generously left all her antiques along with $12 million to "Fluffo", her oh-so-adorable pooch seen below (Fluffo is the one on the right):

An open letter to Fluffo from The Buzz on Antiques:

"Dear Mr. Fluffo,

I'm a dog-loving antique dealer who could soon be widowed (you never know) and I thought you might be as lonely as I am.

Being a bitch yourself, I'm sure you desperately miss Mama Leona. I know I definitely miss her $12 million. Not to mention her antiques, which I suspect you tinkle on frequently. Yes, I understand we're different species, but I've developed a refined palette for kibble and always order Pupperoni on my Round Table pizzas. So there IS COMMON GROUND for us as a couple.

And, in the category of looks, I know you'll fancy me since people frequently call me a "total dog" and one young lady in a bar recently told me to "Take a hike Fido," so that's a plus.

Finally, "Fluff" (may I call you Fluff or is it too soon yet?), I'd be more than happy to be create a custom Italian Palazzo dog house for you right next to my modest 20,000 square foot villa filled with the finest antiques a dog could buy. We might even get a spread in "Dog Fancy" magazine showcasing our treasures like this pair of 19th c. English Staffordshire Spaniels, list price: $55,000 USD:

Warm regards,

Buzz

Then there are those who purchase the best antiques simply because they want them, they can afford them, and they always get what they want, like Amy Winehouse who surprisingly joneses for luxury goods in between her rehab stints:

For others, buying a 250 year old antique is a chance to own something that's actually older than they are. This group would include fossils like myself as well as others like Brooke Astor:

Another great example would be New York Socialite, Glamour Puss and the winner of the coveted title "Miss Deb of the Year 1938" (I was first runner-up), Brenda Diana Duff Frazier, shown below in later years doing what she does best:

And finally there are the few who buy antiques because of their financial privacy. For them, antiques are a way to amass and store value that they conveniently forget to report to the IRS. This is called laundering, it's illegal and The Buzz cautions against it unless you look REALLY good in stripes. Kind of like Bernie Madoff:Fashion note to Bernie: go with the vertical stripes next time, they're more slimming.

OK, Buzz, this was all semi-hysterical but is there a moral to this story? Yes! And it's simple dimple: The best reason to buy fine antiques is because you love them and they enrich your life. They really do.

Antique terminology: ENFILADE

If you didn't catch this article on Decorati Access (my favorite online high-end design magazine), then here you go:

The word ENFILADE (pronounced "on fee LAHD") is an interesting one because it has two distinct meanings:

1. It's a very long and low French buffet (it has to have four or more cupboard doors to be an enfilade. Otherwise it's just called a buffet. Here is an 18th century cherry wood enfilade:

This particular enfilade measures almost 9 feet long and lists for $105,000 USD.

2. The other meaning of enfilade is a bit more obtuse. It's an architecture term that means a suite of rooms formally aligned with each other on an axis so as to provide a vista of the entire suite of rooms. 

Put another way, it's an alignment of open doorways or halls that draw the eye through a series of attached rooms, like the galleries at the Royal academy of arts in London:

See how one room "leads" to the next? That's an enfilade. 

Here's another enfilade, this one in the beautifully baroque Mannheim Palace in Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany:

Enfilades were a common feature in the grand European palaces of the Baroque period and onwards.

You can think of this second definition enfilade as "beads on a thread". I think that's a lovely and succinct way to describe this architectural device.

Antique Tongue Twister: FEUILLE DE CHOU

FEUILLE DE CHOU is a term used to describe a certain kind of tapestry but can also describe export and Chinese armorial porcelain characterized by a stylish motif of lush green/blue overlapping leaves.

It's pronounced (and this is a tough one so practice it a few times before trying to impress your friends & neighbors): "FUR duh SHOE". Sounds like an animal-print Manolo Blahnik, right? 

But this is not real feuille de chou. This is just "fur on duh shoe" and lists for about $650 USD the pair.

