“What does this mean for the business at large? And for people with taste?” Colin Stair rhetorically asks, not long after AD PRO reaches him by phone. He’s not, of course, speaking of Stair Galleries’ John Rosselli auction, which kicks off tomorrow. That, with its phenomenal array or furnishings and decorative objects, all listed at relatively reasonable prices, is if anything a momentary boon for the industry. Instead, he’s referring to the fact that so many design and antiques stores—like that of the legendary John Rosselli—are closing their doors. “It’s an interesting moment in antique dealing history in America,” he adds. “Having a sale like this is satisfying, but I have mixed feelings, I guess.”
Rosselli, at 94, has served as a singular source on the Upper East Side, while helping to train generations of designers. His famously good aesthetic sense has also long been on view in the homes he shares with his wife, AD100 Hall of Fame designer Bunny Williams. And while Stair himself might have more questions than answers when it comes to the current state of the antiques industry, he feels certain of a few other things.
For starters, the forthcoming sale is chock-full of excellent examples of early-20th-century blue-and-white china. “He was, after all, Mr. Blue-and-White,” Stair adds with a slight laugh, referring to Rosselli. Stair also believes firmly in the excellence of Rosselli’s taste. “Before, I probably took some of that for granted,” he concedes. “[But] what a salable eye. I could see kicking something out of your house to make room for his pieces. This stuff just fits everywhere.”
Indeed. It seems that Rosselli would have to agree. Just the other day, he and Williams stopped by Stair Galleries in Hudson to see how Colin and Co. had exhibited the objects. (Although the auction will be staged online, a full installation has been erected, which interested buyers have been able to visit in accordance with social distancing guidelines.) “John was happy to buy everything back again,” Stair jovially comments. He notes too that considering the fact that the lots included in the auction were selected by himself and Angus Wilkie of Cove Landing, Rosselli’s reaction was the “highest compliment.”
Rosselli and Williams were both, he adds, “easy-breezy to deal with” throughout the process. And for Stair, it’s brilliant individuals such as this pair who have always made his job so enjoyable. “The interesting people in this, getting to know them, for me that’s really where it’s at,” he comments. “This is really a nice culmination for me, and also an honor.”
Further evidence that Rosselli truly is the consummate collector.
Photo: Courtesy of Stair Galleries
