MY FAVORITE ANTIQUE DEALERS: RUSTIC & ELEGANT IN MASSACHUSETTS

Here on Antique Desire I am beginning a new series of posts entitled My Favorite Antique Dealers where I will introduce a dealer whom I believe has interesting and quality objects to adorn your space.  I not only want to promote the individual dealers that I will highlight, but also encourage people to consider antique and vintage items for the decoration of their home.  In each post I will choose about 5 objects that the dealer currently has on offer.  All items are currently for sale.  If you are interested in buying any of these fantastic objects, please contact me at [email protected] and I will help complete your transaction.

This post highlights antique dealer Michael Weinberg of Massachusetts.  My first purchase from Michael was many years ago for a client in New Jersey who had a very neutral palette, modern living room with just a hint of a purple accent color.  Although the living room was modern in design, the client loved antiques and from Michael I found 3 pieces of circa 1800 Wedgwood creamware dishes with a feathered purple edge consisting of a large platter and 2 scallop-shaped dessert dishes.  The trio was hung on the wall and was the perfect complement to the room and its accent color giving this contemporary space a sense of time and history.

In addition to early English ceramics, Michael also deals in good American country antiques which I will spotlight below as well as needlework samplers of the 18th and 19th century.  I have chosen to underline his country antiques which I think could work quite well in a variety of settings from traditional to modern.  Just like the Wedgwood creamware I found years ago, the right antique can give a sense of time and history to a modern space making it warmer and more dynamic through the contrast of old and new.

The first treasure from Michael is a whimsical sheet metal sign in the shape of a pig with the words "Baked Ham" painted on it.  It most likely originates from a restaurant or deli and its nail holes may indicate that it was tacked to a larger board or wall.  The sign as a whole retains much of its original red paint surface and probably dates to the first half of the 20th century.  The piece measures 9" high to the ear and 19.5" from snout to tail.  The condition is good with no splits or cracks.  The paint has a good crusty surface.  As mentioned there are nail holes on the sign from where it was attached during its functional lifetime.  The price is $385 + shipping.  It would be a wonderful, fun addition to a neutral kitchen or even hang it above a sideboard with other pictures in a dining room to create a fanciful look and less formal space.

The next find from Michael is a heavy sheet metal cow weathervane from the mid 20th century.  The weathervane measures 13.5" to the top of the head and 20" from nose to tail.  The patina of the surface is wonderful- mellow with only some minor darkening.  The piece is in good condition with no splits, cracks or rust.  Like the piggy above, the cow weathervane would be a great accent piece for a kitchen or again in a dining room in order to add a touch of whimsy.  The price is $575 + shipping.

The third find from Michael is an interesting mid to late 19th century carved wooden horse head with glass eyes.  The horse head still has remnants of the original bridal and the reins.  Perhaps this item was a display piece in a harness makers shop or a depiction of someone's favorite mount.  Either way the piece has a good deal of charm and allure.  The head is mounted on a plain wooden base. It measures 8" to the top of the horse's ears and 9.5" from the nose to the back of the neck.  It has a lovely patina to the original surface.  The horse head is in very fine condition with no splits, cracks or breaks and only some surface rubbing of the color on the nose and the right side of the head.  I could see this piece on a large desk in a study with a riding theme or as part of a mix of objects and books in a study as well.  It would also be charming as a focal object on a mantelpiece. The price is $850 + shipping.

Also from Michael is a rare red painted tin toleware cheese cradle circa 1850. Cheese cradles were used in general stores to hold wheels of cheddar or other round cheeses.  The cheese wheels would stand up on end in the cradle making it easier for the shopkeeper to cut hunks of cheese off for the customers. Wooden cheese cradles not like this tin toleware one were used in homes at formal dinner parties.  This cheese cradle measures 4.75" high x 13.5" long x 8" wide.  The red painted surface has yellow highlight lines on the curved body and black highlight lines on the base.  The piece is in very fine condition with no splits, cracks or areas of rust.  The surface is dry and crusty and the cradle retains about 75% of its original paint.  What a great item for a dining room centerpiece either empty or perhaps filled with fruit.  Use it on a large kitchen island to accent the red color in the room.  It is a charming and unusual antique that will certainly spark conversation.  The price is $495 + shipping.

The final antique from Michael- a late 19th century tin 10th anniversary wall pocket- is I think as interesting as the cheese cradle and like the cradle has a wonderful sense of history and physical patina.  It was popular in the late Victorian period to give tin items as presents for a 10th anniversary.  Usually, these tin gifts were baskets woven out of strips of tin or hats or even tin slippers. The wall pocket is an unusual item from the usual, but would be useful for sewing items, letters, keys etc.  The hanging wall pocket is made out of .5" strips of tin woven together in a basket weave fashion.  It measures 3.25" high (the pocket) x 8" wide and the step-down back is 7.75" high.  The piece is in fine condition with no breaks or splits in the tin work.  The surface is dry and mellow.  There are some very minor scattered oxidized rust spots, but nothing that really detracts from the item.  I could see this wall pocket as part of an interesting wall grouping with other similar type objects or it could be used functionally as a fun addition for a mud room for keys or letters.  I think this piece has an irresistible charm.  It is a humble object that celebrates love.

I hope you have enjoyed meeting the great antique dealer Michael Weinberg and some of the wonderful objects that he has on offer.  If you are interested in buying any of the items in this post and/or if you require more pictures of a particular piece, please email me at [email protected].  And as always if you are looking for a specific antique or vintage item from traditional to modern, please contact me and I can help you find it.  Or perhaps you have inherited some antique pieces that you wish to sell.  I can help you sell your items too.  If you need an insurance appraisal of your antiques or an appraisal determining their value for sale or reference, I can help you as well.  For other types of appraisals such as donation or estate tax, I can refer you to another competent qualified appraiser. The details and terms of all of my services are listed here on my website. 

Until next time,

Kelly T Keating

www.theantiqueflaneur.com