Feuille de chou is actually French for CABBAGE LEAF and looks like this 16th century Flemish tapestry: 

And here's another, same period and also Flemish:

What do these tapestries cost? For ones that are in C. Mariani Antiques condition, $30,000 USD to $125,000 USD each depending on provenance and subject matter (e.g., a pretty bird or a unicorn in the cabbage patch will fetch much more than a horned man-eating monster):

Popular and expensive:

Not so popular but still pretty expensive:

Second helping of Cabbage? FEUILLE DE CHOU, Part Deux

For those of you who are rabbits and therefore can't get enough feuille de chou cabbage leaf tapestries, read on:

Feuille de Chou (this is hard to type so I’ll just call it FDC) tapestries, as I mentioned in my last post above, are called that because of the mass of cabbage-like leaves dominating their fields. 

I think they're the most striking and mysterious of all tapestries. Their design is almost abstract, a profusion of wild foliage seemingly emerging out of the darkness. Ooh, scary.

The first FDC tapestries appeared in the early 16th Century and probably evolved from what are called millefleurs (pronounced:”meel FLUR”) tapestries that are flowered and less dense tapestries. Here is the 15th century "Captive Unicorn" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC. Flemish, 15th century:

The funny thing about FDC tapestries is that they really don’t depict cabbage leaves at all. 

And so the “cabbage leaf” name is really a misnomer. The leaves portrayed are actually meant to be acanthus (bear’s breach) plants. I have three of them in my back yard:

FDC tapestries are almost three-dimensional and often have animals or mythological creatures amid the foliage. What they rarely, if ever, depict are people. Why is that? I have no idea. But  that’s just one of the many mysteries of FDC tapestries. Others are:

"What do FDC tapestries mean?”, and

“What do they symbolize?", and

 “Why doesn't Buzz get a life and stop wasting time on boring subjects like this?”

All excellent questions, but no one really knows the answers: maybe these wild and dense thickets, appearing to be beyond the control of man, represent medieval society’s genuine fears of chaos or insanity (hmmmm.). Life then was short and brutish—that’s a quote from some famous guy (Thomas Hobbs?) that I studied in college . But I’m too lazy right now to look it up (it’s Saturday!). Hope you have a lovely weekend. 

P.S. I know, now you’re all worked up over tapestries (dream on, Buzz) and probably want to know all about verdures too. But I’ll mercifully save that for another post. You can thank me later….

Is "The Buzz" Secretly Hollywood Royalty? Uh, no.

In case you missed the interview that DECORATI ACCESS MAGAZINE did on me recently (strange but true)...then here you go:

Q: Buzz, how did you first become interested in antiques?

My folks ran a boarding house near Hollywood in the early 1950’s and the boarders were a colorful bunch of starving actors and actresses.

One of them was Carolyn Jones, who later played “Morticia” on The Addams Family TV show:

Odd factoid: "Morticia" often invited her unemployed actor boyfriend over to mooch food off my mom (which drove her bats): his name Aaron Spelling. Isn't that weird?

When I was writing this I Googled him and it winds up he married Carolyn Jones (for a while) before marrying Candy and having Tori, but I digress.

But isn't it glamorous that I ALMOST knew all these Hollywood stars when they were flotsam and jetsam? Ah, the glitter of Hollywood-adjacent life.

Anyhow, another of our actor/waiter boarders came from a well-to-do family in Chicago and had his room crammed with antiques he'd inherited from a relative. In lieu of cash (which he never had), he’d pay for his room and board by giving my mom an antique trinket or two every few months.

My mom would research each piece in her favorite book, “The Practical Book of Period Furniture” (which I still have) and do “show and tells” for me and my brother about what it was, why it was interesting, and how it gave us a way to “see” into the past. I’ve been “hooked” ever since.

Q: How are your antique pieces collected and how do you verify the style, period, and artisan?

The best way to collect antiques is incrementally over time, purchasing only pieces that you love and that reflect your personality and taste. Collecting antiques is like "grabbing the brass ring": when you come upon a piece that "speaks to you", buy it and add it to you collection.

