Smelling on Facebook

I freely admit that the Facebook phenomenon, actually just about anything in the electronic age seems more than a bit alien. Us with our avocation makes this rather easier to understand. Psychically we have feet comfortably planted in the 18th century.  Mind you, despite our métier, Facebook is lots of fun, and after watching ‘The Social Network’, it’s abundantly clear that, say what you want, the site is still largely a beauty contest. What is yet impossible to communicate electronically, however, are those areas of sensual beauty that exceed the visual. With all that, even the visual leaves something to be desired as, no matter the pixels, one can’t substitute beholding the object of one’s desire firsthand. That’s actually why I read art history in London. An object based discipline, one wants to be around the objects with which London’s collections, more than anywhere else in the world, are replete. I have often heard it said that American art historians are distinguished as those who come up with lots of methodologies and build elaborate tropes- something that they might not necessarily do if they had access to, and consequently gloried in, more of the objects they write about with such prolixity. ‘In the flesh’ is a phrase that has so much to recommend.

Moreover, one finds comeliness not just in the visual, even when the visual as virtual is as accurate as current technologies can make it. I was reminded of this in spades, showing a discriminating client the hidden interior drawers of an exquisite William and Mary period japanned cabinet. While we are always asked what we’ve found in the innumerable hidden drawers our many items bought and sold over the years have possessed, my standard rejoinder has always been ‘Period dust.’ But in the most recent instance, I asked my client, with her nose within the cabinet interior, to inhale deeply. And by way of showing her how, I did, too. Nothing, I mean nothing can replicate the aroma that time has wrought in old wood, consonant with 300 years of existence. And of course, this is a sensual side aspect of beauty that is impossible to communicate electronically. Assuming one has simply a connoisseurship of the visual, I can only say that you are forgoing an experience possibly not resulting in a stir to the genitals, but possibly so, but certainly otherwise exceptional.

Giants Fan Fest

Reminded on the news this morning that today’s the official kickoff of the Giants season with their annual Fan Fest at AT&T Park, in its honor I wore my only bit of orange and black outerwear, an old Burberry shirt that has yet to make it to the rag bag.  For once, it turned out I made the right decision, as riding to the galleries this morning on Muni, those handful of people not garbed in team colors were, shall we say, conspicuous.

Giants mania is hardly a local phenomenon, unless you wish to consider a fan radius of 500 miles local. Astonishing the numbers of people who traveled just that far to queue up for today’s event. For those very few of you who may be looking down your toffee noses about this sort of thing, I can only say you must not have watched even 30 seconds of either the Giants playoff or World Series performance. For those of us in San Francisco, the link goes much, much deeper, with the Giants players and the Giants organization deeply connected with what goes on here. Clearly, fan loyalty is reciprocated by at least an equivalent in kind factor. No greater expression of that mutuality of regard can be imagined than that of the Giants World Series victory parade. It was my privilege to watch it just around the corner from our galleries, and the photos we took I’m happy to reprise on our Facebook page. Click here to view the album.

Suzanne Rheinstein

We were pleased to have a few minutes yesterday with our good friend Suzanne Rheinstein, in town in advance of her book signing and launch of an additional range in her fabric line at Lee Jofa. For the few of you who don’t know Suzanne, reading her newly published book,  At Home: A Style for Today with Things from the Past will provide an accurate portrayal of the lady and her talent. ‘Accurate’ may sound prosaic, but in this age of media flim flam and depth limited only to the 140 character limit on Twitter, knowledge that something accords completely with one’s own experience is refreshing. With all the concomitant promotion of Suzanne just at the moment, the lady remains her usual demure self. She apologized to us yesterday for her lack of vivacity, due in part to fatigue from a recent trip. I shouldn’t wonder, as that jaunt included stops in Umbria, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives.

We first became aware of Suzanne through our acquaintanceship with her good friend, the redoubtable author and style  journalist Julia Reed.  It is said that one is known by the company one keeps, and in Suzanne’s case, our mutual friendship with remarkable designers Courtnay Daniels and Joe Nye further proves the old saying certainly axiomatic.

Not so very long ago, we had been to a small party at the house in Hancock Park Suzanne shares with her no less remarkable husband Fred. It was informal and jolly as are all the functions Fred and Suzanne host, with plenty of places to sit, stand, and room to mingle. In usual fashion, a buffet supper was served, but its service was a seamless adjunct, and not an interruption, to a convivial evening. Guests with plates of delicious jambalaya-a nod to Suzanne’s New Orlean’s roots- continued on with conversations seated throughout the house and on the stair treads. By way of a thank you, we had given Suzanne a small porcelain tureen that had once belonged to John Gielgud. Although really just a kickshaw, the provenance, while just by the by, caused the ever forthright Suzanne to warn us ‘You know, I always use my things.’ Well, of course, and that’s one of many aspects that makes Suzanne’s designs so wonderful- while dignified and genteel, there is yet a manifest comfortability that makes them always appealing, both to look at and to enjoy. And with Suzanne, we’ve had the good fortune to discover this first hand.

Soft furnishings, redux

During our tenure in the trade, we’ve sold lots of period soft furnishings, with the earliest in date a pair of late 17th century back stools, with needlework upholstery. Nicer to look at than sit upon, but then, the chairs were going into an entry hall, so to look at was functionally more important than to sit upon.

With all that, the received wisdom seems to be generally that period soft furnishings will be rickety at best and always uncomfortable. Keith and I had blithely surmised that, if something were comfortable, it would have been sat on so frequently, therefore, that it would have worn out long since and been discarded. Consequently, it was only the uncomfortable pieces that survived. Perhaps there’s some truth to this, but the fact is, save that pair of backstools,  every piece of soft furnishings we’ve handled- chairs, stools, settees, and sofas- have all been comfortable, and, as much as a modern piece, will stand up to daily use. The joints can be tightened, the horsehair padding can be made more cushion-y with a layer or two of dacron (parenthetic note to collectors- never, ever remove or discard the horsehair padding!), and the result is frequently nothing less than stunning.

Recent Acquisitions for January 2011

To start the new year, we hope to pique your interest with a selection of newly acquired pieces. Looking around us just now, we nearly need skyhooks to sandwich in all our stock.

We must be wishing for a strong economy in the new year. Anything you can’t live without?

Browse our site, as well, and if you don’t see precisely what you are after, ask us!

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