CERAMICS FURNITURE JEWELLERY INTERIORS FINE ART PRINTS CLOCKS
ANTIQUE
COLLECTING ANTIQUE COLLECTING
Plus:
VOL 53 N0. 2
WORLDWIDE 9 BROCANTES TO DISCOVER
JUNE/JULY 2017
WHY PICTURE FRAMES ARE BACK IN STYLE
JUNE/JULY 2017
Summer LONDON FAIRS
Exclusive Your essential guide of what not to miss
AN INSIDER’S GUIDE TO TRIBAL ART
COLLECTING JANE AUSTEN 200 YEARS ON
ALSO INSIDE Saleroom Spotlight• Lots to watch • Specialist advice
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FIRST WORD
In this issue
Welcome
to this month’s bumper June and July issue, dedicated – in part – to this summer’s sparkling London antiques fairs. We have pages of previews, including spotlights on individual dealers, as well as expert advice from some of the many specialists attending. If you are anything like me, it’s very easy to feel overawed by the grandeur of the London fairs. Hobnobbing with Hollywood ‘A’ listers is a long way from scrabbling through a box of assorted china at my local auctioneers. But, take heart, it happens to the vey best, as BBC Antiques Roadshow expert Marc Allum attests to on page 72. His advice, to fair goers who haven’t got £½m in their back pockets? Make the most of the dealers on hand, all of whom will be happy to chat about their areas of expertise – regardless of your spending power. I don’t know if you heard the dandy designer Laurence Llewelyn Bowen on Radio 4 recently? He was lamenting bland Scandinavian design that for so long has dislodged pattern, antiques and a tradition from British homes. While Laurence berated his teenage daughter for her love of a well-known Swedish furniture company, Nick Carter from Lots Road Auctioneers went a step further. He believes our love of Scandi minimalism dates from the time of New Labour and the trend towards globalism and its design philosophy. Now, with Brexit on the cards, we are retreating to the traditional styles of yesteryear. He has noticed a slowing down in sales of Scandi style, in favour of an increased interest in 18th and 19th-century antiques. It’s an interesting debate and one taken up by Edd Thomas on page 24. Elsewhere in the magazine, on page 42, we discover what effect the 200th anniversary of the death of Jane Austen will have on collecting her work; we have a guide to collecting Lowry prints on page 13 and, on page 26, we go behind the scenes with one of the UK’s leading collectors of tribal art. We also welcome the well-known face of Charles Hanson from BBC’s Bargain Hunt as our latest columnist on page 29. Enjoy the issue.
MARK LITTLER
puts Lowry prints in the spotlight
CATHERINE SOUTHON
on her life as an auctioneer
CHARLES HANSON
joins our panel of columnists
Georgina
Georgina Wroe, Editor
PS We have a great subscription offer on page 57. New subscribers can save 50 percent of the cost of the magazine and receive a copy of every collector’s essential reference book Jackson’s Silver and Gold Marks for free.
MICHAEL JEFFERY
on Burmantofts faience pottery
We love
KEEP IN TOUCH Write to us at ACC Publishing Group, Sandy Lane, Old Martlesham, Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP12 4SD, or email magazine@accpublishinggroup. com. Visit the website at www.antique-collecting.co.uk and follow us at @AntiqueMag
These early 19th-century Swedish fisherman’s hooks. Up to 22cm (9in) high, they have a wonderful sculptural feel. Priced £2,800 and on sale from Robert Young Antiques at this year’s Masterpiece. London.
The Team
Editor: Georgina Wroe, georgina. wroe@accpublishinggroup.com Online Editor: Richard Ginger, richard.ginger@ accpublishinggroup.com Design: Philp Design, www.philpdesign.co.uk Advertising: Jo Lord 01394 389950, jo.lord@ accpublishinggroup.com Subscriptions: Sue Slee 01394 389977, sue.slee@ accpublishinggroup.com Antique Collecting subscription £32 for 10 issues annually, no refund is available. ISSN: 0003-584X
ANTIQUE COLLECTING 3
DELOMOSNE FINE ANTIQUES
A rare pair of Davenport rummers decorated with fishing and coursing scenes, the reverse sides with rustic cottages, marked under both feet ‘Patent’. English c.1806. Height: 15.5 cm.
Summer Online Exhibition live on our website at 11am on 31st May, 2017 COURT CLOSE, NORTH WRAXALL, CHIPPENHAM, WILTSHIRE SN14 7AD TEL: BATH (01225) 891505 WWW.DELOMOSNE.CO.UK For opening hours please telephone or visit our website
CONTENTS
Contents VOL 53 NO 2 JUNE/JULY 2017
52 Saleroom Spotlight: Michael Jeffery on one of the biggest collections of Burmantofts faience pottery to come to market in recent years 54 Top of the Lots: A preview of some of the more unusual lots going under the hammer in June and July
6
57 Subscription Offer: Save 50 percent, plus receive a copy m of Jackson’s for free 60 Fair Play: Behind the scenes at UK antiques fairs
REGULARS 6
News and What’s On: A round-up of the latest news from the world antiques
24 In with the Old: Edd Thomas on why he’s proud to love the colour brown
26
25 Your Letters: A sample of your correspondence including a mystery souvenir doll
CERAMICS FURNITURE JEWELLERY INTERIORS FINE ART PRINTS CLOCKS
ANTIQUE
COLLECTING ANTIQUE COLLECTING
Plus:
Editor’s Hello: Georgina Wroe introduces this month’s issue
16 Around the Houses: A review of some of the best-selling lots
48
VOL 53 N0. 2
WORLDWIDE 9 BROCANTES TO DISCOVER
3
JUNE/JULY 2017
Summer LONDON FAIRS
JUNE/JULY 2017
Exclusive
WHY PICTURE FRAMES ARE BACK IN STYLE
Your essential guide of what not to miss
AN INSIDER’S GUIDE TO TRIBAL ART
COVER
A large crewel work tapestry by the Ladies’ Work Society, depicting interlacing flora and fauna, exotic birds with a Chinese pavilion and running hound. Image courtesy of Rose Uniacke, photo by Simon Upton
26 Why I Collect: Gordon Reece, one of the UK’s leading tribal art collectors, on his upcoming selling exhibition 29 An Auctioneer’s Lot: Bargain Hunt’s Charles Hanson begins a new monthly column
COLLECTING JANE AUSTEN 200 YEARS ON
ALSO INSIDE Saleroom Spotlight• Lots to watch • Specialist advice
FOLLOW US @AntiqueMag
16
62 Fairs Calendar: Plan your summer visits with our guide 66 Auctions Calendar: Never miss another sale 72 Marc My Words: Antiques Roadshow expert Marc Allum presents his fair goer’s guide
FEATURES 10 Artist in Residence: 40 years since they were taken, unseen photographs of LS Lowry have emerged; plus a guide to collecting his iconic prints 20 Reign Supreme: A guide to everything a porcelain collector needs to know about Chinese reign marks 31 Fun of the Fairs: From Masterpiece to London Art Week, we preview the major events taking place in the capital this summer
30 Profile: Behind the scenes with Catherine Southon
39 In the Frame: Antique picture frames are back in vogue, expert Marcus Grey reveals why
38 Lowry’s Landscape: American Antiques Roadshow expert Nicholas Lowry on business from the other side of the pond
42 Austen Powers: On the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen’s death, everything you need to know about collecting her work
46 Cool and Collectable: Memorabilia expert Paul Fraser on airplane memorabilia
48 Globe Spotters: An insider’s guide to nine brocantes to visit this summer ANTIQUE COLLECTING 5
NEWS All the latest WHAT’S GOING ON IN JUNE & JULY
ANTIQUE news
Our round-up of the latest news from the world of antiques and art, plus a guide to this month’s must-see events Brooch the subject
LAPADA’s fair director Mieka Swyak will host the first in a series of talks on collecting antique jewellery in London on June 13. History and Heritage: Collecting Antique Jewellery will feature a panel of three experts, including LAPADA members Anthea Gesua of Anthea AG Antiques, Hancocks of London’s Amy Burton; and Aimee van Kranendonk Duffels from the Dutchbased jewellers VKD Jewels. The evening will feature buying advice from the trio of specialists, including how to develop a discerning eye for antique gems. The event takes place at the stockbroker Killik and Co’s London headquarters in Mayfair. For more details visit www.lapada.org LAPADA’s Mieka Swyak
TALKING SILK An exhibition opening this month explores the role of a Suffolk town in the production of silk from the 18th century to the present day. Sudbury’s silk industry was facilitated by the town’s former history as a wool centre, in which many family members of the Sudbury-born artist Thomas Gainsborough, R.A. (1727–1788) plied their trade. Sudbury is still the largest producer of woven silk textiles in the nation, with three working mills still in operation. Silk: From Spitalfields to Sudbury runs from June 17- October 8 at Gainsborough’s House. For more details visit www.gainsborough.org A woman’s shoe in brocaded silk with a vandyke tongue, British, 1740s © V&A Museum
6 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
A rare hooded lambing chair is one of the pieces on sale
Rare items of Wedgwood go on show at Leith Hill Place
Ralph’s finds
An internationally important collection assembled by Ralph Wedgwood, great–great grandson of Josiah Wedgwood I (1730–95) and cousin to the well-known composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, continues on show this summer. More than 140 pieces of Wedgwood, ranging from tea sets to earrings will be on display at Leith Hill Place, near Dorking, until October 29. Examples on show include black basalt, creamware and ‘first period’ bone china. Patricia Ferguson, adviser on ceramics to the National Trust, said: “This is an exciting moment for ceramic enthusiasts as Ralph Wedgwood was collecting at a time when some of the best examples of Wedgwood ware were coming on to the market. It is wonderful that it will be displayed in its original home at Leith Hill Place.”
Royal oak A summer selling exhibition of period oak opens this month in the Suffolk village of Yoxford. Among the gems at Suffolk House Antiques sale will be four dresser bases of varying sizes, including two dating to the early 1700s; a 2½m (8ft) long farmhouse refectory table and an unusual 17th-century two-part chest of drawers. Owner Andrew Singleton, said: “Despite a rather bare market, I have managed to unearth a good selection of early furniture and works of art that will hopefully prove tempting.” A rare hooded lambing chair, an inlaid spice cupboard and three 17th-century tapestries will also feature in the exhibition which runs until July 1. To see the online catalogue visit www. suffolk-house-antiques.co.uk
Left Caziel, Abstract Composition, c.1952 Below: Joseph
Lacasse, Meditation, c. 1968
Did you know? COBRA (or CoBrA) was a European avant-garde movement active from 1948 to 1951. The name was coined in 1948 by Christian Dotremont from the initials of the members’ home cities: Copenhagen (Co), Brussels (Br), Amsterdam (A).
3
to see in
William Gear, Black Form, 1965
June & July
1European Union
Barns-Graham working on Progression in St Ives 1966, photo Ander Gunn
2 Great Scot
An exhibition of one of the most revered female British artists of the 20th century continues its run in London. More than 30 works from Wilhelmina Barns-Graham will be on display at Waterhouse and Dodd’s Mayfair gallery until July 8. Barns-Graham was born in St Andrews and studied at the progressive Edinburgh College of Art, where she absorbed both the lessons of the Scottish Colourist painters and became acquainted with the European avant-garde. In the early 1940s she joined the growing artistic community in St Ives, Cornwall, which had developed around Ben Nicholson and Barbara Hepworth. At that time, St Ives was the epicentre of contemporary abstract art in Britain and BarnsGraham was a core member of the group. Her work appears in most major collections of Modern British Art, including Tate Britain which holds more than 30 examples.
With Brexit firmly on the news agenda, an exhibition focusing on four artists who worked and lived on both sides of the channel unveils this month. Trans-Channel Crossing will feature the work of Scottish-born William Gear (1915-1997), who lived and worked in Paris and was associated with CoBrA in the 1940s, producing some of the most controversial compositions of the 1950s. Work by the Polish artist Caziel (1906-1988) who worked in Paris during the inter-war period, will also be on show; along with the Belgian Abstract artist Joseph Lacasse (1894–1975). The fourth painter on show, at the exhibition at Whitford Fine Art, will be the British artist Frank Avray Wilson (1914-2009) who was born in Mauritius and whose work toured in France and Switzerland. The gallery’s Gabriel Toso said: “It was usual practice for British artists to have some training in Paris, where they met colleagues from Holland, Belgium, Germany and Eastern Europe. The selected works show how art can break down boundaries, and reunite on a humanistic level.” The exhibition runs at Whitford Fine Art, 6 Duke Street St James’s, London, from June 14-28.
Wilhemina Barns-Graham (1912-2004) Scorpio series 1 No 12, 1996
3Green party Right Samuel John
Peploe (18711935) Roses
Far Right: Samuel John Peploe (1871-1935) Still life of pink and red roses in a Chinese vase, 1918-22
More than 20 paintings by the Scottish Colourist Samuel John Peploe, including privately owned works rarely seen in public, continue on show until June 23. Spanning the 1900s to the 1930s, the exhibition focusses on Peploe’s early French landscapes painted en plein-air. It also includes carefully composed still lifes and flower-pieces arranged in his Edinburgh studio, for which he is particularly celebrated - in particular his representation of roses. The exhibition continues at the Richard Green Gallery, New Bond Street, London. www.richardgreengallery.com ANTIQUE COLLECTING 7
NEWS All the latest
The Decorative Fair is to set sail with a nautical theme
Sworders’ head of Asian Art Yexue Li
Sworders’ fight
Set fair
The theme of this year’s foyer display at the Autumn Decorative Antiques and Textiles Fair (October 3-8) is nautical – combining a gentleman’s study-come-sitting room, with a twist of sea-farer’s folly. The foyer’s design, at the six-day event at Battersea Park, in London, will see formal antique furniture mix with modern accent pieces, while accessories will include marine instruments, pictures and works of art. The fair is one of the high points of the design season with more than 160 exhibitors taking part, all of whom are specialist dealers in antiques and 20th-century design from Britain and Europe. Previous fairs have reported a return to ‘traditional’ antiques
8 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
Undress coat worn by Nelson at the Battle of the Nile © National Maritime Museum, London, Greenwich Hospital Collection
Future trends The last fair in April saw strong demand for classic country house antiques, including chintzupholstered sofas and seating by the renowned firm of Howard & Sons. Farmhouse tables, cabinets for use in free-standing kitchens and painted Scandinavian furniture also did well.
Coat tales Admiral Lord Nelson (1758-1805) and his affection for his native county of Norfolk is the subject of a major exhibition opening next month. Highlights include the Ensign of the French warship Le Généreux, which took part in the Battle of the Nile in 1798 and Nelson’s famous coat worn at the same battle. Nelson and Norfolk – An exhibition is at Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery from July 29 to October 1. For more details visit www.museums. norfolk.gov.uk
500 online bidders fought it out at Sworders’ Asian Art sale, with one securing the top price of £52,000 for a Jiaqing (1796-1820) gilt-decorated powder blue bottle vase. The 26cm (10in) vase, decorated with alternate lotus and shou symbols with an iron-red seal mark, was battled over online and among 30-40 bidders in the Stansted Mountfitchet saleroom on May 9. Head of department Yexue Li said the sale’s success was attributed to a number of factors, including quality pieces with excellent provenance. She said: “The market is much more selective these days, so when you put a really special sale together buyers come flocking and they compete fiercely, pushing up the prices. When you get as many interested bidders as we did in this sale, the prices are bound to soar.” The gilt-decorated powder blue bottle vase, Jiaqing (1796-1820) fetched £52,000
Suffolk House Antiques
High Street, Yoxford, Suffolk IP17 3EP Tel: 01728 668122
Summer Selling Exhibition Saturday 10th June - Saturday 1st July 2017 Over 100 examples of early furniture and works of art. To view the online catalogue go to www.suffolk-house-antiques.co.uk and click on “Summer Selling Exhibition 2017�.
A selection of early works of art in the exhibition.
An oak refectory table in lovely untouched condition. English/Welsh circa 1690. One of four refectory tables in the exhibition.
A large oak dresser base with superb colour. Montgomeryshire circa 1700. One of four dresser bases in the exhibition.
For further information on the exhibition, please contact Andrew Singleton on 01728 668122 or by email; as@suffolk-house-antiques.co.uk or visit our website
www.suffolk-house-antiques.co.uk
ARTIST LS Lowry
Artist in Residence To mark a new exhibition of unseen photos of LS Lowry, Mark Littler reveals everything you need to know about collecting the iconic artist’s prints
O
n a cold, grey day in early 1966 the young photographer Clive Arrowsmith turned up on the doorstep of the artist LS Lowry at his home in Mottram-in-Longdendale, near Manchester. The rookie photographer, who went on to become one of the most celebrated photographers of his generation, was on commission for the August edition of the recently-launched magazine Nova. Lowry, then aged 78, was already a successful artist and used to being interviewed and photographed but he could be cynical and suspicious of visitors. While initially guarded – one photograph, taken before the door even opened, shows him off-guard and slightly vulnerable – the artist soon began to relax. And after the less than auspicious start, the shoot developed into an extended session as the artist warmed to Arrowsmith, who was only in his late teens. As it turned out, Nova only ever published a small selection of the shots taken over the two days, with the remaining images stored in Arrowsmith’s
10 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
attic archive, where they remained until they were uncovered by his daughter, Eugenie, who was cataloguing her father’s work. The photographs will now form part of a major exhibition called Lowry at Home: Salford 1966 – Unseen photographs by Clive Arrowsmith, which will run at The Lowry, Salford, from 10 June to 24 September. The photographs also show Lowry on the streets of Salford – the setting for many of his iconic industrial scenes. Claire Stewart, curator of the LS Lowry collection at The Lowry, said: “Lowry was an incredibly private man, which makes Clive’s images all the more special. They show the very sparse nature of his home life, from where he painted some of his most famous work. Needless to say, we were very excited to receive Eugenie’s call and are delighted to be sharing them with the world for the very first time.” Clive Arrowsmith said: “The Lowry shoot was such a graphic insight into Lowry’s hidden life. Having been a painter up until this time, it was this project that changed my mind to photography.”