Generally speaking, antiques come on the market as a result of what we call the “Three D’s: Debt, Divorce and Death”. I know this is kind of morbid, but it's a fact..

At C. Mariani, most of our important pieces are acquired through private transactions with individuals who want to discretely raise capital by liquidating one or more of their antiques. A steady stream of our business comes through European titled families that have been dealing with the Mariani family for more than a generation and have entire palazzos, villas and chateaus filled with incredible antique furniture going back generations.

But you have to be careful when dealing with Dukes, Duchesses, Viscounts, Earls, Baronesses, etc. When I first started working at C. Mariani, I hung up on a Yugoslavian “Princess” who I thought was some clown trying to punk me with a patheticly amateur Bela Lugosi accent. It wound up that Claudio Mariani had dealt with her for years and she was an important source for our new acquisitions.

We also have clients who have bought from us in the past and sell their the pieces back to us for a variety of reasons (sometimes it's to purchase another antique and other times it's because of the "3 D's": Divorce, Debt, etc.). When we buy a piece back after several years, it’s like seeing an old friend. I’ve bought and sold this pair of Maggiolini commodes twice over the past 5 years:

Pieces that we buy back or that come from known European collections are easy to vet since the provenance is already established.

Other pieces come through “spotters” that we have in Europe who locate important pieces as they become available as well as through other dealers and auctions. Those pieces require careful examination and vetting, a process that calls on your expertise in knowing periods, color, condition, shape, and style. Rare pieces that are stamped or are associated with a particular artisan require additional investigation. Below: an 18th century French Louis XV Chinoiserie Commode stamped "M. Criard", a matre Parisian ebeniste:

This vetting process is more art than science and requires years of experience in seeing, touching and even smelling thousands of antiques. With that experience, you come to know when something, like proportion or patina, is “right” or just seems “off” or “wrong.” There’s no one scientific formula for verifying styles, periods and artisans-and there's no substitute for the experience of working with antiques day in and out.

Q: What is your favorite antique piece of all time? Why? What makes it so unique?

My favorite antique of all time is this second quarter 18th century Roman Tortoise Shell Secretaire. It’s beauty literally takes your breath away.

The exterior and portions of the interior are veneered in rare tortoise shell underlaid with pure 22k gold leaf to create a shimmering effect of unparalleled opulence. It also has bronze dore finials, mounts and hardware, all original. It has more than 65 secret drawers, doors, pockets and hidden cubbies concealed within.

The interior is so intricate in detail and richness that it boggles the mind. It looks just like a miniature version of St. Peters Basilica in the Vatican, only rendered in miniature out of translucent tortoise shell and gold. So the buyer of this piece will effectively have something on par with the Sistine Chapel sitting right in their living room. But then it retails for more than $1,000,000 USD.

The piece’s importance is underscored by its provenance. It was originally part of the household inventory of the Villa Marlia, near Lucca, in the Tuscan region of Italy and was owned by a variety of Italian royals including Elisa Bonaparte Baciocchi, Grand Duchess of Tuscany, Duchess of Lucca, Princess of Piombino, and the Comtesse de Compignano. The piece was secreted from the Villa during World War II, ultimately surfacing in the 1960’s, still in the possession of an Italian royal, the Contessa Ferrari Lauretta.

It’s my favorite antique because of its rarity, workmanship, condition, materials, beauty and provenance.

Q: What is your favorite antique period? Why?

That’s like asking a parent which child is their favorite. I like them all. But I guess if I had to choose one favorite period it would be Louis XV Rococo.

This period was really smack in the middle of the Golden Age of furniture and represented a dramatic break from the past. It was a period of whimsy, sensuality, and intelligence. It’s asymmetry and sense of fun flew in the face of all of the periods before it and after it.

