Once again, AOL manipulated what I typed as our address by inserting www. and it rejected. Re-sending. Jeri
From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Sent: 11/2/2018 1:11:22 PM Eastern Standard Time Subject: Auction Policy in France Regarding Art Treasures Dear Arachne subscribers, Lace expert, Laurie Waters of New Mexico, shared an auction phenomenon with subscribers to her Lace News Blog recently that can be an interesting topic of conversation at your dinner table tonight. There was a huge lace auction at Drouot, in Paris, on October 24th, which included many laces owned by the late Margaret Simeon of England. Simeon was author of The History of Lace, 1979, and collected lace for at least 40 years. I printed the auction offerings from the on-line catalog, to go with Simeon's book (for future researchers), so have established at least one special record on paper. (I'd prefer a version with the amounts actually realized!) Laurie reported there were just two telephone bidders for an Alençon veil, but when the hammer went down a representative from the Alençon Museum of Fine Arts and Lace in the room stood up and announced that they were buying the piece. This was due to the French law of preemption - once a price has been decided at auction a state museum has the right to step in and buy at that price. This, of course, is fair warning that you should not go to great expense traveling to any auction in person to acquire an extraordinary lace item. At the least, not to France! Laces in retail shops in Bruges this past August were extremely expensive, because the supply available is scarce. Belgian laces were exported, so the few remaining are priced accordingly. Americans can buy quality European laces stateside - from our known and respected lace dealers. It is possible to shop in IOLI convention sales rooms. Dealers may be able to tell you from whom they acquired an antique lace (provenance). Items that should be in museum collections rarely surface, so think logically before spending. It is always best to examine both sides of an old lace in person because your fingers will tell you a lot, as well as your eyes. When people come here to see laces, I ask them to wash their hands instead of putting on gloves, so they can experience how various laces feel. Example: There is a difference between point de Venise and Irish crochet, though to the untrained eye they may seem alike. I want them to experience how a 200-yr.-old hanky edged in Valenciennes lace responds to being dropped in a flirtatious gesture. There is always more to learn. Jeri Ames in Maine USALace and Embroidery Resource Center - To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [email protected]. For help, write to [email protected]. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
