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Antiques! => Antique Questions Forum => Topic started by: antiquedummy on March 10, 2010, 07:09:42 am

Title: What is this (ugly) thing?
Post by: antiquedummy on March 10, 2010, 07:09:42 am

I dug this out of a storage shed. I keep thinking something goes with it.
under base says Dav Art New York, no other markings, very heavy.

Title: Re: What is this (ugly) thing?
Post by: antiquedummy on March 10, 2010, 10:37:12 am

Nobody is willing to venture a guess? ok I will show my ignorance then and
venture a guess...looks like some sort of centerpiece, although it weighs about
10 lbs. at least, solid brass cast I think. Belonged to and eccentric french woman.
Any other ideas? ???

Title: Re: What is this (ugly) thing?
Post by: waywardangler on March 10, 2010, 10:44:03 am

A perch for a Victorian birdcage.  Any number of finches could perch and not tip it over. 

A centerpiece was my guess also but waited for other posts.  I really think it is a centerpiece or a large and obtrusive paperweight.

Title: Re: What is this (ugly) thing?
Post by: antiquedummy on March 10, 2010, 10:53:06 am

Way too heavy to be a paper weight, can't pick it up with 1 hand. :P

Title: Re: What is this (ugly) thing?
Post by: talesofthesevenseas on March 10, 2010, 11:21:14 am

Could those circular pieces in the centers of the flowers hold candles? Any traces of wax in the bottoms?

Title: Re: What is this (ugly) thing?
Post by: regularjoe2 on March 10, 2010, 12:22:07 pm

I'd go along with the idea that your item is missing something .

Portions of the casting sort of indicate that there may have been a platter/bowl element on top of your centerpiece item ..... porcelain,metal,crystal,etc.

Looks like it would make a dandy base for a 'fruitbowl' .

Title: Re: What is this (ugly) thing?
Post by: antiquedummy on March 10, 2010, 12:38:10 pm

No trace of wax in any of them, besides they would have to be tiny birthday candles.
The hole is approx. 1/4" in diameter. Here is a closeup. A dish of any sort would get
scratched up or break. This puppy is hard and heavy, but it does look like something should go there. >:(

Title: Re: What is this (ugly) thing?
Post by: fancypants on March 10, 2010, 01:54:59 pm

Dav art - actually "Dave Art Company" , famous for 'Art Deco' & 'Art Nouveau' items .

Many Art Deco collectors out there look for 'Dav Art' items .

Below is another 'blueberry-branch' themed item (desk lamp , electric) :

Title: Re: What is this (ugly) thing?
Post by: KC on March 10, 2010, 08:13:02 pm

I would fathom that it would hold a large glass piece to be used for a table centerpiece!
I like it!

Title: Re: What is this (ugly) thing?
Post by: wendy177 on March 10, 2010, 08:17:43 pm

Agree with RJ2 & KC crystal bowl - would love to have seen it with the missing piece!!! They did make some pieces using glass from Fenton.

Title: Re: What is this (ugly) thing?
Post by: wendy177 on March 11, 2010, 07:15:22 am

OK have been hunting dav art & love what I can find!!!!!!! So now I will be hunting another collection this spring!!!! (just what I need :D) If anyone has any company info I would appreciate it. New York is not far from me so hopefully some pieces stayed close to home and my antique flea hunts will be fruitful !!

Title: Re: What is this (ugly) thing?
Post by: KC on March 11, 2010, 11:33:10 am

Another piece that was Dav Art and Fenton!
http://www.seeauctions.com/show_item/147888/ (http://www.seeauctions.com/show_item/147888/)

Apparently did pictures as well......
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:George_Bernard_Shaw _1934-12-06.jpg (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:George_Bernard_Shaw_1934-12-06.jpg)

Some more
http://cgi.ebay.com/Rare-Fenton-Glass-Moonstone-Ginger-Jar-Lamp-w-DAV-Art_W0QQitemZ370340688626QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item563a0672f2 (http://cgi.ebay.com/Rare-Fenton-Glass-Moonstone-Ginger-Jar-Lamp-w-DAV-Art_W0QQitemZ370340688626QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item563a0672f2)

Apparently the company name is spelled Davart and not as 2 words!

Title: Re: What is this (ugly) thing?
Post by: wendy177 on March 11, 2010, 11:35:05 am

NICE  KC & with Fenton double ching!!!!

