It’s all about that glass

By ohtadmin | on December 09, 2021

A rare selenium red Steuben vase with silver overlay.

When collectors absolutely must have something, they find a way to buy it.

That's how it was for David Goldstein.

Early in their marriage, he and his late wife, Elissa, were wandering around a store in Flemington, N.J., when they saw two cut crystal boxes with the Star of David etched on the lids. The Czechoslovakian glass pair made around the 1930s cost $75. The problem the Goldsteins faced was they had only $95 in the bank.

"We struggled making a decision about them," Mr. Goldstein recalls. "The store wouldn't split them."

Almost 40 years — and countless items bought and sold — later, he still has these boxes.

"Their value is not important to me, other than the sentimental part," he states. "I don't know what they’re worth, nor do I care."

That first purchase inspired the Goldsteins to start collecting cut glass almost exclusively initially. Mr. Goldstein still has a large collection of cut and art glass, especially Carder Steuben, but he also surrounds himself with contemporary art, décor, whimseys, and Lenox.

ABOVE LEFT: David Goldstein holds a Quezal decorated opal glass pipe that is one of his favorite pieces.

While it's hard to pick a favorite, he gives prominent display to a Carder Steuben piece with three smoke-tinted ladies holding up a Bristol yellow bowl. He says there are only three known pieces like this, including one in the Corning Museum of Glass, and the women in the other two are frosted rather than tinted.

"I got this from a dealer who only dealt with other dealers," says Mr. Goldstein. "She's called a picker. She was able to get great stuff."

The couple intended to sell this, but they couldn't get the price they wanted and decided to keep it. Thirty years later, Mr. Goldstein says he enjoys looking at it every day, particularly when it sits in sunshine, as the colors change with the direct light.

Two Steuben green lamps from the 1920s sit nearby this piece, flanking a couch that boasts colorful throw pillows reminiscent of Brazilian artist Romero Britto that the Goldsteins purchased in Turkey after sifting through hundreds of options.

ABOVE: This Blonde Vivienne limited edition plate by Tom Wesselmann is among the many contemporary pieces in Mr. Goldstein's collection.

Mr. Goldstein notes that Steuben made colored glass from 1906 to 1933, and Mr. Goldstein liked these works so much they became his specialty. He helped found the Carder Steuben Club, which focuses on works by glassmaker and artist Frederick Carder and Carder Steuben glass. He served on the group's board of directors for many years.

Mr. Goldstein grew up in the Bronx and worked as computer programmer for IBM during the 1960s and later became a lawyer specializing in computer law. He and Elissa were snowbirds for 25 years, living in the Vineyards. He moved to Arbor Trace a year ago, needing to sell about half of his collection as he downsized from 3,000 square feet to 1,500.

"I got rid of cabinets’ worth of stuff," he says, noting that the larger items were Alexander Calder wall hangings, a Tom Wesselmann lithograph and a George Nakashima tea cart. "I kept the things I like to look at."

Mr. Goldstein devotes an entire cabinet to his Lenox collection. PHOTOS BY ROBIN DEMATTIA

That includes two vibrant optical pieces by Israeli sculptor Yaacov Agam that welcome guests near his front door.

"Neither of my children has the time, space or inclination to collect, but they each want one of the Agams," he shares. "It's good that I have two of them."

He has a rare selenium red Steuben perfume bottle overlayed with intricate silver designs. A matching vase is engraved "1883-1908" as an anniversary gift. "It's a pretty cool piece," he says.

He owns a purple Quezal vase that appeared in the only major exhibition of Quezal art about 25 years ago at the Museum of American Glass.

There is a delightful collection of Bimini cordial and martini glasses made by a family-owned company established in 1923 in Vienna. One glass has moving dice in the stem.

He has a Quezal decorated opal glass pipe highlighted with green that he says is one of his favorites. He initially lost this item at auction but purchased it when that collector sold it years later.

This cut glass box with the Star of David was the first piece Mr. Goldstein collected.

Mr. Goldstein says his collection of glass daggers made by various companies is "useless but fun," just like the many whimseys — items that glassmakers made for their own enjoyment — such as animals.

When the Goldsteins began spending time in Naples, they started buying and commissioning art at local festivals, bringing more contemporary and abstract pieces into their collection. The contemporary art includes a Blonde Vivienne limited edition plate by Tom Wesselmann and a piece by Victor Vasarely, considered the grandfather of optical art.

Mr. Goldstein says the hobby turned into a business by accident.

"We were at an auction," he recalls, "and I bought something not because I wanted it but because it was priced too cheap for its value. That's when I shifted from being a collector to a dealer. It's how a lot of people fund their collections."

For about 25 years, Mr. Goldstein and his wife bought vendor space in 10 to 12 shows a year.

A Steuben perfume bottle has space for an engraving.

Despite having limited space now, he still makes purchases. He recently bought two vases as well as a bronze statue that he put in his bedroom, near his collection of nude photographs and drawings.

"Collecting has been a big part of my life, and I just can't give it up totally," he says. "I am more disciplined now because I don't have much space. I try to sell at least as many things as I buy." ¦

A Steuben lamp from the 1920s has beautiful detail.

Mr. Goldstein mixes and matches antique, vintage and contemporary art.

He acquired this sea life sculpture in Alaska.

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