In defiance of a blizzard that paralyzed New York, devoted ceramic aficionados turned out in droves for the 15th edition of The New York Ceramics Fair when it opened its doors on the evening of January 21 at the Bohemian National Hall. Champagne flowed to keep spirits warm, and the 29 dealers transacted business at a steady pace during the opening and throughout the five-day run of the show.

Attending the fair were curators from a number of prominent museums including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Brooklyn Museum of Art, The Mount Vernon Museum, The Newark Museum, The Corning Museum, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Cincinnati Art Museum, the Bedford Museum, Historic Arkansas Museum, The Saint-Louis Museum, The Washington and Lee University Museum, Winterthur, Historic Deerfield Museum, Yale University Art Museum, Colonial Williamsburg and Museum of Art & Design attended the fair.

Among the notables who attended were Mario Buatta, Kitty Hawks, Alexa Hampton, David Scott, Marcy Masterson, Christopher Spitzmiller, Ralph Harvard, Harry Heissmann, Maureen Footer, Geoffrey Bradfield, Adrienne Neff, Alan Wanzenberg, Geoffrey Bradfield, and Glenn Adamson.

“Even with snow, it was business as usual,” said Liz Lees. “Certainly we would have preferred better weather, but those who braved the cold were able to see and purchase a veritable treasure trove of amazing objects. This fair engenders loyalty among ceramic lovers, and they will come out rain or shine.”

“I was delighted with the enthusiastic response from collectors and interior designers,” said veteran fair producer Meg Wendy, who teamed up with Liz Lees for the first time to produce The New York Ceramics Fair. “Despite the weather, we had outstanding attendance with numbers up everyday.”

Among the reported sales were:

“The fair was an ideal way to connect with decorative art and design professionals and a perfect setting for collectors to explore connections between the present and the past,” said Leslie Ferrin of Ferrin Contemporary. “Modern ceramics were well received and easy to see amongst the works that inspired many of these contemporary artists.” Ms. Ferrin reported that the Paul Scott's series "American Scenery" was well received by museums and private collectors with over 10 works were sold, 2 of which went to The Brooklyn Museum and The Newark Museum.  Sales included Scott's Cumbrian Blue(s), American Scenery, Hudson River, Indian Point, Inglaze decal collage, gold luster on J&G Meakin Ironstone platter c. 1850; American Scenery, Toll New Jersey Tpke; Inglaze decal collage, gold luster, on Richard Alcock Ironstone platter c. 1875,  and Scott's Cumbrian Blue(s), American Scenery, Philadelphia; Inglaze decal collage, gold luster on feather edged Pearlware plate c. 1830.

“Even though the weather was not kind to us, we had an excellent fair,” said Alan Kaplan, co-owner of Leo Kaplan Ltd. “We made sales in all of our areas including two rare pieces, a Toby jug and a pottery dovecote, both 18th century Wedgwood and Wedgwood Fairyland Lustre, English porcelain, English cameo glass and paperweights. Many of the usual collectors and museum curators came in spite of the weather. The show’s drawing power is as strong as ever.”

John Howard from Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England, who has been with the Ceramics Fair since its inception, said sales reached expectations. “This is my favorite fair of the year,” he said. “I sold objects to six collectors whom I met for the first time, as well to two museums.” Among the items that found buyers were a massive Staffordshire spaniel and significant amounts of creamware, lusterware, 19th-century pearlware figure groups, early Prattware figures and early 18th-century ceramics from British potters.

Mark West from Redhill, Surrey, England, sold 10 Val Saint Lambert Art Deco colored vases, as well 12 sets of opaque twist glass flutes from England, circa 1765, and eight opaque twist wines England, circa 1770.

A salt-glaze basket offered by Earle D. Vandekar of Knightsbridge was snapped up by The Colonial Williamsburg Museum.

Santos London had numerous sales throughout the run of the fair, including a pair of porcelain Chinese export vases, a porcelain Chinese export cup and saucer, several French porcelain cups and saucers, a 15-inch porcelain charger and a pair of plates from a Rockefeller dinner service.

Master potter Cliff Lee, whose ceramics can be found in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Smithsonian and the White House, said that he sold a lychee-nut covered lava jar, two yellow prickly melons to private collectors, and a yellow prickly melon to interior designer Kitty Hawks.

Martyn Edgell Antiques from Cambridgeshire, England, sold an anti-slavery plate to The Washington & Lee University Museum, a salt-glazed teapot, circa 1720, to The Williamsburg Museum, as well as a creamware tankard and scent bottle and mocha-ware to collectors.

London’s Roderick Jellicoe reported that he sold an 18th- century Worcester porcelain, and his rare bow 18th century English centerpiece went to a collector.

Garry Atkins from London was pleased to report that he made sales to several East Coast museums. There was also great enthusiasm for his Portuguese faience blackware bowl with Jacobite interest.

At Katherine Houston, a collector snapped up a stunning gourd decorated with organic motifs and inspired by the 18th-century lacquered panels in the Ca’ Rezzonico Museum in Venice.

Delftware attracted the eyes of serious collectors, curators and interior designers at Rodney Wooley Ceramics of London. 

At Moylan/Smelkinson a collector bought Stuart-period crystal jewelry, circa 1650, and an early-memorial crystal piece, while at at Kinghams Art Pottery, Martin Brothers face jugs went to a new collector.

Based in Carlisle, Pa., Ian Simmonds, an expert in glass made or used in America prior to the Civil War, sold a covered compote, or sweetmeat, manufactured in New York City circa 1850-60 to a private collector.

The contemporary ceramicist John Pagliaro had an outstanding first show and sold several of his pinched pots and other works.

Philip Suval, Inc. sold across the board and The Stradlings reported sales of several major pieces as well.

Next year’s New York Ceramics Fair will open to the public on January 21, 2015 at the Bohemian National Hall,321 East 73rd Street, in New York.