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Norfolk Avenue is fast becoming the place to explore, as shops like Material Culture and Aubergine and the latest in slambang eateries like Rock Bottom Brewery opens up. But there's one quiet spot on Norfolk that has drawn cognoscenti to its treasures for almost a decade: Carole A. Berk, Ltd, at 8020 Norfolk Ave [Now located at 4918 Fairmont Avenue, Bethesda, MD]. Up a short flight of steps behind an unassuming gray awning is a fascinating cache of vintage jewelry in perfect condition, glowing glass vases of intense colors and unusual furniture that spans the century. There is brilliantly painted vintage British and American pottery by Clarice Cliff, Keith Murray and Charlotte Rhead, a large collection of antique Mexican silver with pre-Columbian themes from the famed workshops of William Spratling and overflowing display cases of vintage copper and sometimes whimsical costume jewelry. There are surprising, funky things too, like wooden Mickey Mouse plaques from the 1930's, which at $225 a set seem too valuable to put in a child's room, and porcelain parrots that were once ads for Guinness Ale and now sell for $275 each. It's an eclectic mix that reflects the particular eye of Carole Berk, a Bethesda resident who started out as a collector of late 1920's pottery of Clarice Cliff and ended up as a dealer nationally known for her encyclopedic knowledge. "I have wonderful things I happen to like," says Berk, 56, who typically wears silver hairpins and bracelets from her personal collection of silver by Spratling, an American architect who single-handedly launched the Mexican silver market in the 1930's and who is one of her favorite designers. The prices of many of the pieces reflect their rarity: A four-piece, French silver men's dressing set from the 1920s goes for $3,500; a pair of exquisitely opalescent antique vases by Stevens and Williams for $1,200; vintage women's purses made of alligator, snake, lizard and crushed velvet from $100 to $900. Berk has no competition in the Washington area, she said, because no other gallery specializes in her particular mix of artisans. "No one else has the collection I have," she said. "She has a good reputation. I don't know of anybody who has better inventory than hers." said Greg Kuharic, vice president for 19th and 20th century works of art at the international auction house, Southeby's in New York City. Kuharic said he often refers collectors looking for special pieces to Berk. Museums including the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, also buy from Berk, but she said her customer list includes department store moguls, famous California entertainers and national newscasters who earn in the six and seven figures. Such people also divest themselves of their overflowing display cases from time to time and their prized goods go back on the market. That's how a delicate, embroidered kimono jacket hanging from a chair at Berk's shop - with a $600 price tag - came from Barbra Streisand's huge Art Deco and Art Nouveau collection that was auctioned through Christie's in 1994. Berk also picked up a tiny, exquisite Galle ladies' desk from the collection of British rock star Elton John that was auctioned in London. The desk goes for $28,000. Visiting Berk's gallery is like going to a fine museum - but without the sterility and security guards that so often bestow a locked-away feel. Instead, there's an inviting, casual disarray throughout, so that visitors view the objects almost as they were in an informal home. The only clue to the high price of many goods is that people must be buzzed in and security cameras hover at the door. Berk, who has a teaching degree, was originally a plant decorator who got hooked on 20th century pottery in the 1980s, soon developing a large collection. She found she had a flair for retailing and soon became a dealer. She is now so knowledgeable in such areas as Mexican jewelry that she has co-authored with Penny Morrill the definitive book on the topic, "Mexican Silver," a 270-page tome that sells for $60. Berk travels the country to show her collection at antique shows every few months. But ever a teacher, she puts out a newsletter about four times a year, where she answers serious questions about silver and other objects as she seeks to educate her clientele. Married to the developer Maurice Berk and the grandmother of five, Berk jokes that her work satisfies her need for shopping. But she said she derives satisfaction from placing her treasures with people who love them. "I'm much more excited about finding something for a collection rather than for myself." |
