Spring Mini Estate Sale!

I was excited to present a limited assortment of tiny treasures for auction from a miniatures collector in Spain available as part of my Spring Estate Sale which ended on Sunday, May 22 at 7pm ET on my eBay selling site. Here is a sampling of some of the items which were up for sale:

ARTISAN PRAM BY TERE MADIEDO

Artisan pram by Tere Madiedo with hand- stitched bedding featuring a metal carriage (with artist logo branding) lined in leather with lace fabric trim. The leather hood swivels, there are (real) rubber tires and metal hardware with shock absorbing hardware and rubber trim. The bedding is hand crafted with detailed trimming and includes a tiny mattress. The pram is in very good to excellent condition with no marks or scratches.

JOHN HODGSON ARM CHAIR

Expertly crafted artisan dollhouse miniature upholstered arm chair in 1/12 scale in a blue and gold demask fabric by IGMA Fellow John Hodgson (1998) measuring approx. W 2 3/8”, H 3 1/8”, D 2” and perfectly proportioned in resin. The chair is in very good condition and the fabric is color true with no pulls or runs.

FRAMED PAINTING BY CHRIS SPARROW: "VENICE"

Artisan framed dollhouse miniature paintiing in 1/12 scale by Chris Sparrow "Venice" measuring approximately 3 7/8" x 2 7/8 in very good condition with no visible marks, scratches or other imperfections.

CROCHET BLANKET/THROW BY TERE MADIEDO

Artisan crafted dollhouse miniature crochet/blanket/throw by Tere Madiedo in a brown-burghundy color with pink tones measuring 3 1/2" x 3 1/2". The piece is very lightweight and drapes perfectly and was likley made with silk threading. The piece is unsigned and in excellent condition.

LEATHER SHOES BY JUDITH BLONDELL

Leather shoes with pink/purple beads and trim by artisan Judith Blondell each measuring less than 1". The shoes are in excellent condition with visible marks, scratches or any other imperfections. There appears to be a "left" shoe and a "right" shoe created in this pair.

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Until Next Time Thank you for being a part of the

D. Thomas Miniatures Community!

#FindTheJoyInMiniatures

D. Thomas Miniatures to Host Webinar: Tips to Selling Your Adored Miniatures Saturday May 28 10am ET

Are you looking to sell your adored collection of miniatures? Join my free webinar on Saturday, May 28 at 10am ET when I will talk about all of your options if you are interested in selling your adored collection.

Perhaps you are downsizing your assortment or looking to make room for more miniatures (who knew little things take up so much space?!). Maybe you are helping a friend or family member find happy homes for their miniatures or looking to make sure that your collection is ushered into the right hands after you’ve moved on to a bigger and better mini world!

I'm excited to be sharing my knowledge of the options you have for guiding your collections to a protected and cherished home while answering as many of the questions you might have about best ways of handling your adored treasures.

While my seminar will take you through all of your options for selling your collection, you may decide to choose my services. Here is a bit more about me and my experience selling miniatures:

I’ve been a passionate about miniatures virtually my entire life. While I collect and craft miniatures as a hobby, I mostly promote and sell tiny treasures as a business. Over the years, I've developed a keen ability to connect collectors with buyers who share the same understanding of the love, dedication and hard work it takes to curate a personal collection of miniatures; I've learned how to join sellers with enthusiasts who share a common appreciation for the joy, respect and care that miniatures deserve. I’m often called a “Miniatures Empath” or the "Dollhouse Whisperer.”I'm excited to be sharing my knowledge of the options you have for guiding your collections to a protected and cherished home while answering as many of the questions you might have about best ways of handling your adored treasures.

Miniatures are so often misunderstood and dismissed as “toys” or mere “playthings” and sellers want to ensure that their estates are handled with the proper care and respect they deserve. Through the process of learning about the collectors and their collections, I find out about their specific passions, their favorite artists and where they made their discoveries. I ask questions and create an emotional connection while developing strong relationships with my clients, building trust and providing comfort in knowing that their collections will end in the right hands. Photo Above: Fall 2021 Buckalter Estate Sale)

A few years ago, I worked with the family of a miniature collector. I learned that the collector was born in Philadelphia, was the wife of a prominent businessman and that she spent over 50 years putting together her collection. I discovered that a portion of her collection was gifted and exhibited in an East Coast museum and that it appeared on the cover of a miniatures magazine.

