Can you guess the purpose of this mysterious artifact? Today for #WhatIsItWednesday, the blogosphere turns an investigative eye to cryptic objects, past and present, but the exact use of this relic has eluded scholars for centuries. We know that this Early Iron Age Luristan bronze is a finial, an ornament used to mark the […]
Tonight is Halloween, an evening seemingly reserved for drunken debauchery. Yet, like many light-hearted cultural rituals, Hallowe’en, or All Hallows’ Eve, has somber roots. Actually a contraction of the term “hallowed evening,” Halloween likely originated in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (“summer’s end”), held around October 31 at the end of the harvest season […]
The writer W.H. Valentine once wrote “There is nothing more fascinating than collecting coins, all history is summed up in them…they are the story of humanity.” The story of humanity: for many, this is the romance of antique coins–unlike many other relics of the past, ancient coins can pass through so many hands, great and […]
Airplane Figure with Six Places for Cigars, silverplate, America, 1960s. 14″ x 8″ Sooky Goodfriend Gallery. Father’s Day is coming up Sunday, June 15, but it’s hard to deny that men get the short end of the stick when it comes to parental celebrations. Following Mother’s Day both in the calendar year and in its […]
We regularly add new treasures to the-maac.com, curated from our galleries’ standing and recent acquisitions. We’ve decided to spotlight some of the most fascinating new art and antiques in our regular blog feature series “NEW Vintage & Antique Finds.” In this post, we feature a series of beautiful weaponry, ranging from 20th century European steel […]
There may be a decided chill in the air this month, but November is also the month of changing fall colors, showcased so beautifully in Gustav Baumann’s “Road of the Morning,” and the start of the holiday season. This month, we feature festive decorations for the home and for yourself for this season of entertaining. […]
This month, check out Tuck Gaisford’s haunting photographic exhibition “Hang Fire,” exhibited in Gallery #30 (Main Concourse of The Manhattan Art & Antiques Center) until July 31, 2013, and see our latest funky, fun objet d’art on our New Items page.
Roman glass jar, globular bowl, Israel, circa 2nd century AD, Palmyra Heritage. “You will excuse me for what I am about to say: I prefer glass vessels. Certainly, they don’t smell and, if they weren’t so fragile, I would prefer them to gold. These days, however, they are cheap,” a wealthy character tells his guests […]
A rose that blooms forever. Sterling silver, Cartier, France, 1990s. Leah Gordon Gallery. Of the many origin myths of Valentine’s Day, the most popular by far is that of Saint Valentinus, an early Christian saint put to death for performing marriages for young soldiers at a time when it was forbidden. According to one legend, […]
Stained glass and wood window panel, Iran, 18th-19th century. From Anavian Gallery. For our last post of 2012, we’re taking a look back at some of our favorite antiques and works of art we’ve featured on the-maac.com over the past year. With over 100 galleries and 60+ dealers, we can only skim the surface of […]