Since 1981 the San FranciscoFall Antiques Show?s previewparty has been one of thecity’s fizziest social events.Lately, the fair itself—the 27thedition of which is to be heldOctober 23 through 25 underthe new direction of KimberlyBakker?has raised its profile.With its roster of such localdealers as Foster-Gwin andPeter Pap Oriental Rugs,as well as international participantslike Belgium’s AxelVervoordt and SteinitzGallery, of Paris, the show isan increasingly essential stopfor American collectors.Last year, the organizersbegan allowing 20th-centurypieces to be incorporatedinto the mix. Taking advantageof these new rules, theSan Francisco–basedJohn Berggruen Gallery isshowcasing the Americanpainter Charles Burchfield?s1965–66 watercolor TheDistant Boom of Thunder.

Unsurprisingly, though,antiques remain the fair’sfocus. A pair of 18th-centuryPiedmontese tole balustervases are on offer for$275,000 at KentshireGalleries, of New York.Meanwhile, Michael James,whose London-based SilverFund just opened a shopin the city by the bay, is bringinga rare 1927 fish dish withcover by Harald Nielsen?Georg Jensen?s chiefdesigner in the 1930s and’40s—for $295,000."Old and New" originally appeared in the October 2008 issue of Art+Auction. For a complete list of articles from this issue available on ARTINFO, see Art+Auction's October 2008 Table of Contents.