For example, the preceding Baroque period of Louis XIV was grand, balanced and somewhat serious, much like the post-Rococo Neoclassical periods from Louis XVI to the Empire. Below is an 18th century Italian Louis XV Rococo commode that could only be described as "exhuberant!":

Although I ascribe to the saying that there’s really nothing new under the sun, I think that the Rococo style really blazed new ground in furniture design history. And, of course, its designs have stood the test of time. The look is still used extensively by the top interior designers and can be mixed with many other styles without looking out of place.

Q: What is your favorite venue featuring antique pieces? Why?

That’s an easy one: C. Mariani Antiques (where I work). I call it “the Louvre with price tags” because we have more than 4,000 of the world’s best (and yes, most expensive) period antiques, primarily from the 16th to the mid 19th century.

For me, it’s even better than any museum because I get to snoop around, take out drawers, turn pieces upside down and examine them for hidden treasures and clues.

You’d be surprised at what I’ve found over the years: love notes scribbled on the bottom of a drawer, signatures of craftsmen, stickers from long forgotten antique dealers and once in a great while, a forgotten trinket or two. Once I found a small gold locket in a secret compartment. Another time, I found a lady’s fan. It’s fun.

My second favorite venue is the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. They have the most amazing range of antique furnishings in their collection.

Words of the Day: FAIENCE, FAENZA and MAJOLICA

The first word for today is FAIENCE, meaning French tin-glazed, low-fired earthenware.

It's pronounced "fay AHNS". So the emphasis is on the "AHNS", sort of like Beyoncé, only you add the fay and drop the say. 

Oh--and also drop the "bee". OK, you're right, they're not alike at all. Never mind...

Here's a photo of me with one of our very happy (he's smiling!) 18th century faience lions (I'm actually the one on the left--I've had lots of work done...Do you think it's too much?):

This faience pair are quite extraordinary because they were most likely commissioned for the French Royal Hunting Lodge in Rouen around 1755:

List price: $85,750 USD

So now we know that when you say faience, you're describing French pottery or statues that are glazed terra cotta like the ones above.

But what if you're talking about Italian glazed earthenware? If it's Italian (or English for that matter), it's not called faience, it's called MAJOLICA (pronounced "muh JAHL ick Kuh") from the Italian town of FAENZA. Faenza was a leading pottery center during the 15th and 16th centuries. Here's a beautiful set of Italian Montelupo majolica plates:

I love these. They'd be great in a Tuscan interior. Rustic but elegant. List price:  $28,000 USD

And by the way, the French came up with their word "Faience" from the Italian town of Faenza. And thus we come full circle and...The End.

How Legs can Help Identify Antique Periods & Styles

Here's a reprint of the Decorati Magazine article on Antique Leg Styles, in case you missed it.

Can you tell how old an antique is just by the shape of its leg? 

Well, no, not the exact date it was created, because classic leg designs are copied to this day. But a leg CAN tell you when a style was first introduced and that is one important step in identifying an antique's age and period.

Look at this leg: 

It's shapely curves identify it as a cabriole (pronounced "CAB ree ole") leg and that type of leg was first introduced in the 18th century. The prototypical cabriole leg was introduced in the Regence period in France and was refined/perfected in the following period of Louis XV rococo.

But that doesn't mean this piece of furniture was made in the 18th century. In fact, it is a Louis XV revival desk made in the late 19th century, most likely by the renowned Parisian copyist T. Millet. To antiquarians, this desk would be called "Louis XV style", "in the taste of Louis XV", or "19th century Louis XV". Those phrases tell you it's later than the mid-18th century. 

So does that mean it's a crummy antique? Definitely not. Some of the 19th century copies of 18th century styles are even more valuable than the older pieces. They're just different and must be judged on their own merits.

This particular 19th desk is extremely valuable and would list for more than $200,000 USD:

But the leg design does allow us to identify the historical style (in this case, Rococo) and that's an important piece of information in understanding and describing a piece.

Here are other leg styles that can help you do the same:

One final comment: in the first chart above you see the leg design that looks like a cruller doughnut (see a cruller below-yum):

It's that twisty design...everyone wants to know "Why is it called 'barley twist' or, as commonly, 'barley sugar twist'?"

