Going into the fifth year of the Nantucket Summer Antiques Show, put on by the Antiques Council, there is still excitement over many unique items for sale. Each year, visitors look forward to browsing one-of-a-kind pieces while also enjoying the traditional Preview Party and Sunday Morning Sip and Shop. However, this year brings change, and collectors can expect a virtual experience due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The Sip and Shop has been canceled, but the Preview Party, held on July 30, will be on view through the website. “Normally there’s a band and there’s a ticketed price to get into the party, but this year’s challenges have us offering a virtual preview instead,” says David Bernard, liaison for the Antiques Council. “Although we still have to iron out details, we’re just hoping to generate interest in the sale that happens the following days.”
Guy Carleton Wiggins (1883-1962), Wall Street Winter. Oil on board, 12 x 16 in., signed; signed and titled verso. Courtesy Rehs Galleries.
Approximately 40 dealers from all over the world will be contributing work ranging from ancient Chinese sculpture from Lotus Gallery, midcentury furniture from William Cook Antiques, 19th- and early-20th-century paintings from Rehs Galleries and a light sprinkling of modern finds. Dealers are allotted a percentage of modern work, so long as they aren’t mass-produced and can meet show standards.
“There’s quite the wide variety,” says Bernard. “There’s a dealer from England [Callaghan Fine Paintings] with otter and tortoise bronze sculptures that are really fun. There’s also some great porcelain pottery and glass work. Everything is such great quality that we and the dealer stand behind.”
Daniel Ridgway Knight (1839-1924), Maria Gathering Flowers. Oil on canvas, 26 x 21½ in., signed and inscribed ‘Paris’. Courtesy Rehs Galleries.
Edouard Leon Cortes (1882-1969), Rue Royale, Place de la Concorde. Oil on canvas, 13 x 18 in, signed. Courtesy Rehs Galleries.
A few notable American paintings from Rehs Galleries are Wall Street Winter by Guy Carleton Wiggins, NYSE Red, White and Blue by Mark Laguë and Maria Gathering Flowers by Daniel Ridgway Knight. Another distinctive painting is Ptolemaic Theory by Japanese artist Mitsuru Watanabe, depicting a young girl surrounded by whimsical, surreal imagery.
Although the Antiques Show usually welcomes around 1,200 guests to its five-day event, Bernard feels confident that it will still be well received through a virtual platform. “I think that people who normally come to the show will still be interested in the experience and will buy,” he says. “I know how I scroll on the internet out of boredom all the time these days, and people will still be looking for quality antiques.” 
A pair of George II style carved and gilded console tables, ca. 1900-20, 32 ½ x 36 x 16 in. Courtesy William Cook Antiques.
Virtual sales are open July 31 through August 3. Buyers will be able to contact dealers directly for questions and purchases. Make sure to visit the website for sales and event information. The show is also closely associated with the Nantucket Historical Association’s Nantucket By Design and will partner with them again this year. —
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