‘The fortunate survival of the unpublished photographs gives us a fascinating insight in to the life of one of Britain’s best-known artists’
The exhibition
Claire Stewart curator the Lowry Collection, considers the importance of the attic find of photographs
The magazine Published in London from March 1965 to October 1975, Nova broke boundaries in the subjects it covered as well as its design, layout, typography and photography. Nova described itself as “a new kind of magazine for a new kind of woman” and while other publications were more conservative, Nova documented the great social changes of the 60s with lengthy articles on controversial topics to inform its intellectual reader. It was revolutionary in documenting the avant-garde of the time.
Dr Michael Pritchard, chief executive of the Royal Photographic Society, said: “Lowry, through Arrowsmith’s photography, becomes someone both ordinary and extraordinary at the same time, and we see a man comfortable in his own environment.” The exhibition Lowry at Home: Salford 1966 – Unseen photographs by Clive Arrowsmith, runs at The Lowry, Salford, from 10 June to 24 September. For more details visit www.thelowry.com. All pictures are taken from the book of the same title published by ACC Publishing Group. See overleaf for an exclusive reader offer.
Arrowsmith’s views of Lowry inside and outside his home in Mottram-in-Longdendale were joined by others taken on the streets of Salford (with the impromptu addition of a local girl who happened to be passing) and in Salford’s museum and art gallery. As well as portraits of the artist, there are views of the city which had informed much of Lowry’s work, and the shoot spilled over into the second part of Arrowsmith’s assignment for Nova – to capture images of the racially diverse children in Salford and the surrounding area at the time. Back at Lowry’s home, Arrowsmith took several photographs of the artist in his messy studio (or ‘workroom’ as he preferred to call it), paintings and frames stacked up around him. For part of the time, Arrowsmith and Lowry were joined by Barrie Sturt-Penrose, Nova’s art critic, who was to interview Lowry.
‘The Elms’
Lowry had moved to ‘The Elms’ in Mottram-inLongdendale in 1948 and, after arranging to have the wall of the living room painted a particular shade of red, seems to have done very little else to the property. Many of his friends and acquaintances commented on how cold the house was, and the garden, as seen in the photographs, was derelict – in Sturt-Penrose’s words: ‘…a grassy overgrown piece of ground which, until Nova’s photographer asked him outside, he had not walked on for three years.’ When the shoot was finished, Nova chose the pictures it wanted and, in Arrowsmith’s long and successful subsequent career in fashion photography, the others were forgotten. Ironically, it is the published photographs which now seem to be lost, the negatives (as often happened in the quick turnaround of magazine publishing) having been discarded or overlooked after use rather than archived. Today these images exist only on the pages of Nova’s August 1966 issue. The fortunate survival of the unpublished photographs gives us a fascinating insight in to the life of one of Britain’s bestknown artists.
ANTIQUE COLLECTING 11
ARTIST LS Lowry
LS Lowry: A Chronology 1887 Born Laurence Stephen Lowry on 1 November at Barrett Street, Manchester, the only child of Robert, a clerk in an estate agent’s office, and Elizabeth, a talented pianist.
1943 The War Arts Advisory Committee appoints Lowry as an official war artist.
1898 The family moves from its second home in Longsight to Victoria Park, a leafy suburb in the south of Manchester.
1952 Retires from the Pall Mall Property Company. Some of his most iconic works are painted at this time including The Funeral Party 1953. He begins collecting drawings by the PreRaphaelite artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti.
1903-7 Lowry fails to get a place as a full-time student at Manchester Municipal College of Art. Instead he begins evening classes there where his tutor in the life drawing class is Frenchman Adolphe Valette (1816-1942). He also takes private painting lessons from the artist Reginald Barber and begins work as a clerk in a chartered accountant’s office. 1907 Works as a claims clerk for the General Accident, Fire and Life Assurance Corporation until made redundant in 1910. Takes further painting lessons from the artist William Fitz. 1915 Starts attending evening classes at Salford School of Art. One of his tutors is Bernard D Taylor, art critic for the Manchester Guardian, who suggests that Lowry’s paintings are too dark. Lowry begins painting on a white ground and uses this technique for the rest of his career. 1930 An Accident, 1926 is purchased by the Manchester City Art Gallery. Lowry holds his first solo exhibition in Manchester and paints what he later describes as ‘his most characteristic mill scene’ – Coming from the Mill. 1932 Robert Lowry dies suddenly of pneumonia and his considerable debts are revealed. Elizabeth, whose health has always been poor, takes to her bed permanently. Lowry’s work is exhibited in the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition in London. 1929 Lowry has his first London one-man show at the Mayfair gallery Alex Reid and Lefevre. Later that year his mother dies.
12 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
1948 Lowry leaves Pendlebury and settles at ‘The Elms’ in Mottram-in-Longdendale.
The photographer Clive Arrowsmith grew up in north Wales from where he regularly travelled to hang out with the Beatles in Liverpool. He moved south to Kingston, London where he attended art college but gave up painting for graphics. He began working at Rediffusion TV on programmes including Ready, Steady Go!, the seminal 1960s British popular music programme, before his career moved on, first to art direction and then commercial photography. He concentrated on editorial work, photographing the worlds of fashion (in particular for Vogue and Harpers), pop and rock. He also shot two Pirelli calendars in succession. His images of Wings and Paul McCartney in the late 1970s and 1980s re-established a personal link to his early beginnings and he created an album cover image for Band on the Run that remains instantly recognisable.
1953 Elected Associate of the Royal Academy. 1962 Elected a Royal Academician. 1975 Receives honorary Doctorates of Literature from both the University of Salford and the University of Liverpool. 1976 Admitted to hospital following a stroke, Lowry dies of pneumonia on 23 February. In September the Royal Academy mounts a major retrospective of his work, which attracts more than 300,000 visitors – a record, at the time, for an exhibition of work by a British artist.
SUBSCRIBER OFFER The book Lowry at Home is published by ACC Publishing Group priced £19.95 Subscribers can save 30 percent by ordering copies at the special pre-publication price of £13.99 plus post and packing. Telephone Sue Slee on 01394 389977, or order online at website www.accpublishinggroup.com and enter the code ACC30%.
Northern
SOUL
Think you know Lowry? Valuing his prints is not as straightforward as you might think says specialist Mark Littler
With his trademark “matchstick men and matchstick cats and dogs”, the work of Lawrence Stephen Lowry is unmistakable. Born in 1887, his formal art training began in 1905 at the Manchester School of Art where he worked under the French Impressionist Pierre Adolphe Valette. His depictions of the North West of England capture the urban landscape in the 20th century perfectly, although it has only been in recent years that his work has received the widespread praise it is due. Arguably, the construction of The Lowry Gallery and Theatre in Salford (which opened in October 2000) was the beginning in a widespread change in perspective about his work. Although well regarded in the North, the broader art world still considered his work naïve and rather amateurish. The real change came with the exhibition Lowry and the Painting of Modern Life at Tate Britain, London, in 2013. Following the success of the exhibition there was a surge in interest in both his oil paintings and his limited-edition prints. Prior to the exhibition, limitededition prints such as Station Approach and Man Lying on a Wall could be bought for a few hundred pounds, now they command thousands.
OFFSET LITHOGRAPHS Any colour Lowry print you see will be created using the offset chromolithography printing process. This is a printing technique where the image (taken from an original painting or sketch) is broken down into its four main colours. This is known as the ‘CMYK colour model’, representing cyan, magenta, yellow and key (black). These individual plates of colour are then printed one on top of the other to recompose the original image. This is a mass production printing process where the prints are just copies of the original works of art. The same printing process is employed for both the signed, limited-edition prints (which often sell for £1,000 plus) and the non-limited edition prints (which make less than £50). The presence of the pencil signature is all that differentiates the two.
Above LS Lowry Going
to the Match. Lowry’s most sought-after print, which sells for £12,000-£18,000 on average at auction
Right Some editions such as Crime Lake, appear at auction almost every month and average around £1,500-£2,000
NUMBERS GAME Lowry produced 54 signed, limited-edition prints. The number of prints in each edition varies between 75 and 850. If we take 500 as being the average number of editions, it means there are 27,000 signed limitededition Lowry prints in existence. The print will often have a pencil number indicating what number of the edition the print is from, such as 115/850, implying this was print 115 from a total edition of 850. However, not all of the editions are numbered, so this can be a good way to spot a fake. Generally speaking, the size of the edition does not impact the value of the print.
‘Lowry produced 54 signed, limitededition prints. The number of prints in each edition varies between 75 and 850. If we take 500 as being the average number of editions, it means there are 27,000 signed limited-edition Lowry prints in existence’ ANTIQUE COLLECTING 13
ARTIST LS Lowry
Lowry prices
From late 2015 the market for Lowry prints erupted, as galleries fought to buy stock for exhibitions. Prices have since levelled, and now only the most sought-after prints in the best condition sell for extraordinary prices. Some editions such as Station Approach, Crime Lake, Our Town and Mill Scene appear frequently at auction and average around £1,500-£2,000. Man Lying on a Wall and Berwick upon Tweed are rarer and sell for £3,000-£5,000. When a glut of prints appear in the same month, the price falls. If a gallery is sourcing stock it rises. The most sought-after print is Going to the Match which regularly sells for £12,000-£18,000 at auction, with the degree to which the print has faded affecting the price.
SIGNATURES AND STAMPS The signature on a limited-edition Lowry print should be in the lower margin of the image beneath the print itself. This signature will be in pencil or pen. There will also be a signature on the print itself, but this signature will be from the original painting and is merely a reproduction – like the rest of the image. The signature in the margin is by Lowry. Most Lowry prints feature what is called a “blind stamp” which is an image, design or lettering on an art print or book formed by creating a depression in the paper or other material. The blind stamps found on Lowry Prints are often by the Fine Art Trade Guild and consist of a rectangular box with an image of a gentleman, followed by three letters. The Fine Art Trade Guild blind stamp will be on the left of the image, if it has a signature by the artist, and will be in the centre of the image on unsigned editions.
PUBLISHERS AND PRINTERS Lowry prints were published by a large number of galleries and institutions including Venture Prints Ltd, Adam Collection Ltd and even the newspaper The Observer. While publishers promoted the sale of the prints, they did not actually print them. This was taken care of by printers such as The Curwen Press and Max Jaffe. You are unlikely to find information about who printed or published the print on the actual print itself.
often found in narrow metallic coloured frames many of which are the original. The presence of an original frame does not necessarily imply that it is worth more a print in a modern frame. Using high-quality materials and UV blocking glass will help prolong the intensity of the inks and the colour of the paper and maintain their value as a result.
CONDITION AND FADING
Top LS Lowry Our Town is offered for sale from Mark Littler for £3,000 Above Newspapers and art clubs marketed Lowry’s prints. Some 57 lithographic prints, from a signed edition of 500, were offered in this advert via a readers’ ballot in 1976
Mark Littler is an independent valuer and Lowry print specialist. For more details visit www.marklittler.com or follow him on Twitter @Mark_Littler.
ORIGINAL LITHOGRAPHS Along with the 54 signed limited-edition offset lithographs, there is also a series of 17 original lithographs – known as artist’s prints. To produce these, Lowry prepared the image on a block of porous limestone. The image was drawn with special crayons onto the stone, before being moistened and inked. The prints are then taken directly off the stone. As the image was always intended to be a print, they are considered as original works of arts in their own right (the offset lithographs being copies of original works of art). Unsurprisingly, these original lithographs are very sought after and sell for on average £6,000-£8,000 at auction. Lowry prints are
14 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
Lowry prints have a tendency to fade which has a big impact on value. This is primarily as a result of poor quality inks used in the printing process but can also be caused by over exposure to the sun. It is the degree of fading behind the paradox of two “identical” prints making differing sums of money at auction. They may look similar on a computer screen but in real life appear very different. The paper can also yellow over time and be susceptible to foxing. However, this is a process that can easily be reversed (by the right restorer). If a print has strong colours but is foxed, it is wise to send them to a restorer before selling. The cost of the restoration, often around £100, can more than double the selling price.
Right LS Lowry Level Crossing Burton on Trent, the discoloration shows the degree to which prints can fade. The faded print sold for £500, the unfaded one sold for £3,000
20-23 July 2017, Hall 5, NEC Birmingham
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26/05/2017 13:49
AUCTION Round up
AROUND the HOUSES
A look at some of the record-breaking auction results from UK auctioneers and beyond
The loft find turned out to be by William De Morgan
Moore Innocent and Allen, Cirencester A set of decorative tiles found in a loft netted the vendor £11,000 when it sold at the Cotswolds auctioneer’s sale. Valuers soon spotted that the tiles were by the Victorian ceramicist William De Morgan, whose work was popular with William Morris and the Arts and Crafts Movement, and whose international clients included the Tsar of Russia. The set of eight 15 x 15cm (6 x 6in) red and cream pottery tiles were decorated with animals and mythical beasts.
Lacy Scott and Knight, Bury St Edmunds
Swann Auction Warhol Galleries, New York challenged A colour screenprint by Andy Americans’ perception of Warhol made $30,000 (£23,000) at the New York the West
auctioneer’s contemporary art sale on May 11. Called Geronimo, the print dates from 1986, and was sold to a dealer. It comes from Warhol’s Cowboys and Indians portfolio in which the artist depicts a popular version of American Western history. His portrayal of icons including General Custer, Annie Oakley and Geronimo, in 10 silkscreens, was intended to challenge America’s perception of cowboys and native Indians.
16 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
The Suffolk auction house set a new show record for the BBC’s Antiques Road Trip when one of the experts consigned a camera bought for £100 into its homes and interiors auction. Show regular Paul Laidlaw’s 19th-century Adolphe Bertsch chambre automatique or chambre microscopique was snapped up for a record-breaking £20,000 (including buyer’s premium). The sale smashed the former record set by Anita Manning when she sold a bronze buddha for £3,800 in September 2016. Paul Laidlaw spotted the camera as one of the first ‘automatic’ models, making it a desirable piece for photography enthusiasts and camera collectors. It also came with its original case, The reagent bottles camera made and accessories. a show record Pre-sale interest led on Antiques to five telephone lines Road Trip being booked, with more than 20 online watchers from both Europe and America.
CHORLEY’S, PRINKNASH ABBEY
The rare 1976 Rolex had soared in price
Gardiner Houlgate, Corsham A rare Rolex that was swapped for a table 41 years ago made £135,000 at the Somerset auctioneer’s sale in May. The Oyster Perpetual Submariner diver’s watch, which went on to be used in 100 dives around the world, was acquired by a former English teacher in 1976 from an acquaintance in the antiques trade. The Rolex was one of only a few made with the 3-6-9 Explorer dial and was produced in small number in the 1950s and 1960s; it was worth £1,200 in 1989. Auctioneer David Hare said: “Many of the watches made during this period ended up having the dial replaced, making them worth much less than those which did not.”
Lucie Rie remains a collector’s favourite
Chiswick Auctions, London Following the success of a Lucie Rie studio pottery bowl, which made £40,000 at the west London auction house in March, a bottle green porcelain-footed dish made £36,600 on May 2 – more than three times its low estimate. The bowl, which was sold with a signed letter from the potter, measured 22cm (81/2in) in diameter and was decorated with a bottle green glaze, golden lip, and manganese speckle. Austrian-born studio potter Lucie Rie is internationally celebrated for her simple, straightforward forms and the bright, bold glazes that became her trademark. Her work is housed in institutions across the globe including MoMA and the V&A. Having established a name for herself in Vienna, Rie fled the country in 1938 for London where she set up a studio in Albion Mews.
A French Daum cameo glass table lamp fetched £10,500 at the Gloucester auction house’s May 24 sale – against an estimate of £800-£1,000. The lamp which measured 34cm (13in) was etched and enamelled with summer trees and had the mark of Daum Nancy, with a cross of Lorraine. Jean Daum (1825-85) took over the glassworks Verrerie Sainte Catherine in 1878, renaming it Verrerie de Nancy. In 1909 his grandson Paul introduced art deco style to the factory, soon known for its etched geometric glass and lamps. Eight telephone bidders contested the piece, many of whom were French. Chorley’s director Thomas Jenner-Fust said: “The piece lit up the saleroom, confirming the fact that named items in good condition continue to achieve good prices.”
