Fall 2009: Personal Property Seminars

The American Society of Appraisers in cooperation with the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, RI will offer two daylong seminars in the school's continuing education Appraisal Studies in Art + Antiques certificate program. Shirley Sue Swaab, ASA of ASA's Philadelphia Chapter will be the instructor for both seminars.

• Thursday, September 10, 2009: Ivory and Its Look-A-Likes
• Friday, September 11, 2009: Identifying Ceramics: Hard Paste Porcelain, Soft Paste Porcelain, Creamware, Pearlware, Stoneware and Faience

Ms. Swaab, who is celebrated for teaching by using examples, will employ over 100 pieces of ivory and ceramics during the two daylong seminars. For more information, call 215-635-2260.

May: Ivory and Its Look-A-Likes

The Philadelphia ASA Chapter will sponsor an all-day hands-on seminar in which participants will learn to distinguish Ivory and Its Look-A-Likes on Friday, May 16, 2008 from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm at the Historic Joseph Ambler Inn at 1005 Horsham Rd, North Wales, PA 19454  . Instructor Shirley Sue Swaab, ASA, who is a member of the International Ivory Society, has appeared at museums and historical societies from New Jersey to Florida, from Washington, DC to California. Her hallmark is the use of items from her own collections to create hands-on presentations.

Ms. Swaab will use the morning session of Ivory and Its Look-A-Likes to explain the basics of ivory identification. The afternoon session will be devoted to hands-on identification of ivory, real and fake, from over 150 samples. Participants may bring in their own samples for examination, and should come equipped with a magnifying glass.

This hands-on seminar costs $175 for ASA, AAA, and ISA members, $195 otherwise, and includes Continental breakfast, lunch, and morning and afternoon snack breaks. The program qualifies for 7 hours of ASA Continuing Education Credit. For more information and to register, please view the seminar brochure, then call Ms. Swaab at 215-635-2260.