Philadelphia Antiques Show 2016_

W 123 W From the Collection of… From the Collection of… Peter Eaton Peter Eaton Antiques, Newbury, MA CHINESE SETTEE I bought this settee almost 25 years ago—one of the first pieces of Chinese furniture that I acquired—and one that led to our current collection of about 50 pieces. It had the undisturbed old lacquer surface that I liked, but what really intrigued me was the way the maker had dealt with the problem of fitting three chair crest rails into a single unit. It’s clearly a vernacular piece, made of elm, probably in Shanxi Province in the last half of the 18th century—and obviously has seen a lot of use. While there are triple-backed settees pictured in several books on English and Continental furniture, none are pictured in any of the numerous books published on Chinese furniture, and none of the Chinese dealers who have seen it in our home have ever seen another. I bought it because I responded to its form and surface—its rarity is a nice bonus! Amy Finkel M. Finkel & Daughter, Philadelphia, PA Milton Avery, 1947 Watercolor on Paper While my husband and I have never been collectors, we did have a tradition of turning to purchases of art on certain occasions—when we became engaged, I opted for a painting over a diamond ring. So when in 1981 a particular investment that my husband had made resulted in a windfall profit, he decided he’d buy himself a very nice new car and asked if there was a purchase that I would like to make. I still had no interest in jewelry or a fur coat. We returned to the Makler Gallery, where we had bought my engagement gift, visited its show of Milton Avery watercolors, and I made my selection—this splendid painting that happens to be double-sided, with a landscape on the reverse. It has hung in our living room since then and we both enjoy it every day. His car only lasted ten years.