Page 10 - july-joa-23

WORLD MARKETPLACE NEWS with Managing Editor Judy Gonyeau

CORNWALL, ENGLAND MIRROR – Hair MIDLOTHIAN VIEW – The Chippendale International School of
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
belonging to poets William Wordsworth, Furniture, which is based outside Gifford, East Lothian, Scotland,
Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and Robert added new workshops to provide affordable workspaces for newly
Southey caught the eye of one of the apprais- qualified carpenters. According to the school’s Design Statement,
ers as the UK’s Antiques Roadshow took a “Building B includes a workspace for Clare Charleston, the school’s
trip to Cornwall. As always, the Brits public restoration specialist, who
put many treasured items on show as they has worked at the school for
attempted to bag some serious cash. One man over 25 years. This is where
wanted to know the value of his collection of antique furniture from
papers and pictures from the poets. Viewers customers across Scotland
couldn’t believe it when, in the three gets restored. We are one of
envelopes handed over, strands of each the only remaining antique
poet’s hair were looking back at them, most furniture restorers in the
likely taken from them on their deathbeds as a country.” The statement also noted that, “These benches offer affordable
remembrance. The bards all died between 1834 workspaces for these newly qualified carpenters to start their cabinet-
and 1850. The appraiser stated that, “If we making businesses.” Graduates will benefit from a supportive incubator
want to talk value, with the picture and locks environment during the difficult early years of setting up their
of hair, without a shadow of a doubt we’re looking at £30,000 - businesses. They can stay in these workshops for up to 3 years after
£40,000” ($27,800-$50,400). completing the professional course by which time they are more able to
afford to set up their own workshops elsewhere.”

TAMPA BAY TIMES – A New Jersey man has been arrested after
authorities say he collected $30,000 from a St. Petersburg man for ARTDAILY – The
a 1977 Porsche 911 Turbo (similar to the one shown in the photo) that Don Carlo Metropolitan Opera’s
he never delivered. The buyer wired $30,000 to the seller, who 2022-23 season may
agreed to overnight the title and tell the seller where to pick up the car. well have been the end
But the title never arrived, nor was the buyer ever told where the car of an era. As a repertory
was, the affidavit states. After the complaint was made to police, offi- house and the country’s
cers tracked down the owner of the Porsche, who said the car wasn’t largest performing arts
for sale and that he was restoring it, the affidavit states. An arrest organization, it juggles multiple works at a time. On some weekends,
warrant for the seller was issued in 2021, records show. The 28-year- it’s been possible to see four different operas in 48 hours. But is
old was extradited from New Jersey on a there enough of an audience to fill so many performances in a
felony grand theft charge and 4,000-seat theater? Ticket sales have been robust for some new pro-
booked at the Pinellas ductions, even of contemporary works. But revivals, less obviously
County jail on June newsworthy and less widely promoted, are no longer sure things —
4. He was released especially slightly off-the-beaten-path stuff like Mozart’s Idomeneo or
on $30,000 bail Verdi’s Don Carlo. In an attempt to make ends meet, the Met has raid-
hours later. He has ed its endowment and plans to put on 10% fewer performances next
pleaded not guilty to season, which will feature just 18 staged operas (six of them written in
the charge. the past 30 years). The days of being the country’s grand repertory
company of 20-plus titles a year could be slowly entering the
rearview mirror.
THE JERUSALEM POST – The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA)
in May 2023 began a large-scale operation to encourage the public
to return illegally acquired artifacts, to restore them to their original HEVER CASTLE, EDENBRIDGE, UK – In a discovery branded the
site where possible, gain historical knowledge and raise awareness most exciting finding “in a generation,” historians at Hever Castle
around the issue. To that effect, the IAA believe that Anne Boleyn, Catherine of Aragon, and Thomas
began an online campaign and opened a Cromwell all owned a copy of the
center to deal with ensuing inquiries, same prayer book. A 1527 prayer
which can be reached via their website, book belonging to Catherine of
the site of the Heritage Ministry, email, Aragon on loan from the Morgan
phone, Facebook and more. According to Library in New York was recently
a survey published by the IAA, willingness shown alongside the 1527 Book of
to return antiquities increases with age. Hours, which belonged to Anne
Over the age of 35, 76% of those surveyed Boleyn. When Catherine’s book
expressed a willingness to hand over the returns to the USA, visitors will be
antique, while over the age of 55, the number rises to 82% and over the able to see another 1527 Book of
age of 65, it rises to 91%. Any item or structure made by a person Hours—which is now believed to have belonged to Thomas
before 1700 CE is defined as an antique, and 15% of respondents Cromwell—on loan from the Wren Library, Trinity College,
testified that they own antiquities. The most commonly held items Cambridge. This is the first time that historians have made a link
are coins, followed by metal tools and books. between Catherine, Anne, and Cromwell regarding their prayer
books. Hever Castle’s Curator, Alison Palmer, recognized the bejew-
elled, silver gilt binding of the book from the famous portrait of
HONG KONG – The crowd-drawing Double Ducks exhibition at Thomas Cromwell painted by Hans Holbein the Younger (1497/8-
Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour took an unexpected turn on 1543) in 1532-3. Hever’s team has uncovered a compelling prove-
June 10 when one of the gigantic duckie duo deflated due nance trail that links the book from its donor, Dame Anne Sadlier,
to hot weather. All was restored and back on display until directly back to Thomas Cromwell. It is the same book in the
September 3, 2023. Holbein painting that belonged to Thomas Cromwell.

8 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles