The Litchfield County Antiques Show, Conneticut

The Litchfield County Antiques show, Connecticut.
By Jan Lee
(As seen in October 09 Issue of Conneticut Cottages and Gardens)

Despite a torrential downpour, the Litchfield County Antiques show opened without a hitch. The show had a strong representation of fine American, European and Asian antiques.

Eve Stone, amidst her renowned 18th and 19th century copperware collection, had some items of particular interest to me as a dog owner, three antique dog collars. Large European dogs, such as mastiffs were highly valued as sport hunters and farmstead or estate guardians. Mastiffs accompanied the games keeper as he did his daily rounds.

Eve’s dog collars were inscribed with both the dog’s and the owner’s names, much in the way they are today. However, these were complete with a working lock and key ensuring the security of the collar as well as the animal’s identity should the dog ever get lost. The obvious difference between these immaculate antique examples and today’s collars is the workmanship. Each collar represents many hours of specialized craftsmanship, work we don’t associate with something as utilitarian as a dog collar today.

As testimony of their importance as guardians, companions, and status symbols, these collars tell us a great deal about man’s relationship to dogs in 19th century Europe. Leeds Castle museum, in Kent , England houses the largest dog collar exhibit in Europe , with a collection spanning five centuries!

Each of Eve’s collars is unique, one was solid, hand -formed brass, another was leather with metal accents, and yet another a combination of several materials. All represented diverse craft disciplines, and each a work of art.

Guarding over a beautifully edited collection of rare Chinese jades and archaic bronzes in the Asiantiques booth from Winter Park, Florida stood a pair of Q’ing dynasty wood-carved “Fu dogs” of the mythical kind.
“Fu” means good fortune in Chinese, and these guardians have been instilled with bringing good fortune to the owner’s home whilst keeping negative energy and bad spirits away for hundreds of years.
This pair still wears traces of their original gilt and color, and according to the Lorins, owners of Asiantiques, the fine-carving detail hints at a possible imperial workshop “pedigree”.


Fine workmanship prevails in a set of 19th century Nantucket nesting baskets from Roberto Freitas American Antiques. As Roberto pointed out these were not so much functional as they were decorative statements of superb craftsmanship and family bonds. The set of eight baskets fit neatly into one another. As we opened up the set and put them side by side their precision and restraint left me awestruck. I’m always attracted to handmade objects that celebrate the material, in this case rattan cane and wood. The method of construction involved wooden molds to ensure uniformity and symmetry.

It is a study in discipline and austerity. Mr. Freitas pointed out that it came from a family in Nantucket who had treasured the set as a family heirloom and kept it intact. Extremely rare to find a complete set, which, along with its patina contributes to its five-figure price.

Austerity and fine workmanship continued as I found Jeff of Jeff R. Bridgeman American Antiques, who told me about his early 19th century “country” Windsor settee. Jeff explained that this settee, was found pretty much as we see it today, in the basement of a library in Dover, New Hampshire and that it had “probably been there since the building was built” , which Jeff guesses was in the 18th century.

We agreed that the piece has all the lines of a more formal Windsor settee, but like many country versions, possessed more evidence of the maker’s hand and was more pared down than its city “cousin”. Its seat was made from a single board, gently shaped by hand, as were the forty finely-turned spindles, each perfectly matched to the next in a rhythmic pattern providing both strength and lightness to the piece.

Like so many of Jeff’s pieces it could reside as comfortably in a stark Manhattan loft as it would in a period home. The simplicity of so many of his pieces, from his rare early American flags to his furniture, transcend the obvious placement and challenge us to reinterpret American folk art in today’s environments.

My love of the rustic surface drew me to a Gustavian cabinet in the booth of Dawn Hill of New Preston, CT. Jane Fredrikson who was manning the booth for Dawn Hill owner Paulette Peden gave me a crash course in authentic Swedish antique furniture as we discussed this simple cabinet.

I asked what distinguished this Swedish piece from anywhere else in Europe? Jane pointed to the French influence of the Gustavian period, when French craftsmen in Sweden removed much of the extraneous decoration found in traditional French furniture thus simplifying the lines.

Much of the furniture, though not all, was painted because they didn’t have the expensive woods found in France. This piece was probably for a dining room in a country estate, but Jane was sure to point out it didn’t come from a grand manor house. “The French would have so many more embellishments”, she said and this is what makes this piece Swedish. It’s also why Swedish furniture has enjoyed much popularity, as today’s interiors have embraced simplicity with less emphasis on creating period museum vignettes.
In fact, all of these pieces are as viable today as when they were created due to their workmanship and simple lines. The Litchfield County Antiques show was an eye opener for me. I have, throughout my career, focused on ethnographic and ancient material, however these finds were just as exciting. The folk art quality common them was greatly appealing to me.