It was terrific to meet with the granddaughter and great granddaughter to review the collection and talk about bringing it to market. They were excited to know that I would care for it as much for it as their grandmother did.

The balance of the collection consisted of, among other objects, miniature metal, pottery, flowers, and a pair of oversized, hand-crafted, antique hardwood secretaries. Through research, I found the original gallery in New York City which handled the sale of the piece and discovered that it was quite a rare object. When I began the auction, I connected with a buyer who had been looking for a similar piece for a long time and was thrilled when she discovered one had existed. She was overjoyed as the winning bidder!

More recently I connected with a woman who was handling the estate of her sister who had passed several years ago. Her sister was an avid collector with a passion for food miniatures and had commissioned and purchased an extensive assortment of fine scaled polymer clay bakery and confectionary pieces.

This included individual cakes and cookies as well as vignettes overflowing with scrumptious treasures created by artists like Mary Broaddus and Kim Saulter.

My client expressed how delighted she was that her sister’s collection would be treasured, cared for and loved as much as her sister loved them. I’m still working on finding new homes for this wonderful collection!

I do love the miniatures world but what I think I love most is how it can bring people together through a shared love of tiny objects and respect for the craft.

This is a reprint of my feature in the March 2021 issue of Dollshouse and Miniature Scene magazine.

I look forward to seeing you all at my upcoming seminar!

See you there!

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Thank you for being a part of the D. Thomas Miniatures community!

- Darren

D. Thomas Miniatures

SMALL TALK * ESTATE SALES * GALLERY

#FindTheJoyInMiniatures

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David Iriarte to Unveil New Work at the Tom Bishop Show!

Excited to learn that miniaturist David Iriarte will unveil new work at the upcoming Tom Bishop International Show which begins on Friday, April 29 at the Chicago Marriott O'Hare and ends on Sunday, May 1, 2022.

The following describes his new work, in his words, adapted from a post on Mr. Iriarte's Instagram account along with photographs used with his permission.

His latest work is a replication of a King Louis XIV Bureau Mazarin in 1/12 scale which originated in the middle of the 17th century, named in memory of Cardinal Mazarin, Louis XIV's minister and successor to Richelieu. The original can be found at The Getty Museum in Los Angeles, California.

This piece generally had rich decoration and were supported by eight legs joined together with criss-crosses in an "X" or "H" formation and is a much smaller bureau plat in size, typical of the Louis XIV-XV period, versus some which were found to be made in later.

The leg space allowed for just for one knee which forced the other leg to be left out and therefore, people had to sit slightly to the side. This was because at that time nobility always carried a sword, which could not fit under the desk and needed to be accessible. Desks made prior to this design were based on a table covered with a rich tapestry and a desk on top.

The Mazarin bureau was designed as a display piece more than for actual use. It was was made for Maximilian Emanuel, elector of Bavaria, who developed a taste for French furniture when he was exiled in Paris in the 1700s. The author of the original is unknown but attributed to Andre Charles Boulle. It was Mazarin's secretary, who recommended him to Louis XIV, as the most skillful craftsman, becoming the most famous French ebanist of marquette.

Over the centuries, his name has been associated with the art he perfected which includes the inlay of carey and brass in the ebony which is known as the Boulee technique - which created a high degree of difficulty to recreate in scale. I started it in 2002 and was interrupted by other jobs, I dare not say the number of months working on it, with ornaments in silver, marquette in brass veneers, with inlay in mother of pearl colors (blue and green) ebony and carey acetate.

The shield of arms can be seen on the countertop, and a variety of small objects including figures, birds, cupids and flower vases. The drawers are lined with red velvet.

The piece will make its debut at the Tom Bishop Chicago International Show on Friday, April 29, 2022.

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Until Next Time Thank you for being a part of the

D. Thomas Miniatures Community!

#FindTheJoyInMiniatures