Things I Didn't Buy at the Miami Antiques Show

Yesterday (Tuesday Feb. 3) was the last day of the Miami Beach Antique Show, so I walked over to take a look, since we're staying nearby the Miami Convention Center where it was held.  It's billed as the World's Largest Indoor Antique Show, and they weren't kidding.  It took me hours just to walk up and down all the aisles.    At first I passed by cases holding jewelry--acres of gold and diamonds and very fancy china.  I've never been very interested in jewelry, unless it's sort of weird or bizarre--like tribal jewelry or Victorian mourning jewelry made out of the hair of the dear departed.  I also knew before I got there that almost everything in the convention center would be way out of my price range. But I did encounter some very interesting antiques that I photographed, so that I could share them with you.

This very large object was described on the ticket as a "Skull Rocking Chair" made of carved wood.  If it fits with your home decor, you could buy it for $28,000.

This life-sized feminine figure is made by a contemporary artist named Leo Sewell.   Sometimes called "junk sculpture", his works of art are composed of objects that might have been picked up out of the trash.  I walked all around her and noticed that she includes things like baby pacifiers, a small camera, all kinds of colorful plastic stuff.  Evidently art collectors and Hollywood figures like Sylvester Stallone love Mr. Sewell's work.  I did ask the price of "Lady in a Chair", but now I can't remember if it was $20,000 or $10,000--I just know that it was cheaper than the Skull Rocking Chair but way too expensive for me.  Here's a photo of the lady from the side.

 Further on, I noticed this larger than life-sized bear in uniform, but didn't even ask the price, just snapped his picture.

A few aisles farther on I was irresistibly drawn this taller-than-me man holding a drill like a gun.

The young man whose booth it was told me that he didn't know who was the sculptor, but this fellow was half of a pair of figures made out of papier maché and that I could have both him and his lady for only $4,000, with free delivery.  I declined, because I didn't have room for them, but if you want them, I believe the seller was Roben Tala of Solomon Trreasures.  Here's the lady.

On my way out of the Miami Antique Show I took a photo of the large figure below that resembles antique fashion dolls (which were much smaller.  I'm calling it a "Pope Doll" and have no idea of its price or purpose.

But I did buy one thing before leaving the antiques show--the photo below of three jaunty soldiers drinking and smoking. (Please excuse the flash reflection.)   It  was labelled "Austro-Hungary, circa 1900" and I paid much less than the $38.00 price on it because--well it was the end of the last day of the show.  I'm going to have fun researching it.

Looking at the objects that drew my attention, I realize that I'm attracted to depictions of the human figure--which is  also true of my paintings. I've never been interested in painting a landscape if there's no sign of a person in it. And that's probably also why I love collecting and researching antique photographs.   Even if I can't afford the skull rocker or the papier maché couple, I still had a good time at the antique show.