Among the highlight sales was this 1789 gold box sold by first-time exhibitor Koopman Rare Art for a price in the region of $250,000 (£192,000). It was made in Paris by Jacques Felix Vienot to commemorate US independence. It is decorated with miniature watercolour views by JF Genillion.
Dealer Lewis Smith said that it “attracted considerable attention as, not only is it a fine example in this widely appreciated collecting genre, but it also had the added appeal of having a significant American connection. Not surprisingly it didn’t take long for it to find a new home.”
The fair ran from January 24-February 2 at the Park Avenue Armoury with 72 exhibitors attending. Smith added: “Judging by the amount of sales we have achieved at all levels, the American market for fine, high-quality antique silver and jewellery is very buoyant.
Not only are there buyers for top-end pieces, there is also a lot of interest in items in the $3000 range. We experienced a similar pattern when we exhibited at the antiques fair in Miami earlier in January.”