The answer is that in the 19th century, a favorite candy was a sweet barley sugar twist stick and it looked just like this 17th and early 18th century leg--and the name stuck! Go figure. 

See my post on Why can't Antique Dealers Talk Good English.

Words of the Day: What's the difference between ARTICULATED and RETICULATED?

I always considered myself to be an articulate person. More or less.

But when describing many of our antiques at C. Mariani, I'm constantly confusing the words "articulated" and "reticulated". Maybe I'm more reticulate than articulate.

Anyhow, here's the correct way to use and pronounce these words when describing antiques:

RETICULATED ( "ri TICK yuh lay ted"): means a decorative motif that looks like a net, cross-hatch, or trellis pattern. Another trade term for this motif is "diapering" (See my C. Mariani blog post on Why Can't Antique Dealers Talk Good English?).

Reticulation or diapering looks like this ground pattern on a 19th century gilded Italian wall bracket:

List price: $7,500 USD

ARTICULATED ("ahr TICK yuh lay ted"): means that a piece has moving parts, like this antique polychrome and wood devotional figure:

How Many People Can Sit at a Dining Table?

I'm glad this question wasn't "How many angels can sit on the head of a pin?" Because I have no idea so help me God.

But I do know my dining tables, antique or otherwise. And when a client is looking at a particular table, they invariably ask, "Can this table fit ten people?" Here's how you answer that question.

FIRST, it depends on the shape of the table and I realize there are a million different variations on this:

Just to keep it simple, let's stick with two basic shapes: rectangular (No. 4 above) and round (No. 11 above). 

SECOND, depends how super-sized your guests' behinds are...oh, never mind, we'll just go with table shape.

Shown above, a 19th century mahogany and brass inlaid neoclassical dining table that sits 12 people very comfortably.

The general rule is that people need about 24 inches of width for dining table seating, but banquet room chairs will often work at 21 inches or even less (I've seen them at hotels measuring 17 1/2" wide and if you use chairs like this then 12 sardines can sit at a 6 foot round table).

Shown above, a 19th century French Directoire walnut dining table that can sit 1o people very comfortably.

So here are some general seating rules:

• If  rectangular and the table length is 5 feet, sits 4-6 comfortably; if it's 5 feet round, up to 8 people comfortably;
  
• If  rectangular and the table length is 6 feet, sits 6-8 comfortably; if it's 6 feet round, up to 10 people comfortably (if you use banquet chairs, you can squeeze 12 people);
  
• If  rectangular and the table length is 7 feet, sits 8 very comfortably; if it's 7 feet round, 9-11 people comfortably;
  
• If  rectangular and the table length is 8 feet, sits 8 very comfortably; if it's 8 feet round, up to 12 people comfortably;
  
• If  rectangular and the table length is 9 feet, sits 10 comfortably; if it's 9 feet round, up to 14 people comfortably;
  
• If  rectangular and the table length is 10 feet, sits 10 comfortably; if it's 10 feet round, up to 15 people comfortably;
  
• If  rectangular and the table length is 11 feet, sits 10 very comfortably and 12 comfortably; if you have a round table this big, you're in the UN General Assembly Room and good luck;
  
• If  rectangular and the table length is 12 feet, sits up to 12 very comfortably and up to 14 with narrower chairs; 
  
• If  rectangular and the table length is 13 feet, sits 12-14 comfortably;
  
• If  rectangular and the table length is 14-15 feet, sits 14 very comfortably and 16 if need be; 
  
• If  rectangular and the table length is 16 feet, sits 16 very comfortably and 18 if need be. 
  

