Collectible Cats Come One, Come All by Donald-Brian Johnson
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$1.50 AntiqueWeek T HE W EEKLY A N T IQUE A UC T ION & C OLLEC T ING N E W SP A PER VOL. 54 ISSUE NO. 2701 www.antiqueweek.com JULY 13, 2021 Collectible cats come one, come all By Donald-Brian Johnson The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter, It isn’t just one of your holiday games; You may think at first I’m as mad as a hatter When I tell you, a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES. — T.S. Eliot, The Naming of Cats Cats. They put the “purr” in “person- ality.” Down through the ages, the indi- vidual personality traits that cats pos- sess (or, at any rate, the individual personality traits we ascribe to them), have inspired creative talents in almost every artistic medium. The first documented cat depictions, dating from about 1900 B.C., are of the cat headed Bast, Egyptian goddess of the moon. In ancient Greece, Aesop wrote about cats. So did Aristotle. Chi- Above: Ever vigilant: Haeger Potteries Egyptian temple guardians. 7” high, Above: All eyes and ears: fantasy cats by nese folk tales, circa 400 B.C., held $175-200/pr. Howard Pierce. Tallest, 5-3/4 high, $75-100/pr. that the cat was the offspring of the Below: deLee Art duo. Tallest Siamese, Below: An unusual matchup: pink Elzac aristocratic lion and the mischievous 12” high $75-100/pr. ceramic cat with green Lucite hair monkey. Other tales told of Norwegian bow and tail. 3-3/4” high, $125-150. farmers, who left dishes of milk in their fields for the two grey cats believed to pull the chariot of the goddess Freyja; this special treat kept them from nib- bling on crops. And, following the birth of Christ, legends sprang up that the Infant’s tears ceased when a tabby cat leapt into the manger and purred soothingly. The “M” on a tabby’s fore- head signifies where the Virgin Mary gave the kitten a grateful pat. Leonardo da Vinci sketched cats. Mark Twain wrote about them. Sly black cats were pictured accompanying witches on their broom-riding esca- pades. Dick Whittington, the frequent subject of English pantomimes, was said to owe his appointment as Lon- don’s Lord Mayor to the acclaimed Above: Fused feline: fused glass and rat-catching abilities of his pet cat. And wire cat, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. what childhood was complete without 9” high, $75-100. tales of the swashbuckling “Puss-in- . .blank-faced, button-eyed “Hello good fortune. In the 1700s, Stafford- Boots?” (In recent years, thanks to the from utilitarian mouse exterminator to Kitty”. .the eye-rolling “KitCat Clock,” shire and Meissen were among those movie Shrek, “Puss” became famous all indispensable family member. This his pendulum tail swinging to a perpet- producing prized renditions of cats in over again.) was due in part to the introduction of ual beat. plus that embodiment of pottery and porcelain. By the 1800s, In modern popular culture, there commercial cat litter; “indoor” cats ‘60s ultra-cool, “The Pink Panther.” pet cats had become so ubiquitous that have been as many interpretations of could now actually remain indoors, And, oh yes, Dr. Seuss’ “The Cat in advertisers took note. That’s why you’ll cats as there are. cats. Who can forget increasing both their lifespans and the nimble-footed musical prodigy the Hat.” He likes to rhyme. All the find 19th century felines serving as likeability. And, during the uncertain evoked in “Kitten on the Keys?” “Bat- time. pitch-cats for everything from rat poi- years of World War II, “keeping the man’s” slinky nemesis “Catwoman?” Not to mention the Broadway musi- son (kind of a logical choice), to cigars home fires burning” became an even Cartoon icons have included gluttonous cal “Cats” and its movie interpretation. (kind of a stretch.) “Garfield,” always-optimistic “Felix,” Over the centuries, one of the most Much of what’s collected figur- cozier prospect when there was a cat and X-rated “Fritz.” There’s “Sylves- popular figural depictions of the cat al-cat-wise in the United States today dozing by the fireside. ter,” on the hunt for “Tweety” . has been Japan’s Maneki Neko or “good dates from the mid-20th century. By See Collectible Cat on page 23 “Tom,” in perpetual pursuit of “Jerry”. luck cat,” its raised paw a welcomer of then, the cat had moved up the ladder Next Show – Sunday, Aug 1 Every First Sunday May - October Lawrenceburg, Indiana Fairgrounds US 50, 1 mile west of Exit 16,I-275 (Cincinnati Beltway) Indiana’s Largest “Antiques & Vintage-Only” Market 7am - 3pm EDST Rain or Shine (Earlybirds at 6am) • Admission: $4.00 • LawrenceburgAntiqueShow.com • 513-702-2680 Atlanta Expo Centers 3,500 Booths! Ohio Expo Center 800-1,200 Booths! SCOTT ANTIQUE MARKETS Atlanta, GA Columbus, OH *Dates subject to change (covid19) ANTIQUE AND DESIGNER ITEMS 2nd Weekend Jan 22 - 23 TM 740.569.2800 www.scottantiquemarkets.com Aug 12 - 15 Oct 7 - 10 Every Month Nov 27 - 28 Feb 26 - 27 2021 America’s Favorite Treasure Hunts! 