Title: Re: What is this (ugly) thing?
Post by: KC on March 11, 2010, 11:41:53 am

Wow finding lots of items - this one (although the pic is missing) cites having Lenox paired with it!
http://thelampsbargain.us/Art_Deco_Davart_Porcelain_Lenox_Table_Lamp_Neoclassical.html (http://thelampsbargain.us/Art_Deco_Davart_Porcelain_Lenox_Table_Lamp_Neoclassical.html)


Okay - this is moving towards the area I believe your piece is from.  This is but a small example of what I was thinking towards....
Cherub with Pressed Glass Bowl - Item # GL260 - $ 75
http://hidden-valley-antiques.com/glass.html (http://hidden-valley-antiques.com/glass.html)

Title: Re: What is this (ugly) thing?
Post by: KC on March 11, 2010, 12:16:44 pm

Company History noted by Steve Glaser (nephew of Michael Glaser - founder of Davart)
http://web.me.com/dano1206/My_Uncles_Lamps/Home.html (http://web.me.com/dano1206/My_Uncles_Lamps/Home.html)

Title: Re: What is this (ugly) thing?
Post by: wendy177 on March 11, 2010, 12:58:54 pm

Awesome KC thanks        Bergdorfs & Saks  I new I liked this stuff!!! Will defiantly be hunting these this spring!!!!!

Title: Re: What is this (ugly) thing?
Post by: waywardangler on March 11, 2010, 01:12:12 pm

I have looked at the link KC provided and it appears that Davart specialized in lamps. My question to antiquedummy...is this a marriage piece?  The base looks like it belongs to a lamp.  Is that brass flowery stem piece screwed on to the base through a hole in the base and can it be removed?  Lets see some pics of the base from the bottom and from the side.  The two parts may not belong to one another but may have been married by the whim of the previous owner after the lamp crashed to the floor.  Just a thought.  Any other thoughts along these lines?

Title: Re: What is this (ugly) thing?
Post by: KC on March 11, 2010, 01:51:34 pm

I would suggest that you take a pic as Wayward suggested to see if it was a previous base for a lamp.

ALSO, contact the nephew and see if he has ever seen anything like it!

Title: Re: What is this (ugly) thing?
Post by: regularjoe2 on March 11, 2010, 03:14:39 pm

Glad to see all the research on Dav art , wendy177 &KC .

I used to buy up bunches of this stuff for a collector in the 1980's .

It's sometimes very sim to Frankart/Nuart stuff .

Title: Re: What is this (ugly) thing?
Post by: waywardangler on March 11, 2010, 04:21:07 pm

I do believe the bases on the two items in the pic are the same.  The base in the "unknown" item looks to be the same as the base on a lamp that recently ended on eBay (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220565315387).  I believe the piece that antiquedummy has is a married piece.  Without KC's wonderful link this info would not have happened.  I do not know how he found that link but it was great!

The base on the left is from antiquedummy's pic (I cropped it) and the base on the right is a cropped pic from the eBay auction lamp.

Title: Re: What is this (ugly) thing?
Post by: waywardangler on March 11, 2010, 04:34:07 pm

This pic should be larger and clearer...

Title: Re: What is this (ugly) thing?
Post by: KC on March 11, 2010, 08:03:27 pm

However, this is marked Davart as well......


(http://hidden-valley-antiques.com/photos/cherub1.JPG)

Title: Re: What is this (ugly) thing?
Post by: waywardangler on March 11, 2010, 08:21:41 pm

Yes, I have seen that pic on the web.  I would love to see that one in person to see if it started out life as a lamp.  It is a very odd design for a bowl stand.  I could see a small light bulb fitting in the center of that bowl with the cord going through the brass tube to the bottom of the bowl with it being an ambiance light in a parlor or boudoir.  It may be as it appears but it just looks unbalanced and top heavy especially if a large hand was reaching in there for a fistful of M&Ms.

Title: Re: What is this (ugly) thing?
Post by: waywardangler on March 11, 2010, 08:29:20 pm

The cherub and bowl in KC's pic is 45cm high or about 18" and the bowl is 19cm or about 7 1/2" in dia.

This is a davart cherub oil lamp...http://en.allexperts.com/q/Collectibles-General-Antiques-682/2010/3/Oil-Table-Lamp.htm

Title: Re: What is this (ugly) thing?
Post by: regularjoe2 on March 11, 2010, 08:57:57 pm

Frankart,Nuart,Davart all used multi-mediums in many of their items .... still have not seen the match for the first one in the thread yet .

Now I'm still curious about what sat on top o' the berry branch .


IMO , some of the items these companies produced were kinda nutty - evidenced by the lamp image below .