TALKING ANTIQUES
BARBARA ISRAEL GARDEN ANTIQUES David Pullen Georgian Sundial
This nineteenth-century carved stone sundial, purchased at an estate auction in Tipperary, Ireland, in October 2019, is an example of the lengths we’ll go to procure pieces we love. At the time of pickup, we learned it was cemented into the ground. “You’ll need a mason,” said the auction house, casually. Quite miraculously, we found mason Philip Quinn, who, upon inspection, determined the job would cost a handsome sum. After much haggling, the auction house decided to do the noble thing and pay for removal. Sadly, that victory launched a battle with the new owner of the house, who objected to any digging on his lawn. It was February before it was out of the ground and safely stored at Mr. Quinn’s. But then, all shipping came to a halt due to COVID-19. Happily, it is now scheduled to arrive in New York in January 2021, just in time for The Winter Show.
— Eva Schwartz
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