2021 Sep 9 - 12 Nov 11 - 14 Dec 18 - 19 Mar 26 - 27 Page 2 WWW.ANTIQUEWEEK.COM JULY 13, 2021 NEWS Beautiful forms bring Lalique glass to life By Cissy Hallisey While Rene Lalique’s name is synony- mous with beautiful glassware, he began his career as a jeweler. Born in 1860 in Ay, France, Lalique developed an early appre- ciation for animals and the countryside. These elements figured strongly into his art. At the age of 12 he won a prestigious award for his drawing abilities at Lyce Tar- got, his school at the time. He later attend- ed other art schools and apprenticed with a silversmith before deciding to freelance as a jewelry designer. His life-long love of glass began with experiments using it in jewelry Above: Large Lalique mask measuring as an alternative to traditional expensive 12.5 by 12.5 inches stones. Lalique went on to achieve great acclaim Below: White frosted round Lalique bowl for his jewelry, but his creativity would not Above: Various Lalique glass figurines, mostly animals be confined. He dabbled in various materi- als and subject matter but discovered that Lalique’s works were not limited to small ware for rail cars along with commemora- his passion was glass. He began to make scale items. He also created doors, windows, tive statuettes for the inauguration of the scent bottles for French perfumeries includ- wall panels, fountains, chandeliers and Cote d’Azur Pullman-car in France. He even ing Coty and Worth. Many of these bottles gates. Most of these sizable creations were designed an entire dining room shrouded in are marked with a paper label or even with in France, primarily Paris, and occasional- glass in 1931 for an elegant passenger line the name molded into the glass. Dressing ly in London, England. Gorgeous windows ship name “De Normandie.” table sets were created to match the scent were made to grace churches, entire walls Lalique’s love of nature and the female bottles, so it is possible to obtain matching of glass formed exhibition salons, glass tiles form is obvious in his works. His Art Nou- bottles, powder and cream jars and trinket framed entrances to fine shops. In the 1920s See Lalique Glass on Page 4 boxes. Lalique created division panels and table- Political memorabilia always has a story to tell By Eric C. Rodenberg NASHVILLE. Tenn. – Many antique collectors appreciate an item for its “back story.” One thing that is great for collectors of American political items, is behind nearly every campaign but- ton, banner, ribbon and bow is a story. A case in point, a 1904 pin-back but- ton, commonly known as “The Equality Button” featured President Theodore Roosevelt and author Booker T. Wash- ington dining in the White House. There are several different varieties, many of which are rare, in different sizes up to a large 1 3/4-inch pin back. “The first edition, released at the same time as a small poster of similar design was issued in a positive vein,” according to Heritage Antiques. “It fea- tured Booker T. Washington with clear- ly recognizable facial features and was meant to celebrate the occasion when T.R. invited Washington to dine at the White House, making him the first Af- rican American to be so honored. “Subsequent ‘knock-off’ versions fea- Above: Advantages of political memorabilia collecting is that you should have a choice at several avenues of collecting. Some tured a generic black image and are collectors concentrate on Bull Moose political party items, another may collect only by the era, office or party. It is a relatively thought to have been of a negative na- inexpensive pastime to grow into. ture criticizing Roosevelt for having an Washington-Roosevelt button would among jugate (two-candidate) buttons were produced. Today, a Cox-Roosevelt African-American dinner guest in the now sell for an easy $10,000; Todd says. we’re talking an easy $100,000 for jugate as small as a nickel could bring president’s house. There are probably There are a series of different size but- the largest 1 ¼-inch button from 1920 $30,000-$40,000, Todd said. fewer than 10 examples known of this tons, one even illustrating a wine bottle presidential contest. The ill-fated 1920 On July 28 through Aug. 1, all man- largest variety (the 1 ¾-inch).” on the table to further stir up funda- campaign featured Ohio newspaper en- ner of political advertising will be dis- “That was a story about our history,” mental non-imbibers.