Bonhams, New York
The cameo glass lamp made more than 10 times its estimate
Hartley waited until November for the foliage to change, before setting to work to produce a select number of works illustratrating the beauty of the changing season.
A fresh-to-the-market landscape by Marsden Hartley (1877-1943) was the top lot at Bonhams’ American art sale in New York. Estimated at $40-000$60,000, Landscape No. 39 made $1.4m (£1m) at the sale on May 24. It was one 26 paintings that the New England artist produced The during the summer painting shows and autumn of 1930 changing autumn and captures the colours changing seasons of New Hampshire.
McTear’s, Glasgow
Macallan
A bottle of Macallan that sold for £35 whisky in 1996 was bought by a collector for has great £2,200 at auction in Glasgow. investment The rare Private Eye Macallan, potential which was bottled in 1996 for the 35th anniversary of the satirical magazine, was one of the highlights of McTear’s rare and collectable whisky sale on May 24. McTear’s whisky specialist Laurie Black, said: “This is one of the most collectable Macallans of all time, sparking significant interest before the auction. Anyone who snapped up a bottle for £35 in 1996 made a very shrewd investment with bottles now selling for over 60 times their original value.” Other Macallans in the sale included a 25-yearold 1968 Anniversary Malt, which fetched £2,200, and a 1970 18 year old which was sold for £1,500. Laurie said: “It proves the investment potential in rare examples from this distillery.”
ANTIQUE COLLECTING 17
AUCTION Round up Halls, Battlefield An important collection of blue and white patterned Caughley porcelain assembled by a Shropshire collector (as previewed in Antique Collecting’s April issue) sold for £72,000 at the Shropshire auctioneers. The collection, which belonged to the Rev Maurice Wright and his wife, Janet, included more than 400 pieces and brought dozens of A maskCaughley collectors to the saleroom. head jug dated Top price of £3,700 went to an 1790 of a ‘Severn “exceptionally important” mask-head jug Trow’ passing dated 1790 and initialled JH. The jug was underneath printed in blue on both sides, with a ‘Severn Trow’ passing underneath the Shropshire Ironbridge and an angler in the foreground. A mug transfer-printed in the Fisherman and very rare Tiger pattern, named and dated James Bullock, 1779, sold for £2,300. Halls’ European ceramics specialist Caroline Dennard said: “This is the first known dated piece in the Fisherman pattern and is a relatively early date. There is some suggestion that the illustrator of Aesop’s Fables may have been responsible for engraving the tiger on the mug.” Other leading prices from the collection included £3,100 for a rare, dated mug painted with Fruit Sprays and the wedding inscription M above R.E alongside the date 1776, and £1,800 for a pounce pot transfer-printed with sprigs, c. 1776-85. Miss Dennard continued: “The auction result shows that the market for 18th century blue and white porcelain is still very strong. People are prepared to pay a premium for the rarest pieces but even the more common patterns achieved good prices.” Mr and Mrs Wright, who live near Shrewsbury, had collected the porcelain since the 1970s. Mr Wright was the joint author of the definitive Caughley reference book. Halls had previously sold two large Caughley collections. A mug in Professor Charles Bawden’s collection made the Fisherman £31,000 two years ago and a Worcestershire and a Tiger collection sold for £56,000 in 2010.
pattern, sold for £2,300
A rare dated mug sold for £3,100
18 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
The tanto was spotted in a vendor’s bag
Trevanion and Dean, Whitchurch An unusual Japanese silver and gilt-metal mounted tanto, or knife, dating from the Meiji period (1868-1912) was the star lot of the Shropshire auction house’s sale on May 20. The knife was spotted by valuer Ashley Jones as he sorted through the contents of a leather Gladstone bag. He said: “As I was unpacking the bag, containing a small selection of lower value silver and collectables, I spotted this beautiful knife at the bottom. I knew as soon as I saw it that it was going to be a very special piece.” The piece attracted international interest with internet and telephone bidders battling it out, before selling to a UK collector for £4,900.
Fellows, Birmingham A pearl necklace sold for £20,000 The pearl at the West Midlands auctioneer’s necklace antique and modern jewellery sale soared past its in May – considerably more than its estimate estimate of £500-£700. The singlestrand necklace, which was comprised of 83 graduated, natural pearls, sparked a bidding war between online collectors, on the phone and in the room, before going to a customer on the internet. Fellows’ jewellery expert Nicola Whittaker said: ”Well-matched, antique pearl pieces are seeing a resurgence recently. There is clearly a demand for good quality, pearl jewellery. Throughout the sale, coloured stones sold well, especially those with documentation.”
Chorley’s Prinknash Abbey Park Gloucestershire GL4 8EU 01452 344499 enquiries@chorleys.com
Tuesday 18 & Wednesday 19 July Auction: The Country House FINAL CALL FOR ENTRIES
www.chorleys.com
The Derby Winner 'Sainfoin', 1891 Estimate: £2000-3000 (+ fees)
COLLECTORS’ GUIDE Chinese reign marks HOW DO YOU READ A REIGN MARK? Reign marks are most commonly written in vertical columns and are read from top to bottom, and from right to left. It is thought that this system of reading and writing grew from ancient Chinese traditions of writing on vertical strips of bamboo or bone. Reign marks can also be written in a horizontal line that is read from right to left. Reign marks follow a set format, and a six-character mark can be broken down as follows: the first two characters refer to the dynasty, and are either Da Ming meaning ‘Great Ming’ dynasty (1368-1644), or Da Qing, translated as ‘Great Qing’ dynasty (1644-1911); the second two characters refer to the name of the Emperor; and the last two characters, Nian Zhi, mean ‘made for’. Four-character reign marks simply omit the first two characters recording the name of the dynasty.
REIGN
Supreme Specialist Kate Hunt, from Christie’s Chinese works of art department, reveals all you need to know about demystifying Chinese reign marks – from what they reveal about emperors and their dynasties to how to spot a fake WHAT IS A REIGN MARK? A reign mark records the name of the Chinese dynasty and the reign of the emperor during which the piece was made. It comprises four or six Chinese characters, and is usually found on the base of a work of art commissioned for the Emperor or his imperial household.
20 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
Above A famille verte “month” cup. Kangxi six-character mark in underglaze blue, 6.6cm (2in) in diameter. Estimated at £3,000£5,000, it sold for £13,750 at Christie’s Chinese ceramics, works of art and textiles sale on May 12 Right A blue and white jar. Jiajing six-character mark in underglaze blue, 25.2cm (9in) high. Estimated at £4,000-£6,000, it sold for £16,250 at the same sale
Six-character Kangxi reign mark in underglaze blue
Ming dynasty Jiajing reign mark in underglaze blue
blue double circles, or the use of auspicious symbols in underglaze blue such as an artemesia leaf, a lingzhi mushroom or the head of a ruyi sceptre. Zhuanshu, or seal-form imperial reign marks, found favour during the Yongzheng period (17231735) and were used throughout the 19th century. The six-character Daoguang period mark above belongs to a blue and white stem cup and is written in zhuanshu reading Da Qing Daoguang Nian Zhi, or ‘Made in the Great Qing Dynasty during the reign of the Daoguang Emperor’ (1821-1850). Note the characters are much more stylised and angular than kaishu script.
Below A small blue
and white stem cup. Daoguang six-character seal mark in underglaze blue, 8.6cm (3in) high. Estimated at £5,000£7,000, it sold for £6,250 at the same sale
Daoguang six-character seal mark in underglaze blue
Above A blue and
white lanca dish. Yongzheng sixcharacter mark in underglaze blue, 15.5cm (6in) in diameter. Estimated at £6,000-£8,000, it sold for £13,750 at the same sale Left Yongzheng reign mark vertical in underglaze blue
For example, the two six-character reign marks read: Da Ming Jiajing Nian Zhi, ‘Made in the Great Ming dynasty during the reign of the Jiajing Emperor’ (1522-1566) and Da Qing Yongzheng Nian Zhi, translating as ‘Made in the Great Qing dynasty during the reign of the Emperor Yongzheng’ (1723-1735). The first appears on the base of a blue and white jar and the second on the base of a blue and white ‘lanca’ dish. Reign marks can make for a handy dating tool, but buyers should beware — there are many faked marks on later copies and forgeries.
WHEN WERE THEY FIRST USED? Imperial reign marks in kaishu, or regular script, began to appear regularly at the beginning of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) and continued throughout the subsequent Qing dynasty (1644-1911). You would not expect to find reign marks on pieces from earlier dynasties. The most common marks on porcelain tend to be written in underglaze blue within a double circle. There was a brief time during the Kangxi period in 1667 when the emperor issued an edict forbidding the use of his reign mark on porcelain in case the ceramics were smashed and discarded. This resulted in many porcelain marks simply comprising empty underglaze
HOW ARE THEY WRITTEN? Reign marks tend to be written in one of two very different-looking scripts: kaishu, or regular script, and zhuanshu, or seal-form script. Kaishu script was introduced in China in the Sui (581-618 AD) and Tang dynasties (618-906 AD) and is what we now most commonly associate with Chinese writing. Zhuanshu script is a much more angularlooking script that originated on archaic Chinese bronzes in the Shang (c.1500-1028 BC) and Zhou Dynasties (1028-221 BC). This style of mark was particularly favoured in the Qianlong period. Depending on the medium of the work of art, reign marks can be written in underglaze cobalt blue or in enamels over the glaze in various colours including iron-red, pale blue or black. They can also be written in gilt and can be incised or impressed.
A Qianlong reign mark in zhuanshu script in blue enamel
Right A gilt-decorated blue-ground painted enamel lotus bowl, cover and stand. Qianlong four-character seal marks in blue enamel. The stand is 15.4cm (6in) wide. Estimated at £2,000£4,000, it sold for £4,750 at the same sale
ANTIQUE COLLECTING 21
COLLECTORS’ GUIDE Chinese reign marks Left An 18th-century porcelain vase, with typical famille rose colourings, including an example of the blue cobalt. Image courtesy of Bonhams.
Four-character Qianlong mark in kaishu script in blue enamel
WHERE DO I LOOK FOR THE REIGN MARK? Reign marks are most commonly centred on the base of a vessel. However, they can also appear on the exterior of the base or the mouth of a vessel, usually in a single horizontal line.
IF A PIECE HAS A LATER COPIED MARK, IS IT AN OUTRIGHT FAKE? No. To complicate matters a little, for hundreds of years Chinese artisans copied reign marks from earlier dynasties out of a respect and reverence for these earlier periods. These marks are often referred to in auction catalogue descriptions as ‘apocryphal’ marks. These marks were not necessarily intended to fool
Right A magnificent pair of famille rose butterfly vases. Qianlong sixcharacter seal marks in underglaze blue, 23cm (9in). Estimated at £2-£3m, it sold for £14¾m at Christie’s sale on May 9
Qianlong sixcharacter seal mark in underglaze blue
HOW CAN YOU TELL IF A REIGN MARK IS AUTHENTIC? When deciding whether a reign mark is “of the period” or a later copy, it is important to consider the mark in conjunction with the quality of the work of art. The quality of genuine reign marks varies greatly, but on pieces specially commissioned for the Emperor or his imperial household, the reign mark should be of the highest calibre, matching the finesse of the work of art. A very poorly written mark on a ceramic or work of art intended for the Emperor should raise alarm bells among collectors. That said, it is common to find less well-executed marks on lesser quality ceramics or works of art made during the reign of the Emperor, but which were not intended for imperial use. Many ceramics fall into this category and they are often referred to as minyao, or ‘the ware of the people’, as distinct from guanyao, or ‘official ware’. The difference in quality is palpable between the execution of the guanyao and minyao Qianlong period (1736-1795) seal marks on the following two ceramics: a magnificent pair of famille rose ‘butterfly’ double gourd vases (above) and a pair of polychrome enamelled bowls, pictured below.
A Qianlong reign mark in zhuanshu script in blue enamel
22 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
A Qianlong period (1736-1795) seal mark in underglaze blue Above A pair of polychrome enamelled bowls. Qianlong fourcharacter seal marks in underglaze blue, 9.6cm (7¾in) diameter. It was estimated £2,000£3,000
Right A quatrefoil bronze censer. 17th-18th century, 29cm (11in) wide, wide. Estimated £1,500-£3,000 it sold for £16,250 at the same sale
buyers into thinking they were buying a genuine earlier work of art. For example, it is not uncommon to find 15th-century Ming dynasty reign marks on Qing dynasty blue and white porcelain made in the Kangxi period (1662-1722). Two of the most copied ‘apocryphal’ reign marks hail from the Xuande period (1426-1435) and Chenghua period (1465-1487). The Chenghua period is famed for the quality of its imperial porcelain. Chenghua porcelain is scarce largely as a result of the exacting standards of imperial porcelain manufacture — porcelain that was intended for the imperial household but which had any blemishes or firing faults was destroyed.
Apocryphal sixcharacter Xuande period reign mark
Find out MORE Left A famille rose bajixiang two-handled tripod censer, Ding. Jiaqing six-character seal mark in iron-red enamel, 26.9cm (105/8in) high. Estimated at £12,000£15,000, it sold for £18,750 at the same sale
The most comprehensive reference book on Chinese reign marks is Gerald Davison’s The Handbook of Marks on Chinese Ceramics, first published in 1994. It lists around 1,800 marks, including all the major Ming (13681644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasty imperial reign marks in addition to the many studio marks, hall marks and myriad miscellaneous marks that are also to be found on vessels throughout China’s rich cultural heritage.
ANTIQUES of the future
A
quick look outside reminds me that this is the season of colour. From the garden to bold summer clothes, it’s the time of year when we take note of the colours in our life. Within the antiques and interiors world colour plays a massive, though often under-recognised, role. From collectors’ items that soar in value because the glaze has developed an unusual, and hence rarer, tint to homeware objects that contain the latest uber-fashionable tones. Colour influences our decision making in many ways. Countless studies have shown that small variations in a tone are picked up by the hard-wiring inside us all. It is why a room can bubble up a sense of anger, or make you want to sit down and meditate. It’s also why we have to trudge back to our local hardware shop when the colour on the paint tin doesn’t turn out exactly as we’d hoped.
HARSH REALITY
objects, they were clearly not paying much heed to the modern-day colour theory.
BARRIERS As the antiques industry continues to bemoan the decline of brown furniture, we need to understand the unwitting barriers traditional furniture lovers now face. Not only have we moved away from the formality these objects represent (and made ourselves houses with rooms barely large enough to swing a cat in) but, for all their warmth, many pieces just remain resolutely and unashamedly brown. Being part of the one percent that actually likes the colour, there are only two things I can do. Either I can conform and adapt (as many have done) by painting, bleaching or otherwise changing the natural unpopular tone to something more fashionable, or I can sit down and try to teach the other 99 percent of the world why it is OK to aspire to humility and warmth. From fashionable mid-century modern Danish teak, to 16th-century oak, with a depth of patina to die for, brown comes in many shades, some more popular than others. Brown is, therefore, not just a colour it’s a way of life.
IN with the OLD
The colour specialist Joa Studholme recently explained our current love of pastel. According to her, today’s harsh and unforgiving world is causing us to seek a softer sanctuary inside our own homes. She’s right. From the geometric monotone of everday items (from phones to office buildings) our eye is bombarded with bold contrasting colours. And that is tiring. It explains why, over the past few years, soft whites and pastels, with equally soft textures incorporated into them, have grown in popularity within our homes. They help relax the eye and make our tiny rooms feel larger and safer to us.
When it comes to antiques, brown is not just a colour – it’s a way of life, says dealer Edd Thomas
DEALER’S VIEW As a furniture dealer, my professional appreciation of colour can take on a much more frustrating inner rant. Of all the colours of the rainbow, for some reason brown – especially dark brown – seems to globally sit at the bottom of most people’s wish list. In one study by Eva Heller, an acclaimed German writer and social scientist, the colour brown was sadly liked by less than one percent of her survey group, even coming below pink, grey and violet (ouch!). Brown is a colour (so my research tells me) that represents frugality, earthiness and seriousness. In the Middle Ages it was the colour of mourning, and in Feng Shui it is most often used in dining rooms and living rooms to show your guests that you are humble and warm-hearted. Sadly when our ancestors finally figured out that wood was a pretty good material from which to make
24 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
Above This season’s colour, Enigma green and Wimborne white, from Farrow and Ball Right On trend; Farrow and Ball’s ‘small spaces’ range includes ammonite and blue
Edd Thomas runs a Wiltshire-based antiques business, www.eddintheclouds.com. He is also chairman of Antique Young Guns.
