Gary Germer & Assoc. Blog

Psst...We Can't Keep the Secret Anymore! Special Announcement!

 

We’ve been hard at work here at the Gary Germer & Associates headquarters.  We hinted that we had some exciting news to share and the time has come let you in on the secret…

Gary Germer & Associates Estate Gallery has received a makeover! 

Our new Estate Gallery has nearly doubled in size, which will accommodate more fine art displayed on our new walls, antique treasures in our showcase displays, as well a greatly expanded jewelry collection cultivated by world-renowned jewelry aficionado Sol Varon.

Sol Varon owned and operated Oregon Antique Jewelry on 3^rd and Alder, in Portland, OR for over 26 years.  Sol was the first person, in the Portland area, to have a business devoted soley to fine antique jewelry.  He was known for impeccable customer relations, often anticipating his clients’ needs and setting aside the perfect gift in advance.  Sol currently resides in Tel Aviv Israel but returns to Portland several times a year to run his business, which is now located at our Estate Gallery shop!  Sol is a legend in the jewelry world and we are pleased to partner with him in bringing you an amazing collection of antique jewelry. 

We’ve also expanded our hours of operation at the Estate Gallery, allowing more time for you to shop our frequently changing collections.  Although we are still putting on the finishing touches, we’ll have a soft opening of our shop in the coming weeks.  If you’re in the neighborhood please stop by and say hello!  Our GRAND REOPENING will coincide with the Pearl Districts First Thursday on June 7^th.  More details of this not-to-be-missed event are coming soon. 

We look forward to being the place you choose for fine art, antiques and jewelry!

 

A New Collection of Old Teco Pottery!

Your friends at Gary Germer & Associates are thrilled to be offering you the opportunity to own some pieces from an extensive Teco Pottery collection that we recently had the privilege to receive. Each piece is finished in the highly desirable matte green glaze that Teco is so famous for. The pieces are in superb condition but you don't have to take our word for it. You can inspect each piece online in our Ruby Lane Shop here: Gary Germer & Associates: Teco Pottery Collection or in person at our Estate Gallery located at 1016 NW 17^th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97209 between Lovejoy and Marshall. We are open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 4pm or by appointment.

For those of you that aren’t very familiar with Teco (an abbreviation of TErra COtta) Art Pottery, it was produced from 1899 through 1920 by the American Terra Cotta and Ceramics Company, located in Terra Cotta, Illinois. W. D. Gates, a lawyer by training, founded the company in order to capitalize on the need for architectural terra cotta used in constructing fire-proof buildings following the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.

During slower work periods, the company started producing a line of art pottery, becoming famous for their groundbreaking modern designs. There are about 500 different Teco shapes, whose forms can be categorized as architectural, organic or classical. We are offering 18 of these shapes for sale for a limited time. Gates himself designed about half the shapes, with other pieces created by such notable designers as Fritz Albert, William Mundie, Fernand Moreau and Frank Lloyd Wright. Please enjoy the photos to follow. They are just a sampling of what you’ll find in our online store.

For questions, call us at (503) 235-0946.

Danish Modern Teakwood Flip Top Desk by Jens Quistgaard for Lovig Dansk

We've just listed an amazing piece of Danish modern furniture. We hate to sell it! Check it out here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120764427401

 

SOLD! SOLD! SOLD!

Fit for Napoleon's backside!

This week, your fabulous friends at Gary Germer and Associates bring you this exquisite French Empire chair made around the time of the Third French Republic, 1870. Renowned French architects Charles Percier and Pierre Francois Leonard Fontaine originally designed this chair in 1812 for Napoleon I. This particular chair was made later for the court of Napoleon III, nephew of Napoleon I. Percier and Fontaine, who were reportedly lovers (gasp!), were among the founders and principal exponents of the neoclassic Empire style and the primary architects for the court of Napoleon and Josephine. This chair is constructed out of rosewood and decorated with gilt bronze mountings in the shapes of suns, hunting dogs, and griffins. Our example was reupholstered but the original covering, of which we have a piece, was done in silk fabric with gold thread bumblebees. Bumblebees were Napoleon’s symbol.

Of course, we had hoped we had an original Napoleon I example! This chair so closely resembles the original designs shown in Percier and Fontaine’s book titled Recueil de decorations interieures (1801 and 1812; “Collection of Interior Decoration”), but we believe we have a slightly later example because of the type of ormolu mountings attached to the chair. We’ve had three separate experts look at it, including Sotheby’s in New York, and we all agree it’s from the era of Napoleon III.

This chair screams out to have its original fabric upholstery replicated so that it can be restored back to its early magnificence! Structurally, the chair is in really fine condition and all of the ormolu is present. Contact us if you’d like more information. Watch this site for weekly updates regarding unique finds, musings, and tips on caring for your treasured items!