Luigi Frullini Hand Carved 5 Foot Bench

I recently had the distinct pleasure of handling a suite of 6 pieces of furniture built by the Italian master, Luigi Frullini (Italian, 1839 – 1897). What sublime carving! It was definitely a highlight of last years estate buying…and selling.

Frullini exhibited furniture at the Great International Exhibitions in London, Paris and Vienna. The wood-carvings of this Florentine artist are well known in England and the United States. They are in many fine houses, both as decorations, in the way of friezes, ceilings, chimney-pieces,three-dimensional carvings of people, animals and flowers,articles of furniture, picture-frames, and ornamental boxes, medallions, and articles of fantasia. In 1896, he went to the United States to exhibit more of his furniture at the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia. His works were inspired by the carved pieces of the Italian Renaissance. His elaborate pieces set the fashion for the last years of the 19th century.

The pieces by Frullini were made by carving into a large block of wood; he did not apply small carved pieces to a large board. To accommodate all the carved decorations, he made huge pieces. It was not furniture for the average bedroom, but it was suited to the huge homes of millionaires and museums.

Compared with other furniture, bedroom have more attention due to much of time will be spend with this furniture. People will starts and ends the day from the bedroom. So, its must be refreshing always. This is influence enthusiasm all the day work later. Not only use common bedroom, you can turn in with bunk bed, frame bed, and other style in different form and shape. Material also need to be concern such as turn in with different wood, teak wood, mahogany wood, plywood, oak, or even use other innovation using iron frame. A long with bedroom furniture, there is mattress as complement. Mattress quality also has many kinds different, good quality mattress more softly than bad quality. This will make comfortable somebody sleep over. Of course this depends on the budget, so wisdom to divide budget between furniture and mattress.

Mattress texture should be harmonized with style, material, and color furniture. This purpose in order not looks excellent. Although your budget enough much to spend furniture and mattress, but if both they are not compatible will make looks junky.
Laminating flooring is the one other choice to modernize house. Because floor covering entire room. So the effect will more appear than just change furniture. Normal floor also looks good, but if you bore with this theme you can try laminating flooring. Wooden theme will more attractive in currently year.

Because too many demand from the market. Every flooring laminating producer compete release their eminent product. So, we can find any design available on the market that you can choose. One more important before you decide to buy floor laminating is healthy. Research first what kind of wood, finishing paint, strength, humidity, and durability. So, you will not get trouble in the next days and have to turn with spending more money again. So, start to create new idea to your new home creation.

Check out realistic knowledge about the topic of forex investment – make sure to read the webpage. The times have come when concise information is truly only one click of your mouse, use this possibility.

Take a look at this collection of Autographs by the famed vaudeville & burlesque entertainer, movie star and TV hostess Gypsy Rose Lee. The really great aspect of this collection is that is NOT a random sampling of autographs on index cards. This is a collection of 7 signed artifacts, all of them written to 1 individual. She was Miss Elena Wheeler of White Plains, New York. There are 4 envelopes – 2 with autographs, 4 letters – 2 are handwritten, and one signed and personalized  photograph. You can view the auction on EBAY.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=260508105836&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT

THIS IS AN INCREDIBLY DETAILED HANDCARVED MEERSCHAUM PIPE IN THE IMAGE OF THE 21ST U.S. PRESIDENT, CHESTER A. ARTHUR. IT’S A BEAUTIFULLY RENDERED PORTRAIT, AND QUITE ACCURATE IN IT’S LIKENESS.
THE PIPE MEASURES 7 INCHES IN LENGTH AND THE BOWL MEASURES 4 INCHES TALL.

OVERDRIVE by CRASH

]]> http://sturgisnikides.com/blog/uncategorized/crash-painting-overdrive/feed/ 3 http://sturgisnikides.com/blog/antiques/a-starters-guide-for-finding-antique-bargains/ http://sturgisnikides.com/blog/antiques/a-starters-guide-for-finding-antique-bargains/#comments Tue, 09 Dec 2008 17:24:42 +0000 sturgis58 http://sturgisnikides.com/blog/?p=10  

A Starters Guide To Finding Antique Bargains
By Sturgis Nikides

When a novice enters the exciting realm of antiques, the experience can be just as intimidating as it is stimulating.  You can read book after book about spotting the best deals at yard sales, negotiating for the best prices from dealers, or for a higher price with a buyer.  Even after studying the subject at length you still may not feel you’re prepared to scour the market place for valuable antiques.  And the truth of the matter is that online auctions can complicate it even more.

Even the most experienced antique dealer will return to the basics when yard sailing or bidding at auctions.  Examine the item and look for the following to determine a fair price.

Age: The general rule of thumb is that an item needs to be at least 100 years old before it can be considered an antique. Hallmarks or manufacturers labels are always helpful, as well as older auction or dealer tags. Any kind of documentation of age carries value over to the antique.

Condition: The condition of an antique is EVERYTHING! Try to determine how closely it resembles the original manufactured product. Short of mint condition, it is of great importance to closely examine every inch and every surface to find any flaws or issues, making sure to jot down all of your impressions. For example, if the drawers of a desk were repaired or replaced, it detracts from the original condition.  If porcelain or fine china has a repair, or a hairline crack or a chip, the value will be seriously diminished. If the wiring or any mechanical aspects are replaced on a mechanical antique it puts a dent in the value.

Quality:  The quality of an item refers to how well it was originally made. This might refer to the type of material used or the way the piece was manufactured. It might refer to the construction or the decoration of an item. Higher quality antiques are generally worth more…but lower quality antiques also possess an intrinsic charm of their own. Never pass up an item without careful examination and thorough research. One mans garbage is another mans treasure, IMHO.

Rarity: This boils down to the simple law of supply and demand.  For example, if a popular book had 4000 copies made on the first printing, those copies would be worth less than a popular book with only 1000 copies from the first printing. Using something mass produced isn’t really the best example, however. Due to it’s intrinsic rarity, a one-of-a-kind object will always be more valuable.

Provenance: The provenance is the documented history of an item.  When the provenance of an antique crosses with historically significant events or people, it turns an otherwise nice antique into a priceless piece of history.  The more documentation you can find, and the more significant the history, the more valuable the antique.

Patina: Patina is the wear  and tear to the finish, plus any nicks, chips, and/or other signs of use in an antique.  Generally speaking, the less patina, the more valuable the antique.  There are cases where patina adds charm, so don’t panic. An antique over a hundred years old is bound to have some issues no matter how slight. The question is whether or not it adds character to the piece or makes it look worn.

Original Finish: Original finish (paint, enamel, varnish, veneer or whatever protective coating the manufacturer used at the time it was made) is always more valuable than something refinished.

Finding the right price for an antique can be difficult because there’s often nothing to which you can compare the piece…especially when something is extremely rare or has interesting provenance.  If you have serious doubts about something as an investment, contact someone more knowledgeable than yourself. It might be a good idea to develop a relationship with a reputable dealer, or better yet, an appraiser at Sotheby’s or Christies (if at all possible). One technique I often use with collectibles is to do an ebay search, which at the very least will give you an idea as to how saturated the market may be for a particular item. As you learn more about antiques, the risks will shrink, and your rewards will grow!

Visit us today at www.antique-buyers.com !