‘Brown is a colour (so my research tells me) that represents frugality, earthiness and seriousness. In the Middle Ages it was the colour of mourning’
LETTERS Have your say
Your Letters
Star letter
My thanks to Tony Lenton for answering my question regarding a snuffbox in the February issue. I can now report the mystery of how to open the box has been solved. I tried applied penetrating oil, as he suggested, but it had no obvious effect, so I gently tapped the hinges to see if that would help free any corrosion. It then became clear the larger of the two hinges is, in fact, a dummy, and that there is only one lid, which can be opened by pulling out the hinge pin, as shown. Dr Andrew Walker, by email
We love to hear from you, get in touch with your stories
Our star letter
receives a copy of 20th Century British Glass by Charles R. Hajdamach, worth £49.50. Write to us at Antique Collecting, Sandy Lane, Old Martlesham, Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP12 4SD or email magazine@ accpublishinggroup.com
I wondered if your readers would be interested in my story regarding a ship doll from the SS Great Eastern? The liner was designed by Isambard Brunel in 1858 to carry 4,000 people to America and Australia without refuelling. Some 30 years ago I came across a curious wax doll wearing a dilapidated sailor’s uniform at an antiques fair. The doll wore a boater with the words The Great Eastern. As intrigued as I was, I couldn’t find any Does this doll predate Norah information on the ship’s souvenirs and Wellings’ sailor dolls? certainly no mention wax dolls. If real, this doll would predate Norah Wellings’ sailor dolls by at least 70 years, a staggering idea as I thought Norah Wellings was one of the first to make mascot liner sailor dolls. Because the SS Great Eastern gained a rather doom-laden reputation (there was an an explosion on one of its voyages and several other mishaps) she only completed a few voyages before being commissioned to transport the transatlantic cable from England to America. I don’t know if there are any other surviving wax dolls relating to the SS Great Eastern in existence. I would be delighted to hear from readers on the topic. Mrs Jan Dyer, by email
A jewellery stand at Portobello Market
Your online article (at www. antique-collecting.co.uk) concerning a 1909 photograph of the artist Augustus John and his extended family in Norfolk, is of great interest to me because it was taken by my grandfather Charles Slade. Two of the children (sitting on the steps of the caravan) Charles Slade are my father Christopher captured Augustus Slade, and his brother Felix. John’s family in 1909 The Rookery at Thurning was where the Slades were living at the time. The article says: John’s mistress Dorelia is sitting in the doorway of the caravan, while the woman to the left in the cap appears to be his wife Ida.” As Ida died in 1907, It is more likely that the woman is Charles’s wife, Ellen Mary, appearing here on the left of the picture. Vicky Evans, by email
An open and shut case with Dr Walker’s snuffbox
EXPERTS HAVE THEIR SAY To celebrate the London fairs we asked where visitors should visit this summer
CELEBRATING COLLECTORS’ LONDON John Adams Fine Art, @J_AdamsFineArt, said: “We’d definitely recommend Pimlico Road for London’s finest art, antiques and interior designers.” The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, @ RBKCMarkets, said: “Visit Portobello Rd antiques market early on Saturday to investigate its arcades. Also try the Friday flea market by Golborne Rd.” Rebecca Davies, @LAPADA_CEO, said: “The Olympia Antiques Fair is coming soon. For shops, Kensington Church St. as well as Grays Antiques and the London Silver Vaults.” Alfies Antiques, @AlfiesAntiques, said: “Us! We are a stone’s throw from Bond Street Tube. Or how about the IACF at Ally Pally, or Petworth House, which is just over an hour from the capital?”
Be part of the conversation @antiquemag ANTIQUE COLLECTING 25
BEHIND THE SCENES Tribal Art Gordon Reece at the Fine Art Society, March 2017, with a Bembe muzidi; Alastair Morton Abstract, 1940; Nana Ditzel, Settee
Why I collect... A selling exhibition from the collection of Gordon Reece, one of the UK’s leading tribal art specialists, continues this month at the Fine Art Society. Built up over 36 years and from all corners of the globe, Antique Collecting goes behind the scenes
26 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
1
Why and when did you start collecting? Do you remember your first piece?
I remember going to a gallery and seeing a mask in a still life drawing life and being totally captured by it. Since then I found my interest became increasingly diverted from my art course towards ethnography and even geography. At the same time I was also interested 16th and 17th-century English furniture, which took me to a lot of antique shops and fairs. In the ‘60s, tribal art – or rather the art of nonEuropean societies – was rare. I remember trying in vain to find books on it, now my library on the subject stretches to four shelves. I was drawn to the aesthetic of the pieces and their simplicity. The first piece I bought was in 1962. It was a 24cm (10in) ivory Luba female figurine, with tattooing on her stomach from a brocante shop in Bolton. At the time it just took my fancy but subsequent research has identified it as a very important piece dating to 920950AD. Tribal art is always functional, never decorative, and this would have been made as an altar piece made for someone of substance.
Below Brown and Pink Variations, Sandra Blow, 2003; Terence Conran, Cabinet, c. 1953; Baule people (Ivory Coast), seated male figure (asie usu); Baule people, male figure (blolo bian); Bongo people (South Sudan), standing figure, first half of the 20th century; Kongo peoples (DRC), fetish figure, first half of the 20th century
Above Three works by Ben Nicholson; George Nelson ‘Cupcake’ chest of drawers, 1950s; Lega People (Democratic Republic of Congo), two small Bwami mask (lukwakongo); Suku people (DRC) standing figure; Dogon people (Mali), antique ladder
Left Peter Lanyon Landscape, 1954, Luba people (DRC) small standing figure (nkisi); Baule people (Ivory Coast) female figure, 19th century
2
How far afield has your collecting taken you?
All over the world, although I would say Africa and India are my two areas of expertise. I opened a gallery in the 1980s in Knaresborough, which was the first of its kind in the UK. It created a new market in antiques, alerted the public to the beauty and history of everyday objects from Asia and helped to encourage a new breed of traveller. It also spawned a whole new fashion for “ethnicity” in the world of interiors. I knew that, while not everyone would want to buy a tribal mask, everyone does need floor coverings, so rugs were important.
3
HOW DID YOU GROW YOUR COLLECTION?
I slowly created a web of collector-gatherers who would work with me in each country I ventured into. Besides establishing this very necessary infrastructure, great care was taken regarding the criteria by which acquisitions were made. The patrimony of each culture had to be respected. Often pieces we discovered that were unknown to the museums in the country of origin were automatically donated. In turn, we
were allowed to export some exceptional pieces, many of which are now to be found in major international museums, including the V&A, the British Museum and the Metropolitan Museum, New York. I opened a space in Clifford Street, London, in 1997 to satisfy the increasing demand.
4
How has the UK’s perception of tribal and non-European art changed since you started collecting?
Immeasurably. In the ‘80s nobody had heard of a kelim, now they are everywhere. Whereas this country and Europe has for centuries enjoyed a large collecting fraternity, that was not the case elsewhere. I remember travelling to Ahmendabad in India in the early days and being told of a man who had two sheds full of ornate Gujerat furniture. I selected four pieces and started dealing with him. Now he has a business employing 650 people and a warehouse the size of Olympia. Where I went others followed.
Above Richard Hamilton Collected Words, set of nine, 1982; Kai Winding, Sideboard, 1960s; Yoruba people (Nigeria) divination bowl (agere ifa); Tchokwe people (DRC, Angola, Zambia) stool in the form of a female caryatid, late 19th or very early 20th century; Zula people (DRC) female caryatid stool, first half of the 20th century
Right Lega peoples (DRC), small mask (lukwakongo)
ANTIQUE COLLECTING 27
BEHIND THE SCENES Tribal Art
5
WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A PIECE?
The thrill of discovery was always deepened by the questions that arose about the artist-craftsmen who had made it and its purpose. Pieces would only speak to me if they fulfilled a stringent set of criteria. It was not a case of buying just because they were African, old or cheap. The mask or figure had to have a presence – it might be almost crude in form but has a sense of dignity. The skills of the creator were important but it was always the conceptual power that meant most to me, and still does. There are still good pieces to be found. African carvings are not intended as artworks as such, but creations that fulfill specific roles within their communities, when placed in a different context one can appreciate their beauty and amazing aesthetic qualities.
6
What advice would you give to a new collector?
Study the subject, treat it like a degree. Choose one area and learn as much as you can. Consider the iconography of the area or tribe. Most tribes have a set way of creating the form and shape of their artefacts. Much African art tends to follow a set of prescribed values and traditions. The sculptor in any community passes his knowledge on to his son and so on. Thus the traditions continue through the generations. Occasionally an individual adds something new, either he introduces a more refined form, a different pose or slightly adapts the details, which makes the piece stand out from its peers. That is when the piece becomes alive. For Western eyes it denotes the difference between the work of a skilled craftsman and an artist.
7
What collecting areas or regions are still to be discovered?
When I started collecting in India I was told it had no tribes. That certainly wasn’t the case then and it isn’t now. There are still many of these tribal artefacts to be explored. There are still pieces to be found in Katmandu coming from the Himalayas. Acquiring fine African tribal pieces is in many ways a different process from acquiring other cultural objects. Despite what many collectors and dealers will tell you, good work can still be found in Africa itself. Mostly these objects are
28 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
Above Kongo peoples (coastal areas from Congo to Angola) fetish figure, early 20th century
Above Mande people (Liberia) Poro mask, 19th century
not being used for their original purpose or in their original environments. There are a considerable number of expats, or colonial families, resident for two or more generations, who have collected pieces which they treasure. Also some tribal elders have pieces from their forebears that they still hold dear. As a collector of tribal art the secret is to look everywhere. For me, the quest to find academically interesting, undiscovered and diverse objects is key.
8
What are your tips for combining tribal art in a modern setting?
Tribal art looks terrific in a modern setting. It was one of the key influences on Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse and looks magnificent alongside modern art and furniture. I am sitting on a Melanesian piece of furniture alongside a 10th- century Indian sculpture, next to a Tibetan chest and three wooden 19thcentury English bears in the folk art tradition. On the wall is a Francis Bacon lithograph. I am delighted to be sharing some of my pieces in the upcoming selling exhibition but, to be honest, I would be very happy if half of them didn’t sell. To me they are like old friends!
Gordon Reece The Art of Collecting continues at the Fine Art Society until June 16. For more details visit www.thefineartsociety.com
Above Zula people (DRC) female caryatid stool, first half of the 20th century
Dogon ladders
The Dogon people, one of the oldest surviving cultural groups in Africa, live in the central plateau region of Mali and parts of Burkina Faso. Most live in adobe villages in the rugged and inaccessible area at the foot of the sandstone Bandiagara Escarpment. Dogon ladders are made from naturally forked tree trunks, into which the sculptors carve notches for steps, in a perfect joining of form and function. The Dogon use ladders such as these to reach the flat roofs of their houses and to enter their raised thatched roof granaries. They have two types of granaries, the shorter guyo-ya used by women to store their personal possessions, and the elevated guyo-ana used by men to store millet and sorghum. The entrances to the men’s granaries are near the roof and accessible only by ladder to guard against thieves and vermin. Ladders also hold cultural and religious significance, though the exact meaning and extent of this is debated. It has been suggested that the ladders, like Dogon dwellings, might be considered anthropomorphic, possessing a human-like essence. A ladder may remain in a family for generations, gaining a wonderful patination from decades of use.
ANTIQUES Paper power CHILLING DISCOVERY
An auctioneer’s lot A paperless society may be the future but a rare sheet can be worth its weight in gold, says Antique Collecting’s newest columnist Charles Hanson
P
aper has power at auction. Manuscripts, autograph letters, broadside posters, rare maps, antiquarian books, Georgian caricatures, Old Master prints, ephemera. It’s a fascinating collectors’ area with scope for all sorts of historical treasures. Some of these objects weren’t meant to be kept safe for posterity, so it’s always very special when something turns up – as I experienced recently when examining an old chest of drawers. It was a nice chest. Walnut, early 18th century. But on opening the drawer and examining the lining, something emerged: a delicate piece of paper that transported me back to the romantic coaching days of England; a time of highwaymen, rutted roads and toll-gates; with a brief break for boiled beef and porter. It was the receipt for a stay at The Vine Hotel in Stafford, dated January 23rd 1767. This little piece of paper, folded up and hidden for nearly 250 years, was written seven years into the reign of mad King George III, 22 years before the French Revolution and a full 60 years before Queen Victoria came to the throne. I was immediately transported back to that crisp January night, recovering from the hard seats of the mail coach... two suppers for a shilling, ale consumed at four shillings and tuppence, hay for the horses, corn, servants, ‘breakfirst’ the following morning for eight old pence. Not a bad night. In fact, I can heartily recommend a Georgian getaway.
‘Hay for the horses and ‘breakfirst’ the following morning, all for eight old pence. Not a bad night. In fact, I can heartily recommend a Georgian getaway’
I made another surprising discovery when going through a box of old newspapers last month, something which really sent a shiver down my spine: workhouse bills. These little pieces of paper, dating from April 1826 to March 1827, recorded the various costs of Crich Workhouse in Derbyshire. Each bill refers to the governor’s wages, plus house rent at four shillings and tuppence a week, together with her maintenance at one shilling, going on to note the weekly order of coals, candles and paper. I felt the paper and studied the ink; and again was transported to a bygone age – this time much crueller reality than my stay at The Vine. The idea behind the Workhouse system was for local parishes to combine funds to support the destitute, rather than for each parish to support individuals themselves (as was done previously). Seen as a last resort for those using their services, the lack of amenities and the harsh regimes were meant to ensure that only those truly in need of assistance would apply to enter. Men were housed separately to women and children, which meant that families could not meet. Adults were then divided into two groups: those unable to work, who were cared for, and the unemployed, who were put to work running the Workhouse together with doing other tasks – boys, however, were taught a trade where possible, such as shoemaking. This system carried on in some form until the early 20th century. They say if you love your job you never work a day in your life. We certainly feel privileged to handle historic objects every day and board the “time machine” for an adventure into the past every time someone walks through our doors. We thrive on the theatre, drama and romance of an auction, as well as the sentiment. If you want to see us in action why not pop along on July 20 when Bargain Hunt will be filming in our Derbyshire saleroom? Grab a bacon butty, place a bid, and prepare to take a part in the front seat of history. Charles Hanson is the director of Hansons Auctioneeers and an expert on BBC 1’s Bargain Hunt. Hansons next three-day sale starts on June 22. Visit www.hansonauctioneers.com
The price of a Georgian getaway
ANTIQUE COLLECTING 29
BEHIND THE SCENES Catherine Southon opposite side of the spectrum, I think we should encourage fans to start getting autographs of their idols just as we used to with The Beatles, The Stones, George Best, etc, rather than just taking selfies - it would be a real shame to lose the ephemera side of entertainment auctions.
What antiques do you have at home? I buy what I like rather than collect anything in particular. I have some attractive clocks, quirky telescopes and microscope, globes, novelty inkwells and gavels. My most recent purchase has been a beautiful piece of 1920’s Lalique.
How is the industry changing and what will it look like in the future?
CATHERINE SOUTHON
PROFILE
Having started at Sotheby’s in the 1990s, Catherine Southon set up her own auction house five years ago What areas are currently selling?
Above Catherine is an expert on Flog It! and the Antiques Roadshow
I’ve seen a massive change. 20 years ago, many more people used to come along to auctions and we only used to do about 20 or so condition reports on items. Today, there is so much more reliance on the auctioneer and we send out many more reports. As people are not coming to auctions so much anymore, they want you to provide every last little bit of information on a Worcester jug. Whereas once upon a time one photo would have sufficed, now buyers request to see photos of items from every angle. It’s incredible what’s selling online. Having said that, it’s because there are so many auction houses now, so buyers can’t visit them all but will bid online or by phone rather than come to the auction.
Tell us some trade secrets - what are your top tips for buying antiques? Don’t buy things just because you think it will go up in value. I know a gentleman who was advised to buy Georgian furniture, so furnished his house with it, even though he didn’t particularly like it, because he was told he would profit from it. When we did a valuation recently it was worth a fraction of the price it was bought for. So don’t buy for an investment, but buy because you like something.
What antiques/artworks would you buy if money were no object?
We’re seeing very good sales continuing in areas like 20th-century design, vintage posters, Chinese works of art; fine jewellery, watches and costume jewellery. As always, our clients want good quality mixed with quirky and novelty. It’s getting increasingly harder to sell traditional antiques. Traditional items in the middle market are struggling a little, but on the positive side, for some buyers money is no object when it comes to securing the very best pieces.
A Patek Philippe watch for my husband, and probably an Alfred Sisley painting for me! I might treat myself to a piece of Cartier jewellery, too.
What do you think are the current ‘good’ investment items or ones to watch in the future?
I love going to Ford Market in Arundel, West Sussex, which is rather like an upmarket car boot sale.
I wish I knew, but sadly I don’t have a crystal ball so I cannot predict! However, I always think it’s a good idea to buy fine pieces of modern art by living artists - those who have exhibited at well-known venues and are at the beginning of their careers. On the complete
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You’re down to your last £50 - what antiques/art would you buy? That’s tricky. I would spend the day online trying to find those bargains that everyone else seems to find!
Where’s a favourite hunting ground?
Catherine Southon’s next auction takes place at the Farleigh Golf Course near Croydon on Wednesday 7 June. For more details visit www.catherinesouthon.co.uk or follow her on Twitter @SouthonAuction.
All the fun of the
FAIRS
Our essential guide on what not to miss at this summer’s glittering London fairs
Image courtesy of 2017 BADA Fair
ANTIQUE COLLECTING 31
SUMMER EVENTS Special EXPERT INSIGHT SUSIE RUMBOLD, PRESIDENT OF THE BRITISH INSTITUTE OF INTERIOR DESIGN Susie Rumbold is one of the many interiors experts on hand at this year’s fair to offer visitors practical advice.
