June 17, 2010

 Posted in www.appraiserspost.com

Angels in Demons: Collectors and Appraiser’s Guide

It’s been a while since my first blog and, in the long interim, I’ve been to Israel and Jordan.

Aside from visiting some collectors and seeing what’s been offered at some of the Judaica dealers, one very astute collector encouraged me to visit a special exhibition at the Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem.. This is a museum that hasn’t got much attention over the past 18 years of its existence. However, it is a jewel of a museum, sitting in the shadow of its much larger neighbor, the Israel Museum. It presents in really splendid open galleries with clearly organized collections. The galleries were beautifully lit even though overall architectural reference is dark monumental stone palaces and tombs of the Ancient Near East. My only annoyance was acoustics. One person with very thin high heels was trying to find the way out in a real hurry and made quite a racket on the stone floors.   

Perhaps most relevant for readers of this blog is the fact that the entire museum was conceived by,  supported by, and organized by very passionate and philanthropic collectors Elie and Batya Borowski. Dr. Borowski began collecting while hiding during WWII in Switzerland and built a magnificent collect in successive years. Visit the museum’s website more information, www.blmj.org.

Plan to spend several pleasant hours wandering through the main exhibition which is organized chronologically, although it is interpreted thematically and references many issues, customs, language, trade, and culture related to the peoples who wrote the Bible or who were described in it. There are some amazing artifacts headlined and underscored with relevant Biblical passages that illuminate the context and use of the displayed artifacts. For even more interpretative installations, visit the exhibitions downstairs which are titled “The Three Faces of Monotheism,” which, although small, presents interesting artifacts all depicting the origins and early intentions of Christianity, Islam and Judaism. Complementing the museum and its collections are some creative programming events that aim to address the current divide among the three major religions that have roots to Jerusalem.

Why did I end up here and why am I sharing my visit? The Museum, in line with its bold approach to interpretation and emphasis on artifacts, is also showing an extraordinary show entitled Angels and Demons: Jewish Magic through the Ages. The exhibition’s exquisite catalogue supplements the elaborate wall texts and expands on mystical practices and concepts in Judaism,  including Kabbalah throughout the ages. For the collector, however, this was a rare opportunity to see in beautiful display the expansive array of amulets, magic bowls, figurines, magical texts from ancient times, spanning the Byzantine, early Medieval, the Age of Enlightenment, up to the present. Many of the objects were carefully selected from Israel’s museum and academic collections. However, a large and important portion was supplied by very well-cultivated collectors who chose handsome and unique artifacts from their extensive private collections. The catalog is sure to become an indispensible tool for those trying to build a solid collection among the amulets that collectors (and appraisers) encounter in today’s market. Now, when I have to appraise an amulet – and I’m frequently encountering all sorts of amulets from many eras and customs and regions – I this exhibition catalog is close at hand.  

More soon on what’s hot in Judaica collecting.

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Posted  Octoer 24, 2009

on www.appraiserspost.com

Appraising Judaica: Following  new trends in Judaica Auctions

Reported by Elizabeth Berman, A.A., A.N.A.

www.JudaicainContext.com

It used to be that I would wait patiently for the Judaica auction season and then, after studying the limited objects put up at auction, I would settle down to study the catalogs and the results through the winter and spring. But this year, Judaica auctions continued into the winter and well into the spring. Some auction houses have even started organizing Judaica auctions every other month.

The auction floor has also expanded.  Not all of the important Judaica pieces are going to the large auction houses in major world capitals. Smaller auctions houses are attracting Judaica collectors and Judaica collectors are more willing to divert their attention from New York. There are now other stages.

At Skinner Auctioneers in Boston, auctioneers were very pleased with the results of their Judaica sale held in late May. Their website that  reports:  “Skinner's May 2009 auction of Fine Judaica was a tremendous success, more than tripling the pre-sale estimate and grossing over $1.2 million for just over 200 lots of antique and artisan Judaica.  The top lot in the sale was rare and important silver and silver gilt Synagogue Ark-form Hanukkah Lamp, originating in Brody (Galicia), and dated 1787. Auctioned for an astounding $314,000, against a pre-sale estimate of $60,000-80,000.”  At Kaminski’s Auctions, located in a suburb of Boston, several Judaica items often appear in each of their monthly auctions.

Just last year a new auction house was launched in Jerusalem: Kedem Auctions is producing stunning catalogs with well written well researched titles. The catalogues are written in both Hebrew and English and they contain a wealth of information for collectors, historians and appraisers alike. Kedem auctioneers are not only up on their research, they are also very ambitious. They are holding auctions every 2 or 3 months. Kedem is also pushing the envelop and offering items that are not your well-known ritual Judaica objects. They are identifying new areas of Judaica collecting. More on this in my next blog.

I’ve also been following several on-line auctions such as Ben Ami Endres and a few others operating as Ebay stores. Additionally, a few auction houses who are principally known for their offerings of Modern/Contemporary Israeli artists are also attaching Judaica objects to their sales. Tiroche in suburban Tel Aviv has several sales of Judaica and these are often included with European decorative arts.  Hammersite in Ramat Gan, Israel, also has Judaica lots included in some of their auctions.

Despite the competition, New York still remains a focal point for studying Judaica auctions. The Fall is still the prime season. Kestenbaum and Company as ever continues to produce very fine catalogues and sales, concentrating mostly on rare books and manuscripts. Frequently, fine Judaica is tucked in at the end of their auctions. At Kestenbaum’s September 10th auction, the report was somewhat optimistic, as reported on their website: “Fine Judaica yielded very respectable results considering the sluggish state of the economy. Of the 321 lots offered, 90% sold, thereby affirming that Judaica remains a very active market of committed collectors. Nonetheless, clients were somewhat conservative with their bidding practices, thus reflecting differing prices relative to previous auctions.” Their next sale will be December 10^th, being the 4^th of  2009.  At  J. Greenstein and Company, also in New York, their last sale was in June 2009. But the next will be January 11, 2010 with about 150 lots. For the past few years, Jonathan Greenstein has been holding spring and fall sales. This year Sotheby’s Fine Judaica  Sale is early this year – on November 24, in the morning.

What does this have to do with the appraiser? Well, when appraising Judaica, I’ve had to get acquainted with the new venues and learn the different trends. Finding value in Judaica is now not a simple matter of finding comps at season intervals. One also has to talk directly with those involved in the market place, view the offerings each month and study the results. Beyond that a lot of serious collectors are actual traveling to important sales and discussing amongst themselves the characteristics and strengths of certain objects. At Skinner’s May preview in Boston, for instance, there was a lively discussion among many collectors who came from all parts of the world and the bidding was serious on the following day with record sales.

And so, a “comp” in 2009 might very well be trumped for one just a few months later. In writing Judaica appraisals, I’ve got more on the table to consider than I have had in previous years.  

Next blog: there are many new areas of Judaica collecting. I’ll report in on what I am seeing in private collections and objects that are new to Judaica auctions.