Shown below, a parquetry walnut and satinwood dining table (with later leaves) that measures up to 187 1/2" (about 15 1/2 feet) long and can sit 14 people very comfortably and 16 if need be:

Other little known dining table factoids that you might find useful:

• The maximum height that you'd want for a dining table is 31" (30" high for a dining table is about average)
• A critical measurement, especially with antique dining tables that have very big aprons is that you need at least 25 3/4" for roomy leg clearance and to cross your legs, you need 30" for a person 5'9" tall--generally, you don't have antique tables with clearance to cross legs and that's fine
• A light fixture over a dining table should hang between 28-32" from the top of the table and the bottom of the fixture

Ok, Mr. Smarty Pants, if you're so smart then what's a 12-sided table called? Honestly, I had no clue until we got one in and had to look it up. It's called dodecagonal and here it is:

List price: $421,600 USD

This photo that has nothing to do with antiques...except beauty

I realize that this is an antique blog. 

But I was planting impatiens in my backyard today (it's Sunday!) and came across this amazing photo I wanted share with you. 

Beauty is all around you. For me, I'm lucky to work somewhere that allows me to enjoy some of the most glorious antiques on earth but I'm amazed too at what you can find in your own back yard (while you're saving up for that next antique treasure).

Next post: back to antiques!

San Francisco Decorator Showcase 2009

This year's San Francisco Decorator Showcase featured a number of antiques from C. Mariani Antiques as well as ultra-chic rooms by many of the city's top designers. 

Plus the opening party was a great opportunity to visit and catch up with some of my favorite clients. Here I am with James Hunter and Brenda Mickel of The Wiseman Group.

And below I'm gabbing with Greg Elich of Douglas Durkin Design and Greg McIntyre of Shears & Window, the showroom that exclusively represents our Collezione line of antique reproduction furniture:

There were too many beautiful rooms at Showcase to list them all here, but two of my favorites were Benjamin Dhong's "Her Study" and the "Master Suite" by Cecilie Starin Design.

Here's Cecilie's room:

And here's Cecilie herself (with one of our English Regency tea caddies and an ancient Roman bust accessorizing her commode):

Here's another shot from Cecilie's "Master Suite". Isn't her color palette amazing?

I also flipped for Benjamin Dhong's design of "Her Study". Here's Benjamin and me in front of our Louis XVI bureau plat:

And I wish I could say this amazing mirror in Benjamin's room came from us but it didn't: drat. Nonetheless, it's totally delicious:

Also, look how Benjamin did a baldacchino (pronounced "bal duh KEEN oh") over the desk. I'd never seen one used like that (baldacchinos are typically over a bed-or an altar!). Talk about thinking outside the box and hitting a home run with it. Kudo's Benjamin.

But back to socializing. Here's Jay Jeffers of Jeffers Design Group with Michael Purdy and Suzanna Allen.

And last but certainly not least, here's C. Mariani's own Marketing Director Sarah Hills with yours truly (one reason I adore Sarah is that when we were taking this picture she was practically kneeling on the ground to make me look taller-talk about job dedication!). Thanks, Sarah:

What is a FRENCH POLISH?

"Hey, Buzz, what exactly is a French Polish?" I'm so glad you asked because this is a multiple choice question. 

A "French Polish" is defined as:

A. A stuffed sausage, similar to a Polish kielbasa, but embraced as haute cuisine by Le Cordon Bleu by adding truffle oil to the recipe. It shouldn't be confused with the smaller and distinctly less chic "cocktail weenie". A French Polish sausage looks like this:

B. French Polish is Buzz's family ancestry with an emphasis on the Polish and replacing the French with Slavs and Russian peasants.

C. A French polish is a highly glossy and durable furniture finish invented by the English in the 18th century but perfected by the French and very widespread in the 19th century and hence the name.

Correct answer: Both B and C but the furniture finish is what's relevant to this post.

Here's a French polished 19th century Sheraton style breakfast table:

List price: $21,000 USD

Our workshop creates French polishes all the time on custom furniture and restores French polishes on antiques. So there's no mystery to it.

The first thing to know is that French polish is not a product--like French fries--it's actually a labor intensive technique of furniture finishing that produces a tough surface with a glossy and durable finish. And there are varying degrees of French polish (little known antiquarian factoid) from a light sheen to a mirror finish. So not all French polishes are created equal.