Visitors to last year’s fair
Mounting OLYMPIA
The Art and Antiques Fair Olympia returns for a historic 45th year this month – making it the UK’s longest-running vetted fair With more than 160 dealers expected at this year’s event, visitors can explore a huge variety of pieces, ranging from diamond rings to dining tables, items of antiquity to cutting-edge, modern design. A truly eclectic list of pieces will be on offer, including furniture, glassware, ceramics, mirrors, lighting, art, clocks, rugs and tapestries, jewellery, silverware and sculpture. A new element for this year’s event is a series of interior design talks providing collectors with advice on how to make the most of their purchases. Speakers include Duncan Mackie and Spencer Churchill Design. Elsewhere, also new for 2017, will be a host of specialist experts, ranging from curators at the British Museum to independent art advisers, giving daily “highlight” tours to visitors. First-time exhibitors this year include Persis Antiques Ltd, MB Art SLR from Italy; Marina Oriental Art; Antique Cabinet from Germany and Portugal-based Zarco Antiques. Fair director, Marie Claire Boyd, said: “It’s an enticing mix that again looks set to bring a global audience to this year’s fair.”
32 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
William Morris famously said: “Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” When it comes to interior decoration, incorporating antiques into your décor can lend both beauty and practicality. Most of us already own a selection of vintage possessions. Broadly these fall into three categories: inherited family items, travel memorabilia and collections. For most of us, it is these things that we are most attached to and sentimental about – the first objects we would save if the house was burning down. Today’s families have different storage requirements from those of previous generations, with spaces dominated by televisions, electronic paraphernalia and bundles of cables. As such, modern, purpose-built storage is often better at dealing with this, rather than trying to adapt antique pieces for which they were not designed.
Where to start? Luckily, vintage pieces are quite easy to work into modern decorative schemes. Look out for compact items of furniture, one-off pieces like odd chairs and occasional tables, decorative objects and works of art. Identify gaps in your rooms that could take items
An eclectic mix can enhance an interior
Blend older antiques in a modern setting
Fact file WHAT: Art and Antiques Fair Olympia WHERE: The National Hall in London Olympia, London, W14 8UX (free shuttle bus between London Olympia and Sloane Square) WHEN: June 27 to July 2 (preview June 26) TICKETS: £15 in advance, £20 on the door and £60 on preview day MORE DETAILS: www.olympia-artantiques.com, follow the fair on Twitter: @OlympiaAntiques
Images courtesy of Mark Hill
SOFA London returns After a successful opening in 2016, SOFA London will be making a welcome return. A version of the critically acclaimed Chicago-based show, the Sculptural Objects Functional Art and Design Fair (SOFA), is an area dedicated to celebrating contemporary three-dimensional art and design.
of furniture, making a note of what size you can accommodate without crowding the room. Generate well-lit spaces that highlight eye-catching pieces by adding table lamps (either old or new) to provide midlevel lighting. Also be aware of scale: small paintings that might have worked in your first flat may look too small in a larger family home; so hang them in tight groups to give them more impact. Similarly, larger pieces of furniture can be hard to adapt for modern use and can dominate smaller spaces, so approach make sure you approach these with caution. Create “tablescapes” for collections of smaller objects, but be objective. Beware of having too many small knick-knacks. Fewer, slightly larger pieces will have more visual impact. Be sure to balance the groups in terms of height, material and colour, remembering that groups of three objects are visually pleasing. Time acts as a quality filter. The joy of adding old pieces to a modern interior is that they will be skillfully made – beautiful objects with a sense of history. They provide a visual and emotional connection to the past in a way that modern mass-produced items almost never do.
EXPERT INSIGHT BABBINGTON FINE ART, STAND E9 East Anglian artists Specialists in 20th century watercolours, drawings and oils, Babbington Fine Art – based in Suffolk and London – will be showing works by a number of East Anglian artists. Works on show will include examples from Henry Collins, Lionel Bulmer and Sir John ArnesyBrown, as well as pieces by Duncan Grant, Bernard Meninsky, John Piper, Edward Seago and John Nash.
Susie will present the hour-long talk Mixing Antiques and Contemporary at the fair at 12.30pm on June 30.
Eastern promise Henry Collins (1910-1994) was a Suffolk artist who worked very much within the county. He studied at Colchester School of Art and the Central School of Art, before beginning a career as a freelance designer on commissions from the Central Office of Information and the Festival of Britain. He also taught at the St Martin’s School of Art and Colchester School of Art and, with John Nash and Cedric Morris, was a founder member of the Colchester Arts Society. Lionel Bulmer (1919-1992) attended Clapham Art School before conscription into the army on the outbreak of WWII. After the war, he was accepted by the Royal College of Art and was taught by Ruskin Spear, Carel Weight and Charles Mahoney. Babbington Fine Art’s, George Babbington, said: “Collins painted in and around the Essex port of Harwich, while Lionel Bulmer – who is an artist with a rapidly growing reputation – painted scenes of Walberswick, Southwold and Aldeburgh. Bulmer was married to Margaret Green – another notable Suffolk artist.”
Don’t miss
This superb example of an 18th-century primitive ash and elm comb back Windsor chair, c. 1780, on sale from Wakelin and Linfield priced £5,800. The chair has a shaped top rail above horseshoe-shaped bow arms, while the shaped-saddle seat is supported on turned and splayed legs. The chair was originally part of the furnishings of the Baytree Hotel in Burford. See Wakelin and Linfield on stand C18.
Above Lionel Bulmer (1912-1992) Walberswick, oil on board, signed. On sale at this year’s fair for £3,250 Right Henry Collins (1910-1994) Dovercourt Lighthouse, signed and dated 1973, on sale at this year’s fair for £2,500
ANTIQUE COLLECTING 33
SUMMER EVENTS Special EXHIBITOR FOCUS S.J. PHILLIPS LTD. STAND D8 S.J. Phillips Ltd will this year be exhibiting a fine display of antique brooches, reflecting the upturn in interest in the style – including designs for men Despite the fact that brooches are one of the most multi-functional pieces to own, they had until recently fallen out of favour. This is due to modern fabrics being much more flimsy, less structured, and hence, less suited to brooches. However, in recent years collectors are rediscovering the decorative potential that the brooch has to offer. Director of S.J. Phillips Ltd, Nicolas Norton, said: “There is strong evidence that that brooch is making a come-back and we have been selling many more recently to both women and men. Men see the brooch as a form of personal expression and, of course, jackets are well suited to supporting a brooch.”
Galerie Chenel at last year’s Masterpiece. Photo credit Andy Barnham, courtesy Masterpiece London
MIGHTY masterpiece Star-studded Masterpiece London returns to the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea for the eighth time this month
M
asterpiece launched in 2010 with a unique focus on cross collecting. Over the past seven years it has established itself as one of the leading international art fairs, attracting approximately 40,000 visitors in its weeklong run. Works offered for sale span Impressionist and modern art, post-war and contemporary art, to master paintings from the 15th to 18th centuries. Elsewhere, discover modern and contemporary design, decorative arts, furniture, photography, ethnographic and folk art, antiquities, ceramics, silver, rare books and jewellery. New exhibitors this year include St James’s-based gallery Hazlitt Holland-Hibbert; French art specialists Stoppenbach and Delestre; and New York City’s Paul Kasmin Gallery.
34 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
Fact file WHAT: Masterpiece London WHERE: Royal Hospital Chelsea, South Grounds, London SW3 4LW WHEN: June 29 to July 5 (preview June 28) TICKETS: General admission £28, full access £45, preview £100 MORE DETAILS: www. masterpiecefair.com, follow on Twitter: @MasterpieceFair
Left A ruby and diamond dragonfly brooch, c.1890, the wings are pavé set with cushion cut diamonds, pavé set ruby markings centred by principal rose cut diamond collets with an cabochon emerald to each eye
Below An 18th-century diamond brooch, formerly part of the Imperial Russian crown jewels, c.1770
Above A 19th-century sapphire and diamond bee brooch, c.1870, set with cushion cut diamonds to the wings and a heart-shaped sapphire in diamond cluster to the thorax
CROSS-COLLECTING FOCUS Mixing different collecting genres is at the heart of Masterpiece. This year will see Safani Gallery and Geoffrey Diner Gallery present a mix of ancient Egyptian, Roman and Greek antiquities alongside iconic 20th-century and contemporary design. Elsewhere, Galerie Mathivet will show contemporary Aboriginal art in an art deco setting, and Repetto Gallery and Donati Arte Classica will present Roman pieces alongside postwar Italian works. Berwald and MD Flacks will offer modern British art beside Chinese antiques.
In the case of many early 18th-century brooches, the backs are often as beautiful as the front. Nicholas Norton explained: “The reverse of many antique brooches of Portuguese origin is often decorated with intricate, colourful enamel work, while the front is set with stones mined in South America. Quite a number of 18th-century brooches tend to be on the large side as, of course, they were designed for wearing down the bodice of a dress or as a stomacher – but there is no reason why they can’t still be worn like that today.” Other antique brooches can be small and discreet, he added. Aside from the fabulous geometric designs of art deco brooches, by the likes of Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels, the most popular brooches tend to be inspired by flora or fauna, hence the prevalence of butterfly, bee and insect brooches, as well as diamond floral sprays of varying sizes.
Brooches had until recently fallen out of fashion – now they are back in vogue for both women and men
Don’t miss
the celebrated interior designer Rose Uniacke at this year’s Masterpiece. Rose trained as a furniture restorer, gilder and specialist in paint and lacquer before becoming a respected antique dealer. She is well known for her ability to create calm, balanced, refined interiors, often incorporating antiques. The London-based designer was, this year, selected as one of the world’s best 100 architects and designers by the Architectural Digest. Visit her on stand B8.
An early 19th-century painted sarcophagus c. 18051810, which stood in the garden of Sir John Soane’s country house. Image courtesy of Rose Uniacke
Baroness Thatcher’s often-worn brooch: a George III diamond flower brooch modelled as a sixpetalled flower
Burne-Jones’s The Heart of the Rose, 1889, depicts Love holding a pilgrim’s staff
EXPERT INSIGHT AGNEWS STAND C27 Decoding the Pre-Raphaelites
Good pedigree
Top right A Regency
Warwick vase on a silver stand, silver, London, 1812, maker’s mark of Paul Brooches a distinguished Storr, height with 42.5cm (16¾in), 247are always royal weight pedigree oz. £75,000 on sale popular, such as the from Koopman Rare magnificent diamond brooch Art. Image courtesy of (left), which was once in the Koopman Rare Art
collection of Catherine the
RightGreat A pairof ofRussia. Victorian Together
silver figural vases. with other similar diamond London, 1849, maker’s would have markbrooches, of of Hunt it and originally been attached to Roskell, stamped with the retailer’s one of her mark manyoflavish gowns. ‘Hunt & Roskell, late Another notable brooch was Storr & Mortimer’. the HeightGeorge 38.8cmIII diamond flower broochweight which385oz. S.J. Phillips sold (15¼in), £275,000 on sale from to the former prime minister Koopman Rare Art at in the ‘80s. Baroness Thatcher this year’s Masterpiece. Mr Norton said: “It remained Image courtesy of a firm Rare favourite Koopman Art of hers and
she was widely photographed wearing it in Britain and abroad. She also chose to WHAT: wear London it when Art she sat for her Week official portrait by the artist WHERE: RichardLocations Stone, which hangs at across10 London Downing Street.” WHEN: June 30 to July 7 TICKETS: None required MORE DETAILS: www. londonartweek.co.uk
Fact file
The former prime minister wore the brooch on many occasions as seen in this photograph
Agnews, which is celebrating its 200th anniversary in 2017, will present some of its most important works during the London summer season. The London-based gallery, which specialises in Old Master paintings and works by the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, will exhibit a work by Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones (1833-1998), The Heart of the Rose, (above) at this year’s Masterpiece.
The language of flowers Agnews’ director, Anthony Crichton-Stuart, said: “Flowers – or the esoteric language of flowers – are an integral part of PreRaphaelite paintings. One of the principles that defined their aims was “to study nature attentively”. The Pre-Raphaelites carried out this belief in their faithful depiction of nature, which they also imbued with great meaning, and in Burne-Jones’s case, his ethereal depictions of legend and lore. Burne-Jones’s The Heart of the Rose depicts Love, winged and holding a pilgrim’s staff and leading the poet into a walled garden where a beautiful woman in emerald green sits surrounded by a briar rose in full bloom. An iris grows near Love’s feet, indicating the end of the quest, while the lilies near the wall signify the purity of this love. The painting is emblematic of the heart’s desire but it is also an allegory not only of the quest for perfect love, but also its dangers. For more than a decade, Burne-Jones was fascinated by the Legend of the Briar Rose, derived from Chaucer’s poem. His obsession must in part have been due to his own state of mind as a result of his doomed and tumultuous love affair with his Greek model, Maria Zambaco. Agnews will also be showing paintings of major art historical significance at its London townhouse during London Art Week, see overleaf for more details. ANTIQUE COLLECTING 35
SUMMER EVENTS Special EXPERT INSIGHT CERAMICS EXPERT PAUL CRANE The Age of Enlightenment alongside the development of the first English porcelain was transformatory, writes Paul Crane In the mid-18th-century, Europe was gripped by an insatiable appetite for knowledge, exploration and discovery, all of which was to spearhead the Age of Enlightenment. Exploration and science, both essentially funded by the ruling classes, began to go hand-in-hand with new styles that were to capture the imagination of artists, sculptors, modellers and their patrons of the period. The zeitgeist led to a transformation of the theatrical baroque into a new and natural Rococo style that endorsed man’s triumph over nature.
Chelsea manufactory
LONDON calling
It was at the Chelsea manufactory, a partnership between silversmith Nicholas Sprimont and Charles Gouyn, that porcelain was developed first in London. The first period of the Chelsea Manufactory, spanning 1745-49, saw the new and novel products marked with an incised triangle - the alchemical symbol of fire. It’s clear that surviving pieces of this first period are derived from a working knowledge of the silver, with modellers having exceptional sculpting skills. Lead and crushed glass were added to the pieces, which creates a high translucence. The result is a highly tactile and alluring body similar to that of the contemporary products of Vincennes manufactory. Nicholas Sprimont was still working at his silversmith business in Soho, so it is not surprising that exact counterparts found their way into Chelsea porcelain.
To coincide with this summer’s fairs, the capital’s dealers and galleries are holding a series of events A two-day ceramics seminar entitled The Splendour of the Dining Room takes place at the end of June, organised by Brian and Anna Haughton. The event will cover a wide range of ceramic subjects and their relationships with other art forms, including silver and sculpture. Some 14 international experts will speak at the seminar, on June 28-29, with talks ranging from state banquet silver in the reign of Henry VIII, to Japanese dining traditions. Kathryn Jones, senior curator of decorative arts at the Royal Collection Trust, will also speak on the “Grand Service” - the impressive silver-gilt dining service amassed by George IV (above) which was described by contemporaries as “unrivalled in Europe”. She will reveal how the service was created by some of the most sought-after designers of the period and still remains in use on the royal table to this day.
36 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
Left Chelsea goat and bee jug, c.1745-49. Private collection
Fact file WHAT: Two-day seminar called The Splendour of the Dining Room WHERE: Christie’s, 8 King Street, St James’s, London SW1Y 6QT WHEN: June 28-29 TICKETS: £45 for the two-day event, £75 including dinner at the Athenaeum Club on June 28 MORE DETAILS: 020 7389 6555, www.haughton.com
Below Chelsea pineapple box, cover and stand, c.1755, red anchor marks. Private collection
Above Chelsea artichoke, c.1754-56
Playful mood The goat and bee jug, dating from c.1745, demonstrates a playful dichotomy of naturalism and fantasy. Sadly, history dictates that we do not know the gifted modeller that was involved with making this, or any other goat and bee jug, however its comparison to the reclined goats at the base of the silver Ashburnham centrepiece, which bears the mark of Nicholas Sprimont, is very close indeed. Chelsea became a melting pot of Enlightened Rococo naturalistic design as the role of nature breathed life onto the tables of the aristocracy. The tiger lily soup plate, the pineapple box and asparagus box are some of the most dazzling examples of the refinement of painting in this heady period. They show the ingenious inventiveness of the modellers with the three-dimensional form, in creating naturalistic tureens, boxes and covers, which enhance the trompe l’oeil effect.
The ceramic historian Paul Crane will present the talk Inspired by Marine Forms, Early English Porcelain at the two-day seminar in June.
