A Diplomat's Divider With Images of the Sub-Sahara

Pierced Indian Room Divider $1,075 (Sale Price: $645)

Michael Riendeau and Jack Bone’s may be going out of business, but that only makes it a better time for antique enthusiasts to stop by since – with the exception of just one or two items – everything is marked down 40 percent.

This gorgeous piece is no exception and, as Riendeau explained, it comes from good stock.

“This came from a diplomat who spent most of his life working for the State Department in the East,” he said. “When he ended up retiring here, he brought back loads of treasures from the sub-Sahara regions, like this one. Obviously, the way it’s designed, it isn’t conducive to privacy, so I wouldn’t call it a dressing screen. It was more used to delineate space.”

Riendeau also said that the piece is hand-carved and hand-painted, and he believes it dates back to the 1940s. But his pal Jerry, who sits in downstairs at when owner Lou Desautles is elsewhere, begged to differ.

“I think it’s older,” he said. “By the 1940’s, they weren’t doing much hand painting like that anymore. Although it’s possible it’s from the 20th Century, I’d estimate it goes back farther – maybe to the late 1800s.”