Here's a French polished Andre Arbus maple dining table from the 1920's:

What French polishing is all about is gradually filling the pores in the wood grain so that a reflective surface is created to achieve the desired level of sheen.

The process uses shellac flakes (mixed by hand), different grades of sandpaper, FFFF-grade pumice, 100% extra virgin olive oil, various grits of extremely fine wet/dry sandpaper, wool fabric and some 100% cotton fabric. 

As each coat is abraded with a finer material, it is cleaned and sealed with shellac, gradually filling the grain pores until the level of French polish desired is achieved. For a full-on French polish, there are no pores left-just a mirrored glossy surface. Then it's waxed using pure beeswax and turpentine and you're set to go. 

Below, an Italian 19th century French polished walnut and satinwood dining table:

List price: $172,000 USD

What's the olive oil for? Shellac is sticky and the oil is used to grease the pad used to apply the shellac in a uniform and consistent coat. 

In order to perfect the French polish, 25 or more passes with the abrasive material, cleaner and shellac are required. And, very importantly, it must be done in a dust free environment or you can't achieve the true mirror gloss of French polish.

Here's a French polished Maggiolini commode, 18th c. Italian:

Final comment: Why do you see so many French polished antiques in the U.S. marketplace? Well, because some were created that way and others were refinished in a French polish. From the late 19th century on, especially in America, French polishing was and is very much in vogue. 

But why? Because as every antique dealer knows, the general rule is that Americans love shiny antiques in stark contrast to the Europeans who prefer dirtier/matte antiques. So French polishes or modified (that is, not completed to the mirror finish) French polishes are commonplace, although not all of them started that way.

DECORATI Antique Legs...AND NOW FEET

DECORATI ACCESS MAGAZINE recently published my thoughts on How Antique Legs Can Help you Identify Periods & Styles. And it got a really great response. YAY.

One of the Decorati readers (thank you, Jenny S.) asked if I would post some comments on antique FEET and what they can tell you.

OK, so here goes. First, legs tell more than feet. But feet styles also have something to say as well. And when we talk antique feet we need to also talk casters, since they're often the feet in question.

So let's look at how the style of an antique foot can help you identify the period of the piece. But keep in mind that feet, as with legs, cannot definitively date the piece for you. Why? Because classic feet and casters have been reproduced since their respective introductions dating from the 17th to the 19th centuries.

Here's a turned toupie foot with a foliate detailing "in person" in our Gallery:

And here's a ball and claw foot from one of our English Georgian chairs:

Here's a spade foot and also a brass caster:

The block foot immediately says early 17th century and later. The flattened bun foot should tell you English William & Mary, early 18th century. The shaped bracket foot is Baroque and Georgian. The curve of the ogee bracket tells you we're in the rococo and so mid-18th century.

The toupie foot is a tough one since it appeared in various periods from 1800 to 1900. The "Spanish" also called Braganza foot is baroque to transitional rococo.

The pad foot screams English Queen Anne while the trifid and ball & claw both say English Georgian. 

A squared and tapered foot says Neoclassical like the feet on this late 18th c. demilune parquetry  commode:

And then we come to the casters. Note that leather casters were introduced in the Louis XV period but you see very few original leather casters surviving to this day (the leather rollers broke down relatively quickly). They were followed with the block caster with brass wheels in the late 18th century (on neoclassical legs), and the brass and porcelain casters in the mid-19th century.

I mentioned earlier that you can generally tell more about an antique by its legs than by its feet. Why's that? 

That's because the feet of an antique are always the first to "go", meaning destroyed by dry rot, moisture, general wear & tear, and various forms of torture (never drag an antique across the floor or you'll quickly learn how fast a foot can snap off or crack). Plus feet were regularly replaced to update pieces over time, even if they were still in good condition.

Nonetheless, every part of an antique has a story to tell if you take the time to closely examine it, do your homework, and just listen.