Seller Story
Michael Shaheen, Washington, DC
When Michael Shaheen Jr. retired from a career at the Department of Justice, he threw himself into collecting art, antiques and silver. While he’d always been interested in history and craftsmanship, his affinity for art from other cultures was deepened during his work trips to Russia, where he went as part of an advisory team to transition the country after the fall of the USSR. He returned to the US and started collecting himself; and also invested in the independent jeweler and silversmith shop that is now Alexandria and Company (formerly Lawrence Miller & Co). His son, Tim Shaheen, manages it the studio and boutique today. “Michael passed onto Tim an appreciation for craftsmanship and history that rings true to how he runs his business now,” says Meaghan Foran, Tim’s business partner and wife. “Michael loved finding an incredible piece that held within it not only a story but a detail of a craft that is often lost in modern mass-produced items. He was a natural storyteller himself and I think he appreciated it in other art forms.”
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
9'1 x 12'3 Hand-Knotted Persian Sarouk Room Sized Rug
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Danish Modern Jo Hammerborg for Fog & Mørup "Zero" PVC Pendant Light, 1972
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Gucci Tote in Floral Print Canvas and Fuchsia
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Waterford Crystal "Lismore" Liquor Decanter with Other Wine Bucket
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Pair of Rookwood Pottery Art Deco Style Ceramic Candlesticks, 2019
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Gucci Rare Vintage Gathered Two-Tone Brown Leather Shoulder Bag
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Persian Earthenware Yellow Ground and Blue Glazed Bowl
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Christian Dior Faux Pearl and Glass Clip Drop Earrings
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Mikimoto Five Pearl Quartz Wristwatch with Mother of Pearl Dial
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Tibetan Silver Filigree Box with Inlaid Ruby and Other Gemstones
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
14K Star Charm Ring
EBTH Columbus - Hilliard
Kathy Anderson Landscape Oil and Acrylic Painting Of A Rocky Shoreline, 2023
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Offset Lithograph After Bernard Buffet "Bouquet"
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Sterling Diamond Huggie Earrings with 10K Accents
Bala Cynwyd, PA
Lori Bartman Post-Modern Pottery Sculpture
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
William J. Greenwood Landscape Watercolor Painting, 1971
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Engraving After Wale and Gwynn of the Dome of St. Paul's Cathedral, London
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Bilston and Battersea Enamel Limited Edition "The Swan Lake Box"
EBTH Columbus - Hilliard
Hollywood Glam Table Lamp Featuring Chrome and Glass
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Coach Enameled Metal Daisy Purse Charms Keychains
As silver experts at Alexandria and Co. what can you tell us about some of the pieces in the sale?
The SB & Co plate with the grape motif is from Tim’s mom’s side of the family. Polly Dammann was a lawyer at the DOJ and her grandfather, Charles McLaughlin, was a famous artist. This particular plate has the initials ABCD engraved on it, which stand for Aileen Byronne Cowardin Dammann. It’s part of a larger collection of family silver that we still have and use. Tim remembers that Gorham candelabra as one of the silver items that was always on display in their home. The creamer and sugar bowl set, from the Stieff Co., the Baltimore maker that was founded in 1892 is interesting because typically they created much more ornate, repoussé-style pieces that were reflective of the greater Baltimore aesthetic at the time — the heydey of silver manufacturing. These have a simpler, “Puritan” design that makes them unique.
What about the manuscripts and Russian idols?
Michael wasn’t religious, but he was intensely interested in the personal meaning that religious artifacts held and to both the craftsman and the audience. With the manuscripts it’s a similar story. Some of them are of Ottoman descent; the Shaheens were likely Ottoman. His dad was Lebanese, so I think he wanted to collect and appreciate pieces from his family’s ancestral land.
What about the watercolors?
If Michael came across a painting he liked, he had no hesitations buying it. He always took time while traveling to seek out local artists and bring home art that was emblematic of the place. The column painting, for example, was purchased in Italy from a local artist. Tim remembers their living room walls were completely covered in art. Michael even contemplated a ceiling mural for their home!