Don’t miss
The summer selling exhibition from a collective of West London antique porcelain dealers, formerly known as Eight Days in June, is relaunching this month with a new date and name. Now known as Kensington The Heart of Ceramics the event, from June 27 to July 1, is made up of four shows at venues on and around Kensington Church Street. For the first time, Garry Atkins, Roderick Jellicoe and Simon Spero will be joined by Juno Antiques, which is celebrating 10 years in business. The title of the exhibition is Moments of Pleasure and highlights include three rare Bow figures by the as yet unidentified “Muses Modeller”. For more details visit www. theheartofceramics com
Rare Bow figure of Melpomene, by the “Muses Modeller”, c.1750-54
Left Tiger lily soup plate, Hans Sloane c. 1755
London Art Week June 30 -July 7
To coincide with the summer fairs, this year’s London Art Week will run from June 30 to July 7, showcasing an outstanding array of art and objects spanning five millennia. It will be hosted by Top right than A Regency more 40 of the capital’s Warwick vasegalleries on a eminent and three silver stand, silver, leading auction houses. London, 1812, This year’s special maker’s mark of Paul exhibitions masterworks by Storr,include height 42.5cm (16¾in), someweight of the247 most revered oz. £75,000 on sale names in art history, including from Koopman Rare Delacroix, Art. Eugene Image courtesy of Marcel Duchamp, Koopman Rare Paul Art Gauguin, Sir Thomas Lawrence, Amedeo RightModigliani, A pair of Victorian Pablo Picasso, silver figural vases. Paul Rubens and London, 1849, maker’s Giambattista mark of of Hunt and Tiepolo. Most of the works Roskell, stamped with are offered the for retailer’s markprices of sale with ranging ‘Hunt &from Roskell, late to £5m. £1,000 Storr & Mortimer’. Galleries and auction houses Height 38.8cm taking part 385oz. include Didier (15¼in), weight £275,000 on sale from Ariadne Aaron Ltd, Agnews, Koopman RareJean-Luc Art at Galleries, Baroni this year’s Masterpiece. Ltd, Bonhams, Christie’s, Image courtesy of Colnaghi, Koopman RareBen Art Elwes, Peter Finer, Sam Fogg, Oliver Forge and Brendan Lynch Ltd, Daniel Katz, Lowell Libson Ltd, Moretti Ltd, Robilant and Voena, Stephen Ongpin Fine Art, Sotheby’s, Tomasso Brothers, Trinity Fine Art, Rupert Wace Ancient Art and the Weiss Gallery.
Fact file WHAT: London Art Week WHERE: Locations across London WHEN: June 30 to July 7 TICKETS: None required MORE DETAILS: www. londonartweek.co.uk
Auguste Rodin (18401917) Eternel printemps, premier état, taille originale - variante type c. Bronze. Conceived in 1884, it was cast sometime between 1887 and 1894
EXPERT INSIGHT DANIEL KATZ GALLERY The Romantics to Rodin Daniel Katz Gallery will present an exhibition at this year’s London Art Week on the development of the sculptural medium from the early 19th century to Rodin. The gallery’s Tom Davies said: “The exhibition covers an extremely exciting developmental moment in the evolution of the three-dimensional medium, one slightly neglected by art historians who continue to see the 19th century through the lens of painting.” The title of the exhibition derives from a seminal exhibition held in 1980 at the LA County Museum, which re-examined French 19th century sculpture. Tom continued: “The exhibition charts the dawn of Romanticism to the modern world of experimental new materials, as typified by Jean Carriès, concluding with the inception of true modern sculpture at the end of the century.” For more details visit www.agnewsgallery.com Théodore Géricault (17911824) Le moribund. Patinated plaster c. 1819
ANTIQUE COLLECTING 37
IN THE FRAME They might seem like afterthoughts, but picture frames can be works of art in their own right and increasingly popular with collectors
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ooden frames as we recognise them today originated in early 12th-century Europe. They would originally have been made from the same piece of wood that backed the paintings but, as styles evolved and portability became a requirement, constructing the frame separately was more efficient and cheaper. Soon, furniture craftsmen were attaching mitered wooden strips to artworks after they were complete. Frames became really elaborate in the Renaissance when elaborate carvings were decorated with gold or silver foil to echo elaborate scrollwork and architectural detail. At this time the aristocracy initiated their own court frames with unique figures and motifs.
A Dutch ebonised ripple-moulded reverse profile Kentian frame, 18th century with a bevelled mirror plate, sold for ÂŁ400
An Italian carved cassetta frame, 17th century, with recessed flower heads, sold for ÂŁ1,300
During the Baroque and Rococo periods, excessively detailed gold-leaf frames surged in popularity. During the mid-19th century, artists began to understand the importance of the frame and started playing a role in their construction. At the same time, increasing numbers of amateur photographers created a boom in homemade frames. Other styles include frames with heavily-mitered molding, those in the elaborate art nouveau style with asymmetrical natural imagery, and the striking geometric lines of art deco. By the mid-1930s, contemporary artists working in abstract styles opted for much simplified frames, or even did away with them altogether.
Q& & &A
Antique picture frames are back on collectors’ wish lists, Rosebery’s Marcus Grey explains why
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Many auction houses are reporting incre ing interest in the style. Why? It’s a slow but steady climb. Knowledge on the subject has been growing since the internet opened it up as a collecting genre. Prior to that, information to the wider public was limited and it was only professionals and specialists in the field who had in-depth understanding of frames. In those days the market was restricted, now, with information readily available, interest is growing.
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Why do people collect? Is it reframe existing pictures or something else? It is becoming increasingly popular for frames to be collected purely for their aesthetic appeal. Picture frames are being seen as a work of art in their own right, and there are even ollectors who display frames on the walls without any pictures at all. Added to which, there is a growing sensitivity towards frames. Collectors have a greater understanding that paintings look their best with either their original frames, or ones sympathetic in style and design. n n liken a painting with its original frame to house retaining its windows and glazing. As we grow more conscious of conservation, there is an increasing interest and willingness to explore how a painting would have been
presented and try to replicate it. People also buy frames to turn into a mirror, which is an increasingly common interiors trend, especially as frames can be picked up at auctions and elsewhere a very reasonable price.
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What is the current demand for when it comes to antique picture frames? Authentic pieces, and carved and gilded frames. Period English, French, Italian and Spanish frames are always sought after.
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Could you give a brief overview of the different styles/ eras? Very early frames were actually built into the walls of a building. They were even built in above doors and fireplaces to imitate a window, with the oil panel painting and frame being fixed together. Over time, as the middle classes developed, paintings became a status symbol and people wanted them to be portable. As frames were meant to imitate a window, you often see early versions with a rain sill on their lower edge. As time went on, frames became more and more ornate, culminating in the Louis XVI period. Later the style became more stripped back, including the understated designs associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Movement.
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What role did the artist have over the framing of his/ her paintings? Some artists had no involvement but for others the frame was very important. The Polish post-impressionist Alfred Wolmark, for instance, incorporated frames into his work, giving the finished pieces a overall decorative effect. He designed all his own frames between 1910 and the early 1930s, adorning them with patterns. His son Eric once said: “Nearly all his paintings were conceived as decorations with the purpose of decorating someone’s walls, the frames being an essential part of the decoration.”
‘Picture frames are being seen as a work of art in their own right and there are collectors who display frames without pictures on their walls’
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Which eras, styles and designs are the most appealing to collectors? Some frames can be worth more than the paintings they hold. These include early Spanish frames, because of their age and how they are built. The Spanish produced a distinct, flamboyant style, which was noted for its heavily-carved corners that matched the artworks being created at the time. The French are generally considered to be the best frame makers, so Gallic designs from the 17th and 18th century are greatly sought after. Frames are rarely signed by their makers, meaning anything on the back that indicates when, where and by whom they were made is, on the whole, a good find.
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Are there any guidelines on which frames suit which paintings? Contemporaneous is generally best. With older paintings it is more sympathetic to display them in a frame of the period. Modern and contemporary work can look good in earlier period frames but it wouldn’t be advisable to put an Old Master in a modern design. On the other hand, the bold designs of early Spanish frames complimented Picasso, even though they were from a very different time and period.
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How important is condition when it comes to antique picture frames? Condition is really important. Damaged frames – unless very old – have little value. Mass-produced designs of the 19th century are also low in value if they are damaged, because it costs so much to repair them. Also look out for fakes. Feel the quality of the wood and look for signs of warping, this can give a good idea as to whether the frame is genuinely old or a modern reproduction. Edges should be smooth, as they would have been handled and touched over time. A modern frame will have sharp edges. Look at the back, has it had new additions, is there general wear and tear? Marcus Grey is the head of Rosebery’s picture department. The auction house’s next sale, on June 27-28, has a section devoted to antique picture frames. For more details visit www.roseberys.co.uk
Below A gilded oak
and composition Watts frame, late19th century, with gilt slip, sold for £780, against an estimate of £250£350
ANTIQUES Across the Pond
THE $100M CLUB
$179.4m. Pablo Picasso Les Femmes d’Alger (Version 0). 2015. $170.4m. Amedeo Modigliani Nu Couche. 2015. $142m. Francis Bacon Triptych Three Studies of Lucian Freud. 2013. $119.9m. Edvard Munch The Scream. 2012. $110.5m. Jean-Michel Basquiat Untitled. 2017. $106.5m. Pablo Picasso Nude, Green Leaves and Bust. 2010. $104.5m Andy Warhol Silver Car Crash. 2013. $104m. Pablo Picasso Garçon à la Pipe. 2004.
Lowry’s Landscape While Jean-Michel Basquiat set a new auction record, Nicholas Lowry has a more homespun way of predicting the market
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aybe it’s my imagination but it seems more and more people are asking: “how’s business?” It may also be my imagination, but I can’t help feeling the expected answer is carrying more and more importance. It appears people are viewing the query as a bellwether for how things are going in our economy. As if what is happening in the art world reflects, or is a microcosm, of the global economic situation. Curiously I think it actually might be. When I first entered into the business in the late 1990s with my father, he let me in on one of his secrets. Over his 30-plus years in the industry, he’d detected an interesting economic trend: results in the auction world predict financial markets with a sixmonth lag. In other words, as the auction world goes, so follows the rest of the economy.
Above Jean MichelBasquiat, Untitled, signed, inscribed NYC and dated 82 on the reverse, sold for $110.5m (£85m) including buyer’s premium © 2017 The Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat ADAGP, Paris ARS
This was as far from scientific analysis of the markets as one could possibly get. But it makes sense: as people feel optimistic about the economy, they spend more money on things which aren’t a necessity (such as art and antiques). My father had accidentally stumbled on to an early, small-sample, microcosmic example of crowd sourcing. So how is business now, and what can we expect in the next half year? My answer is that it feels we are working harder than before to achieve the same results - not the most buoyant prognosis. If you don’t agree with my father’s prediction method there are other ways to measure the art market. In Sotheby’s and Christie’s May and November blockbuster sales, the world had a much larger gauge by which to judge the health of the world’s art market. By all accounts, the May results were very impressive, although subject to numerous interpretations. In fact, trying to find a unifying theory in the press, or even a single word that describes the results, is difficult. For those, like myself, who find some of the numbers involved too abstract (or too obscene) to comprehend, it is entertaining to read the papers’ summation.
“MIND-BLOWING” Sotheby’s Impressionist and Modern Art sale on May 16 brought in $173.8m (£133.5m) but was called “sleepy” and “muted” by Art News. Personally, I would be overjoyed to have a trepidatious drag of a sale totalling almost $200m (£153.5m). At Christie’s sale of Post-War and Contemporary Art a total of $448m (£340m) was sold with a 96 percent sell-through rate, yet ArtNet News described bidding as “robust but not frothy.” More universally acclaimed was Sotheby’s evening auction at which a Basquiat painting sold for $110.5m (£85m). Artinfo declared it a “miraculous night” which “rocketed to an unexpected and estimate-busting $319.2m (£245m) result.” Even the New York Times referred to it as “mind-blowing”. Since it’s hard to find meaning amid the flim-flammy verbiage of the art press, in what was an incredible week of auctions, I am just going to stick with my own (and my father’s) barometer, which has served me well in the past. Nicholas Lowry is the president of Swann Auction Galleries in New York. Its next sale, art, press and illustrated books is on June 13. ANTIQUE COLLECTING 41
RARE BOOKS Jane Austen
AUSTEN POWERS
Q& Q& &A
Austen (Jane) The Novels, 5 vol., ‘Standard Novels’ series, Richard Bentley, 1833. Estimated at £2,000£3,000 at Forum Auction’s sale on July 10
To mark next month’s 200th anniversary of the death of Jane Austen, specialist book expert Rupert Powell reveals how to collect works by one of the world’s best-loved authors
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How important will next month’s anniversary be to collectors? The 200th anniversary of Jane Austen’s death this year will be an excuse to celebrate one of English Literature’s bestloved and most enduring novelists. Public awareness of her life and works will be heightened, but whether this will have any material effect on the commercial value of first and collectable editions of her novels is doubtful, given how strong the market already is for these rarities.
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Why is her work so sought after, what makes it so special? The world Jane Austen wrote about and the characters she created seem to have a lasting appeal and to the broadest of audiences – women as well as men, old and young, English-speaking and foreign, and at all levels of the social strata. I think it would be hard to define a ‘typical’ Jane Austen reader or devotee. Still regarded as one of the most important English literary figures of the 19th century, her works are studied by schoolchildren and students throughout the world. This global fascination (there are Jane Austen Societies in the UK, North America, Australia and Japan, as well as countless other appreciation groups round the world) has created a strong market for her works – from the ordinary reader who just wants to buy a copy of a paperback, to the obsessive collector who desires to own all her novels in the original bindings in which they were published.
Jane Austen by James Andrews, 1869. Private collection courtesy of the 19th Century Rare Book and Photograph Shop, Stevenson, Maryland. The portrait was commissioned by Jane’s nephew, James Edward Austen-Leigh, who wanted a watercolour based on Cassandra’s sketch
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What can we say about how her novels were published? Jane Austen published four novels during her lifetime, all anonymously. Northanger Abbey and Persuasion were published posthumously together in a four-volume set, with a short biographical account of the author by her brother Henry, in 1818, the year after her death. Her first published work, Sense and Sensibility, was one of three novels Austen had written by the early 1800s - the first draft of Pride and Prejudice was rejected by the publisher Thomas Cadell and an early version of Northanger Abbey (under the title Susan) remained unpublished, despite having been purchased by another publisher, Richard Crosby and Son. It is believed that 1,000 copies of Sense and Sensibility were printed and it took some two years (till July 1813) for the work to sell out. Emma, Austen’s fourth work, had a print run of 2,000 copies.
‘There are Jane Austen societies in the UK, North America, Australia and Japan, as well as countless appreciation groups around the rest of the world’
Austen (Jane) The Novels, 2 vol. in 1, first collected edition, 1838. Estimated at £1,000-£1,500 at the same sale
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Which novels are worth more than others, and why? The most sought-after title in her canon of work is Pride and Prejudice. It is a book that has sold somewhere in the region of 20 million copies worldwide since its original appearance, and has inspired numerous cinematic and dramatic adaptations as well as imitations. A copy of the threevolume first edition of 1813 in the original drab boards, complete with all half-titles and with the advertisements (dated November 1812) bound in at the beginning of volume one, made a monumental £115,000 at auction in 2010. The more “usual” price for a copy of the same work but rebound in leather from the early 19th century is around £25,000-£35,000. Sense and Sensibility, being her first published work, is probably the next most collectable title, with most copies in contemporary bindings fetching around £20,000-£30,000.
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What makes the difference between an Austen worth a few hundred pounds and one worth tens of thousands and more? It is largely the edition, condition and association which make a difference to values of Jane Austen (and other) books. In general, a first edition is more desirable to collectors than a later reprint, since it is the original format in which the book appeared. The first or earlier works of an author’s output also tend to be more collectable than later titles because the print run was usually smaller, perhaps before an author became (more) successful or famous. Condition and completeness of books is of paramount importance. In many copies of first editions of Jane Austen’s works, the half-title (a single leaf with just the title of the book, which immediately precedes the title-page - which has author, volume number, publisher and date details) is often missing from one or all
STARTING A BOOK COLLECTION
If you’re thinking about starting a book collection, the first thing is to make sure you have a focus, writes Max Hasler
The great thing about book collecting is that you do not have to be wealthy to pursue it as a hobby – there are books at every price range and for all sorts of people. In my case, I have started a collection of 19th-century horror: while I would love at some point to pick up a first edition of Dracula (£2,000-plus for a good copy), for now I have a lot of more minor works and even small cheaply printed books (known as chapbooks), which can be picked up now for as little as £40.
ANIMAL FARM
One of the most common questions I am asked is what makes a book valuable. the volumes. These half-titles would often be the page on which an ownership or other inscription was written, so, when the book was rebound, this page might well have been discarded. Although this might appear a small defect, to a serious collector or purist, a missing page such as this could make a considerable difference.
