The Merrin Gallery – The New York Observer

In recent news, the Merrin Gallery was featured on The New York Observer’s list of veteran NYC galleries. Among several notorious galleries of midtown Manhattan, the Merrin Gallery on 724 Fifth Avenue was the only one specializing in ancient art:

The [Merrin] gallery dates back nearly 40 years and, pretty much, if you were a museum and you wanted a classical Greek or Roman statue, pre-Columbian relic or even a mummy during that period, you bought it here from Edward Merrin. Client museums included the Met, Brooklyn, the Getty and the Louvre. In the past decade, hot-button repatriation issues have quieted (though far from ended) collecting in this market, but the gallery, now run by Samuel Merrin, still has among the richer assortments of antiquities of any dealer in the area. Ask to see the secret cabinet behind the revolving wall.

The Tale of Edward Merrin

As recently posted about Sam’s father, Edward Merrin, there is a new public article detailing the birth of the Merrin Gallery as the leader for ancient and pre-Columbian art:

Edward Merrin’s destiny changed on his honeymoon. Taking his bride, Vivian, to Mexico, Edward was introduced to the wonders of pre-Columbian art. At first, he utilized ancient figurines as display props in his family’s jewelry store showroom, but eventually, the Edward H. Merrin Gallery was born as an independent business in the mid-1960s. Edward’s voracity, his appreciation for pre-Columbian aesthetics, and his “eye” led to his status as a true connoisseur…

Continue reading at: Edward Merrin and the Origins of the Gallery.

Roundup: Summer at The Merrin Gallery

With the summer long gone, it’s a good time to recap some of the major happenings for The Merrin Gallery and owner Sam Merrin. At the forefront of it all there were three new acquisitions, of fine ancient art:

1. An ancient Egyptian funerary figurine (early July)
2. A portrait head from ancient Peru (mid-July)
3. Another ancient Egyptian piece—limestone relief (late July)

A new season is approaching, so bookmark this blog or subscribe to get instant updates on all future events at The Merrin Gallery.