This is a difficult question to answer because there is no easy rule of thumb, but ultimately the value is defined by the same factors that decide the values of all antiques – desirability and scarcity. To illustrate this, I will take as an example one of the most widely-read books in the English language: George Orwell’s Animal Farm. The first edition was published in 1945 and the print run was 4,500 copies. Even if you suppose half of those first edition copies have been lost, you still have a potential 2,000 exisiting copies – hardly scarce. A good copy of the first edition therefore, without a dustjacket, would be around £150-£200 at auction, not bad for a very collectable first edition! The book does start to become more expensive, however, when you add the dust-jacket. By their nature, these tend to degrade over time unless taken care of, becoming faded, torn or often disposed of in their entirety. Copies with these are much scarcer, therefore, and those with dust-jackets in like-new condition are scarcer, too. Thus, a copy in a dustjacket in poor condition would be in the region of £600-£800 or £5,000-£7,000 for a like-new copy. Now we come to the ultimate copies – those that were signed or inscribed by the author. A work being signed by the author does not always add a great deal of value to it, as the author might have lived a long life and signed numerous copies. Orwell on the other hand was a very private individual who died only five years after Animal Farm was published, meaning signed copies are exceedingly scarce, driving up the price still further: a signed first edition last sold at auction for £92,500, making it something for only the most devoted of collectors. Austen (Jane) Novels, 6 vol., ‘Series of English Idylls’, illustrated by Charles E. Brock, 1907. Estimated at £800-£1,200 at the same sale
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How important are bindings to the price and collectors in general? Books in their original bindings tend to make more than those in contemporary bindings, while the latter tend to make more than those in modern bindings. In all cases, a book in pristine condition will make ANTIQUE COLLECTING 43
RARE BOOKS Jane Austen more than a copy, which is worn or grubby (internally or externally). Finally, an overriding factor to all of the above could be a book’s association – a copy signed by the author or given by the author to someone (and that someone could also be of varying degrees of significance), or a copy owned by someone well-known or linked in some way to the author, could all impact enormously on the value. By way of example, a first edition of Emma with an inscription in the publisher’s hand “From the author” and owned by her friend Anne Sharp, made a staggering £150,000 at auction in 2008. Without this association, this copy would probably have made a tenth of the price.
Rare Books: Essential Facts
The Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association presents an essential guide to terminology First edition This term originated during the hand-press era (1450 to the early 19th century), when printers composed text from individual pieces of metal type. The first edition of a book was the first set of copies printed from the same setting of type. If the book sold well and more copies were needed, the type was reset, creating the second edition. Beginning in the Victorian era, new technologies allowed settings of type to be preserved and reused, and the interchangeable terms impression and printing refer to copies made at a later time from the same setting. Book formats You may see booksellers describe books as “folio”, “quarto” (4to), “octavo” (8vo) and other similar designations. These refer to the way that the printed leaves have been folded together. Folio is the largest format, with leaves that are folded only once, creating four pages of text. In a quarto the leaves are folded twice, resulting in 8 pages of text, and so on, all the way down to tiny 64mo books. Format can tell you a lot about a book – folios, for example, are very large and often used for detailed maps and fine illustrations, and they were also symbols of luxury. Octavos are more convenient for reading, and novels and popular non-fiction are usually produced in this format. Bindings Up until the early 19th century, most books were not bound by their publishers, but were sent out to booksellers as sets of sheets, sometimes with an inexpensive paper or card binding. The bookseller or the eventual purchaser could then have the book bound to their own taste and budget. When a bookseller describes a binding as
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contemporary, they mean that it was bound soon after it was published. Older books are often bound in leather, usually calf, which is smooth, or morocco, which has a prominent grain. Quarter calf/morocco means that only the spine is leather, and half means that the spine and the corners are leather. 19th-century technological innovations allowed publishers to begin producing inexpensive, decorative cloth bindings blocked in blind (stamped without colour) or gilt (stamped with metallic pigment). Dust-jackets The origin of dust-jackets lies in the paper wrappings that mid-19th century publishers used to protect their books in transit. Some shops, particularly in London, left the paper on to protect the books from dust, and some publishers began printing titles on them. Decorative versions of these wrappers also began to be used to market special holiday and gift books. Eventually, these simple, throw-away wrappers evolved into the modern dust-jacket, though it wasn’t until the 1920s that book buyers began to routinely keep the jackets. Some jackets are so rare and iconic that they can substantially increase a book’s value.
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How has the market changed in recent years, what influences it? The market for Jane Austen books remains extremely buoyant. While scholars might argue that it is her literary skills, humour and social perceptiveness which have created such a lasting appeal, who can argue that the image of a wetshirted Colin Firth appearing from the lake as Mr Darcy in the BBC’s 1995 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, has not created an equally lasting impression on countless newcomers to Jane Austen. Last year’s Pride and Prejudice and Zombies went one step further in endeavouring to reach a new, presumably younger, audience of fans. Most film and TV versions have had enormous boxoffice appeal, but no version would surely work unless the original novel itself had been so brilliant and timeless.
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What would be the book of hers that you would most like to own and why? For me, any first edition by Jane Austen would be a prize to wish for. I have read and re-read all her novels, often finding something new to enjoy each time. I have a charming set of her novels published around
Signatures Books with only an author’s signature are referred to as signed, while those with a short handwritten message are inscribed. Copies of a book presented by the author to someone who had an important influence on the book, or who edited or contributed to it, are called association copies. The dedication copy is one inscribed from the author to the person honoured in the printed dedication at the front of the volume.
The Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association’s next summer fair takes place at the new location of Battersea Evolution from June 1-3, 2018. For more details www.aba.org.uk
Austen (Jane) Pride and Prejudice..., 2 vol., third edition, T.Egerton, 1817. Estimated at £2,000-£3,000 at the same sale
the turn of the 20th century and illustrated by Brock already on my shelves – so would it be too greedy if I were to wish for a full set of all her first editions?
Jane Austen
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What is the collector’s Holy Grail when it comes to Jane Austen? The Holy Grail for Jane Austen collectors would have to be the author’s own copy of Pride and Prejudice; she is believed to have received five copies on publication, writing in a letter “I have got my own darling child from London”, and then giving four of them to her brothers Charles, Edward, James and Frank. Her sister Cassandra’s copy is held by the University of Texas.
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How do the prices achieved compare with other authors of her era? The only other 19th-century authors who can compete with Jane Austen from a purely commercial point of view are Dickens and the Bronte sisters. They were
Austen (Jane) Pride and Prejudice: A Novel, 3 vol., second edition, 1813. Estimated at £3,000£4,000 at the same sale
writing some 25-50 years after Austen, but have likewise achieved classic status. Dickens was phenomenally successful in his own lifetime; the Bronte sisters, like Austen, were published anonymously (or rather pseudonymously to be exact, under the pen names Currer (Charlotte), Ellis (Emily) and Acton (Anne) Bell). To give a flavour of prices – a copy of A Christmas Carol inscribed by Dickens before publication, made an eyewatering $240,000 in 2009; and a copy of Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights also hit the heights when making £200,000 in 2011. Rupert Powell and Max Hasler are specialists at London-based auctioneers Forum Auctions. Its next sale, Fine Books and Works on Paper is on July 10 at the Westbury Hotel, 37 Conduit Street, includes works by Jane Austen as well as Thomas Hardy and the Bronte sisters. For more information visit www. forumauctions.co.uk
Jane was born on December 16, 1775 in the village of Steventon in North Hampshire where her father was the vicar of the small 12th-century church. In 1805, her father died, and Jane, along with her mother and sister, Cassandra, moved to Southampton. Jane found living in a city challenging after growing up in the countryside, but she often spent time walking along Southampton city walls and taking excursions to Netley Abbey and the River Itchen. Jane also often travelled to Portsmouth to visit her brothers, Francis and Charles, who were stationed there with the Royal Navy. From 1809 until 1817 she lived in the village of Chawton, near Alton, where her brother James owned Chawton House and offered his sister and mother a home. Back in the countryside, Jane turned again to writing and produced her greatest works, such as Mansfield Park, Emma and Persuasion, plus she revised her manuscripts for Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice and Northanger Abbey. In 1817 Jane became ill and moved to a house in College Street, Winchester, with her sister to be closer to her doctor. Sadly, after a couple of weeks, at the age of 41 she died on July 18, 1817. A few days later she was laid to rest in Winchester Cathedral. Chawton House where Jane produced her best works
DISCOVER MORE
The Hampshire Cultural Trust is coordinating a year-long series of events with the centrepiece being the exhibition, The Mysterious Miss Austen, running at the Winchester Discover Centre until July 24. The exhibition, featuring 80 pieces of paintings, watercolours, prints, illustrations, manuscripts, letters and clothing, explores Jane’s life, work and her relationship to Hampshire. Highlights include the manuscript of an alternative ending to her final novel Persuasion in her own hand, on loan from the British Library. Persuasion, which deals with love lost and second chances, was written in 1815/16 when Austen’s health was failing (it was published posthumously in 1818). The two chapters on display are the only surviving manuscript pages of a novel Jane Austen planned and completed for publication. She subsequently became dissatisfied with this first ending and rewrote the chapters in the published form we have them today. Another manuscript on loan from The British Library is a volume of teenage writings, entitled Volume the Second and written when she was just 16 years old. Among the items in Volume the Second is the spoof History of England, a comic account of England from Henry IV to Charles I as told by ‘a partial, prejudiced, & ignorant historian’. This parody of published history books includes coloured illustrations by Jane’s sister Cassandra. For more details visit www.janeausten200.co.uk ANTIQUE COLLECTING 45
MEMORABILIA High flyer
Cool & Collectable Jetting off this summer? While the experience might not recapture the golden age of aviation, airline memorabilia is still flying high says Paul Fraser
W
hile low budget airlines have revolutionised our holidays, air travel has lost much of the glamour of its earlier years, when you’d get dressed up to the nines for the BOAC flight to the Italian lakes. No matter, because a passionate body of collectors is keeping the golden age of aviation alive. And you can join them.
Concorde
It was noisy. It was cramped. But to anyone who experienced the thrill of “arriving before you leave” (so long as you were heading west) on board Concorde, it was wondrous. It wasn’t just the aircraft’s speed (reaching New York three-and-a-half-hours after leaving London) that made Concorde so special. It was also its looks. That’s why that most iconic piece of Concorde – its nose cone – is the biggest seller. One such example from a British Airways aircraft auctioned for £320,000 in 2003, although around £100,000 is a more common price. The machmeters, which told the pilot when the plane had passed the speed of sound, are another piece high on Concorde collectors’ want lists. One sold for £34,000 in 2003. Lower down the pecking order are items such as cockpit windows (around £350), while in-flight cutlery sets sell for £100. Despite enthusiasts’ best efforts, the financial reality is that Concorde will never fly again. Which means memorabilia will be one of the only ways of remembering its heyday. Expect prices to remain strong for the rarest and most iconic pieces in the decades to come. Just 20 Concordes were built and only 14 entered service. That means considerable competition for the top items.
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Above Vintage packs of cards from the majority of airlines achieve around £10 opened, double that if still in their wrapper Below Concorde’s nose could drop to improve visibility while on the ground. They typically sell for around £100,000 today
Reminders of a different era
Before the 1930s, passenger air travel was often little more than a few seats added to an airmail plane. But when dedicated passenger air travel began to catch on, with it came an enhanced level of service, including luxurious in-flight meals. 1930s airlineembossed china plates from the likes of Royal Doulton and Wedgwood are among the most collected items as they give a true feel for the sophistication of these early years. They were lighter than normal plates to help the planes get off the ground. Individual items from big name carriers such as Pan Am and American can sell for as much as £750. After dinner, it was time for a game of cards, courtesy of the free packs given away by airlines. 1920s examples from British Airways’ forerunner, Imperial Airways, are the earliest. Expect to pay around £75. Vintage but not particularly rare packs from the majority of airlines achieve around £10 opened, double that if still in their wrapper.
Sick bags KLM miniature houses
Since the 1950s, KLM has been offering a miniature ceramic house to every World Business Class passenger. Produced in the Netherlands’ renowned pottery-making town of Delft, and enclosing a small miniature of gin, these are as charming as they are collectable. Since 1994, KLM has produced a new one each year – before that, releases were more spasmodic. Many represent real Dutch houses. Most of the 97 sell for around £10. Some of the special editions, such as the 2009-produced Huis ter Kleef – based on the ruins of the castle in Harlaam – achieve £750.
‘Sick bags also have their fans. Rare examples from low cost British carrier Monarch change hands for £20, while the 20 limited edition designs produced by Virgin in 2004 have a big collector base’
Yes, sick bags also have their fans. Introduced in the early 50s, rare examples from low cost British carrier Monarch change hands for £20, while the 20 limited edition designs produced by Virgin in 2004 have a big collector base. Virgin produced half a million in total, so “limited edition” is possibly something of a misnomer. Complete sets sell for around £20. Above Gin-filled miniature houses are a perk for KLM World Business Class passengers – prices on the secondary market range from £10 to £750, depending on rarity
Aviation pioneers
Such is the technological wizardry of planes today, it’s incredible to think the Wright Brothers only got off the ground 114 years ago. You might think the Brothers would be the most desirable of the aviation pioneers with collectors. In fact, they are eclipsed by two later stars of the skies. The first is Charles Lindbergh, who made the first solo non-stop flight over the Atlantic. The daring-do of Lindbergh’s 33-hour achievement clearly resonates more with collectors than the Brothers’ 12 seconds. I recently sold a collection of spare parts from Lindbergh’s Spirit of St Louis, flown on the history-making flight, priced at £125,000. It included everything Lindbergh might need for some in-flight repairs, including a rocker arm for the engine, two spark plugs and three shock absorber bungee cords. I’m currently offering a piece of fabric from the plane, signed by the man himself, for £75,000. In contrast, pieces of fabric from the Wright Flyer achieve around £6,000 at auction. The second is Amelia Earhart, the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. In attempting to fly around the world, she vanished somewhere in the South Pacific in 1937. The speculation surrounding her disappearance, including one theory that she was a spy captured by the Japanese, and another that she landed on an uninhabited island and never made it off again, continues to fuel demand for her memorabilia. It’s why the flying goggles she wore in making her record-setting 1932 transAtlantic flight auctioned for £85,000 in 2009. You can pick up her signature for around £300 at auction. Paul Fraser is the founder of Paul Fraser Collectibles. For more details visit www.paulfrasercollectibles.com
FLYING HIGH Early ephemera such as timetables, route maps and menus also have a huge market. In basic terms, the earlier the item, the rarer and more valuable it is. A 1951 BOAC schedule will set you back around £40. Landmark occasions – such as a now-defunct carrier’s last timetable – also have a market, while timetables from more obscure airlines also attract interest. By way of an example, a 1980 summer timetable from Romanian carrier Tarom sells for around £50.
Right A Charles Lindbergh signed photograph. On sale for £9,500 at Paul Fraser Collectibles Below A piece of fabric from The Spirit of St Louis, signed by Lindbergh. On sale at Paul Fraser Collectibles for £75,000
ANTIQUE COLLECTING 47
ANTIQUE Inspirations
Globe Spotters From the country rounds of rural Alabama, to the bustle of the city streets of Turin, Nicholas Martin reveals brocantes every collector should visit this summer
BELGIUM
CINEY EXPO FLEA MARKET AND ANTIQUE FAIR WHERE: Ciney FREQUENCY: Twice a year DATE: July 21- 23 When it comes to massive flea markets, the town of Ciney in the Province of Namur, is a must. Ciney hosts one of the largest flea market and antique fairs in Belgium, with more than 700 exhibitors from Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands and even Italy, and more than 15,000 visitors. The fair takes place twice a year over three days, between March and October. What has made the Ciney Puces et Salon des Antiquaires famous, is its unique concept of “unpacking at the back of the truck” (the “déballage au cul du camion” in French) when more than 500 trucks gather on the car park of Ciney Expo on the first day of the fair (Friday). Vendors initially leave their trucks closed, and at 2pm sharp, the gates of the exposition
48 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
Above Nights at Marburger, USA are magical Right Ciney hosts the largest flea market and antique fair in Belgium
centre open to visitors, who rush as quickly as possible to the trucks in search of rare and unusual objects. This really is the must of the fair! It is recommended to show up on the first day of the fair as, by the end of the day, most of the best merchandise will be gone. On Saturday and Sunday visitors usually mostly find “leftovers” such as bulky or expensive items that didn’t find any takers or objects in bad condition.
IN THE KNOW DÉBALLAGE MARCHAND D’AVIGNON
FREQUENCY: Four times a year DATE: June 19, September 18
Isle-sur-la-Sorgue boasts 300 permanent antique dealers and second hand shops
FRANCE
INTERNATIONAL FAIR FOR ART AND ANTIQUES OF ISLE-SUR-LA-SORGUE WHERE: Isle-sur-la-Sorgue FREQUENCY: Twice a year DATE: August 11-14 Located 12 miles east of Avignon, between Carpentras and Cavaillon, Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is one of those typical places in Provence that one has to see: a square surrounded by cafés and shops that radiate mouth-watering smells and window displays; little bridges to cross, narrow ancient streets where plane trees and green foliage abound, and several large, lovely waterwheels. However, what makes Isle-sur-laSorgue so special from a flea market standpoint, is its antiques fair. Twice a year, in spring and in summer, 450 exhibitors (in addition to the 300 permanent antique dealers and second hand shops) flock to Isle-sur-laSorgue, making this event one of the biggest antiques and secondhand fairs in Europe – some even say that Isle-sur-la-Sorgue forms today, with London and Paris, one of the cardinal points of the antiques “golden triangle” in western Europe. Travellers and flea market enthusiasts who manage to fight their way through the 120,000 visitors who attend the fair twice a year, will be rewarded by finding pretty Provençal boutis, beautiful ceramics with patina, antique furniture, old crockery, rare finds, and other collectables and memorabilia from the South of France.
‘Some even say that Isle-sur-laSorgue forms, with London and Paris, one of the cardinal points of the antiques “golden triangle” in western Europe’
The Déballages Marchand d’Avignon (Antique Trade Markets of Avignon), also known as Journées Professionnelles Internationales de l’Antiquité et de la Brocante, is a trade event exclusively reserved to professional antique dealers and flea market merchants from all over the world. One of its trademarks is its equal opportunity policy - noone can open a truck before the start of the fair. It means all buyers have the same opportunity to
find exceptional things. The market allows professional antique dealers the chance to find treasures that would otherwise take weeks to source around Europe. It is no wonder why thousands of buyers from more than 50 countries around the world regularly flock to Avignon in order to refill their stocks with a full range of antiques and decorative art produced over the last centuries, from the four corners of the continent and beyond.
Must visit!
GRANDE BRADERIE DE LILLE WHERE: Lille FREQUENCY: Once a year DATE: September 2-3 Just an hour outside of Paris by TGV, the town of Lille is home to one of the most anticipated events in France: the annual two-day Grande Braderie de Lille. Every first weekend in September, Lille (in northern France) becomes the worldwide capital of flea markets and bargain-hunting, while offering the unique opportunity for visitors to discover the colourful French city, with its exuberant architecture, and witness of the rich commercial past of Lille. As the largest flea market in all of Europe, this vibrant event, which dates back to medieval times, attracts almost 2m visitors every first weekend in September. The “Braderie” (French for “sell off”) hosts around 10,000 professional and private exhibitors hawking their wares over 62 miles of streets, with everything from knick-knacks to antique treasures. The Grande Braderie de Lille is the place to find that hidden gem (the “perle rare” as the French say), discover vintage and retro items as well as beautiful antiques, and immerse oneself in an atmosphere that reflects the city itself: warm, friendly and festive, especially when sampling its traditional “moules frites” (mussels with french fries).
ANTIQUE COLLECTING 49
ANTIQUE Inspirations Each edition of the Fiera Antiquaria di Arezzo is visited by an average of 20,000 people
GRAN BALON FLEA MARKET WHERE: Turin FREQUENCY: Every month DATE: June 11, July 9, August 13 Once a week in the city of Turin, 100,000 visitors descend on Porta Palazzo, Europe’s largest open-air market. For more than 150 years, the sprawling market has offered a cornucopia of items from Italy and beyond. With 1,000 merchants and 700 street vendors, the weekly market of everyday objects has welcomed a colourful mix of registered, formal and informal vendors (since 1935 migrants have had the right to exchange goods on the market by a special city statute). But for collectors it is the monthly Gran Balon Flea Market that is the prize. This is the time that the market and surrounding streets are packed with antique dealers’ shops offering the most amazing pieces.
ITALY
FIERA ANTIQUARIA DI AREZZO WHERE: Florence FREQUENCY: Once a month DATE: July 1-2, August 5- 6 Any collector planning a trip to Florence this summer is advised to make the Fiera Antiquaria di Arezzo an essential port of call. With 500 exhibitors, the fair has for the last 40 years been the monthly meeting place for flea market enthusiasts throughout Italy and beyond. In fact, it has been estimated that each meeting of the Fiera Antiquaria di Arezzo is visited by an average of 20,000 people, including many tourists. Exhibitors come from all over the country attend the fair, offering a wide range of pieces reflecting the region’s cultural traditions and costumes. Besides the outdoor stalls there are more than 100 antique shops open all year round, refecting the town’s ancient heritage. The diversity on offer is enough to satisfy even the most demanding collector of antiques and fine art. And the variety of dealers exhibiting their wares is also legenary, ranging from art deco to antiquities, as well as quirkier pieces. Alongside the more eclectic pieces, specialised collectors of antique books, scientific instruments, old bottles and memorabilia are all rewarded after a day’s search, making the Fiera Antiquaria di Arezzo the choice destination for both connoisseurs and bargain hunters alike. An absolute must visit this summer.
50 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
UK
ARDINGLY INTERNATIONAL ANTIQUES AND COLLECTORS FAIR WHERE: Ardingly, Haywards Heath, West Sussex FREQUENCY: Seven times a year DATE: June 20-21, July 18-19 With its convenient links to the capital, Ardingly International Antiques and Collectors Fair is a truly cosmopolitan antique event and a hot spot for local and national dealers and buyers. Its proximity to Gatwick (12 miles away) and from Dover (1 hour 30 minutes), means vendors come from Europe and further afield to sell here, with some buyers even coming from Asia and North America. Up to 1,700 stalls, housing thousands of goods – from fine antique furniture to delicate ceramics – can be seen at the fair. In fact, it has the reputation as one of the UK
antique fairs where quality European decorative items can be found. Its great appeal is that you can find just about anything. The fair embraces the traditional antique trade, with hobby collectors and the fast-growing vintage crowd, as well as fans of rustic, primitive and everyday objects. It is also a magnate for interior designers looking for a quirky, one-off accent pieces. With a combination of inside and outdoor stands, this mid-week fair is the perfect opportunity to indulge in a spot of off-piste collecting.
Its proximity to Gatwick and Dover, means vendors come from all over Europe and further afield to sell
USA
127 CORRIDOR SALE WHERE: Addison, Michigan to Gadsden, Alabama (690 miles) FREQUENCY: Once a year DATE: August 3-6 Every year, thousands of individuals clean out their closets and stake out their front yards along the Highway 127 corridor, stretching over 690 miles of scenic rural highway from Addison, Michigan to Gadsden, Alabama. They band together as communities, in groups or as individuals and over a four-day weekend they welcome the onslaught of visitors from the north, south east and west of the country. 127 Corridor Sale is a mutual exchange of cultures with a common goal: to look, buy and sell. For sheer variety, nothing tops the World’s Longest Yard Sale. Seasoned dealers in formal tents, as well as locals unloading the contents of their attics, set up shop roadside, hawking everything from boxes of fishing lures to crocheted table linens, along with iron bed frames, and garden statuary. As you drive the country roads, you will hear a collection of dialects, be privy to incredible stories related to the individuals and the items they sell and see a plethora of items that only your grandmother could love. Most importantly, many visitors come to see the unusual and socialise. 127 Corridor Sale is America at its best, especially for the savvy collector and garage sales enthusiast.
Did you know? The 127 Corridor Sale began in 1987 when Mike Walker initiated an event to encourage travellers to bypass interstate highways such as I-40 and I-75 in favour of scenic routes that would take them through rural communities and allow them to experience what the small towns and cities had to offer.
Top right Twice a year over a three-week period, more than 100,000 people flock to rural Texas Below The Highway 127
Corridor stretches over 690 miles from Addison, Michigan to Gadsden, Alabama
TEXAS ANTIQUE WEEKEND WHERE: Locations around Texas FREQUENCY: Twice a year DATE: September 21 to October 8 As the saying goes, “everything is bigger in Texas”. And its premier flea market is no exception. Twice a year over a three-week period, more than 100,000 people flock to rural Texas, to shop at more than 60 antique, collector, decor and fashion shows in barns, halls, under tents and in fields that span over 30 acres along Highway 237, at a midpoint between Houston and Austin. In fact, Texas Antique Weekend is not your regular flea market: this epic event regroups dozens and dozens of show sites in and around the communities of Round Top and Warrenton, in Fayette County, Texas. Antique Weekend Shows are scattered in Carmine, Burton, Oldenburg, Shelby, Fayetteville and points in between. Thousands of vendors from all over the country regularly attend the weekend, to showcase items from Majolica to mid-century holiday decorations and vintage chairs.
Nicolas Martin is the founder of www. fleamarketinsiders.com, an interactive website which lists all of the world’s largest (and smallest) flea markets fairs.
ANTIQUE COLLECTING 51
ART UNDER THE HAMMER Woolley and Wallis
SALEROOM SPOTLIGHT
More than 600 pieces of Burmantofts faience pottery go under the hammer this month representing one of the biggest collections to come to market in recent times • • •••••• A Burmantofts faience Anglo-Persian charger by Leonard King, estimated at £4,000-£6,000 at Woolley and Wallis’ sale on June 22
B
urmantofts faience pottery deserves to be viewed on a par with its better-known contemporaries, including the Martin Brothers, William De Morgan, Royal Doulton and Minton’s art pottery. The emergence of small, studio-based pottery production was a nationwide phenomenon from the early 1870s. The ceramics have survived the vagaries of time and fashion and today there is a strong collecting base for Victorian art pottery. A piece by the Martin Brothers can fetch hundreds of thousands of pounds, but highlyaccomplished work produced by other studios and factories can be much more accessible to the collector. Many of the art potteries are associated with the place or town where they were founded. The Martin Brothers’ studio and shop in Southall forms part of the legend of their celebrated work, while Pilkingtons Lancastrian firmly declared its pedigree from its inception. Burmantofts Pottery was founded on the other side of the Pennines in 1881 in the city of Leeds. Like Pilkingtons Lancastrian and also Royal Doulton,
52 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
Below A large
Burmantofts faience jardinière and stand covered in a monochrome yellow glaze, estimated £200£300 at the same sale
Burmantofts was a small subsidiary to a much larger industrial business. The original company, Wilcocks, mined coal and used the clay discovered in its grounds to expand into brick production, and the manufacture of sanitary ware and chimney pots. When tested, the clay was found to have qualities of exceptional purity and its potential to make high-fired brightly-coloured ceramics led the ambitious company manager, James Holroyd, to set up a studio and employ experienced artist-potters to create hand-thrown and handpainted ceramics. Holroyd was aware of the thriving Victorian market for art pottery, fuelled by a rise in middle-income households and the popular fashion for distinctive decoration for the home. He entered it in style, launching the arrival of Burmantofts faience pottery with an article in a fashionable journal and an exhibition at Howell and James in London. The opening of a showroom in London also confirmed his determination to become a significant player. The eventually closure of pottery production in 1904 was attributed to the loss of direction after Holroyd’s untimely death some 14 years earlier.
LEONARD KING During the years of production, Burmantofts faience succeeded in creating original and technicallyaccomplished ceramics to sell to the sizeable middle market at accessible prices. Although James Holroyd was closely involved in all aspects of production, he was not an artistic director and so an eclectic mix of design emerged from the different potters employed. The first works of Burmantofts were hand-crafted pieces using the French barbotine method where a thick slip is painted onto the thrown ceramic and further embellished with hand modelling. Equally ambitious was the prestigious ‘Anglo-Persian’ range, launched in 1887. Artist-designer Leonard King produced intricately hand-painted pieces in tones of indigo, purple and sage green, inspired by the Turkish Isnik style work of William De Morgan. Other popular lines included the smaller and more affordable ‘Fancies’, which catered for the Victorian taste for the grotesque. These fantastical creatures were created by hand modelling and then produced by mould.
In my opinion… We asked Michael Jeffery, Woolley and Wallis’ 20th-century design expert for his highlights How did the sale come about?
I received a phone call saying that, due to relocation, clients had to disperse a collection of 600 pieces of Burmantofts. The numbers sounded fantastical –it’s a pottery you might handle 30-40 times a year – yet at the client’s house I was greeted by a stunning display. Art nouveau cabinets in the living rooms were filled with many amazing examples of grotesques; while open shelves displayed the hand-crafted beauty of larger pieces.
How would you spend £250-£350? Some other ranges were also made by mould and then embellished with hand decoration and painting. Burmantofts was also notable for producing vast volumes of tiles, which varied from relief modelling to naturalistic depictions. Uniting these varied designs is the clarity of the Burmantofts glaze and the distinctive monochromes of blue, red and orange-yellow which it developed in the early years of production and became a celebrated quality of the ceramics.
Left A group of
Burmantofts faience mantle clocks, estimates from £300-£800 at the same sale Below A Burmantofts
faience charger by William Neatby, dated 1887, estimated at £300-£500 at the same sale
‘Burmantofts faience succeeded in creating original and technically-accomplished ceramics to sell to the sizeable middle market’
There is plenty of choice at the lower end of the market, including monochrome small vases which was a staple of the factory’s output. The distinctive blue, red and orange-yellow monochrome glazes quickly distinguished the work of the company and became its signature quality. Tiles are another option. The volume and diversity of tiles available on the market make them accessible and affordable for the collector. Burmantofts tiles are not as common as other makers, such as Minton’s art pottery, but still provide an affordable option and there are a whole range of different designs. Alternatively you could opt for damaged or restored pieces. Often frowned on as ill advised, it can be a good way of buying a rarer or highly-prized piece, as long as the damage or restoration is listed in advance. This way the collector could acquire a prestigious Anglo-Persian range or a larger, rarer grotesque.
How would you spend £2,000?
AUCTION fact file WHAT: A Private Collection of Burmantofts faience pottery WHERE: Woolley and Wallis, 51-61 Castle Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire WHEN: June 22 VIEWING: June 7-8, 2nd Floor, 17 Clifford Street, London and then full view on June 17, 19 and 20 at the Salisbury saleroom
This amount will enable you to purchase a collection of grotesques, other small groups of ceramics, or an extremely rare object such as a clock or charger by William Neatby (this collection includes four examples by Neatby which have not previously been recorded at auction). Another option at this price would be a fine piece of Leonard King’s Anglo-Persian ware – one of the highlights of the entire Burmantofts production.
Any insider tips?
Those on a limited budget could buy the fully illustrated catalogue which will provide an important reference work on the factory and an extension to the 1984 Bradford/Leeds exhibition catalogue, the only monograph on the factory to date. It may well become a collector’s item in its own right.
ANTIQUE COLLECTING 53
ANTIQUES UNDER THE HAMMER in June and July
The Alvar Aalto designs are estimated at £500-£700
Three pairs of distinctly different chairs go under the hammer at Sworders’ decorative arts sale on June 13. The first comprises two oak ‘Ethelbert’ armchairs, designed by Leonard Francis Wyburd (1865-1958) for Liberty & Co., and estimated to make £1,200-£1,500. While a pair of ‘Model 403’ laminate birch armchairs, designed by Alvar Aalto in 1931, has an estimate of £500-£700. The last in the trio is a pair of ‘Butterfly’ F675 chairs, from the French designer Pierre Paulin for Artifort, expected to make between £1,500 and £2,000.
TOP of the LOTS
We preview some of the more unusual pieces going under the hammer in upcoming months This boldly carved armorial crest (above) is one of the highlights of Wilkinson’s period oak sale on June 25. The quartered heraldic shield is encircled by a buckled belt inscribed HONI SOIT Y PENSE, and flanked by a crowned rampant lion, alongside a Herculean figure wearing a loin cloth depicting a lion’s head. Viewing for the sale runs from June 22-25 at the auctioneer’s Doncaster showroom.
Above The crest had no estimate at the time of going to press
The armchairs were designed for Liberty & Co.
Paulin was famed for his innovative work with Artifort
Chorley’s two-day country house sale on July 18-19 includes items sourced from houses across Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire and beyond. One highlight is is G. B. Newmarch (1828-1849) A Prize Sheep with a castle in the distance which carries an estimate of £2,000£3,000) at the Gloucester auction house.
One of the inaugural lots from Chiswick Auctions’ newly-formed guitar and folk instrument department is this rare 1931 four-string metal National Triolian tenor guitar, dating from the 1930s. The market for fretted folk instruments, including guitars, banjos, ukuleles and mandolins is booming as more and more hobby musicians take them up. The west London auctioneer’s folk instruments sale, at which the guitar has an estimate of £500-£700, is on June 14.
Right Animal paintings are an essential part
Sales of acoustic instruments are increasing
of the ‘country house’ look
54 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
Six works by one of the ‘firemen’ artists, Wilfred Stanley (W.S.) Haines, (1905-1944) make up part of Cheffins’ connoisseur’s sale taking place on July 6. Haines was one of a littleknown group of WWII artists who were engaged both as artists and active combatants on the Home Front, performing duties as firemen during the Blitz and after. The ‘firemen artsits’ were made up of painters and designers who joined the wartime Auxiliary Fire Service (AFS) as volunteers. Their bravery inspired Winston Churchill to call them “heroes with grimy faces”.
Did you know? The V2 missile with a liquid-propellant rocket engine was developed during WWII in Germany as a “vengeance weapon”, assigned to attack Allied cities as retaliation for the Allied bombings.
Left W.S. Haines, oil on canvas, Self-portrait of the artist, WWII fireman’s uniform, 67 x 56cm (26 x 22in), to be sold with the artist’s archive Provenance: Bequeathed by the artist’s widow to the vendor. Estimated at £7,000-£10,000
WILLIAM MORRIS AND CO.
Before the war, Haines had worked as a designer with William Morris and Co. in Merton. The immediacy of the peril is apparent in his work and, sadly, Haines was killed while painting during a flying bomb raid in June 1944 in Union Street, Southwark, London, aged 39. Head of Cheffins’ paintings department, Sarah Flynn, said: “It is rare for his work to come on the market. Haines was an exceptionally gifted artist and designer whose career was taken over by the outbreak of war. His work, due to its rarity, is highly sought after by collectors of paintings of WWII.”
Right W.S. Haines, oil on board, Barrage balloons
over Tower Bridge, London. Signed lower left and lower right “W S Haines”, 39 x 59cm (15 x 23in). Estimated at £3,000-£5,000 Below W. S. Haines, oil on card, Searchlight spotting a V2 Rocket to shoot it down. Signed lower right “W S Haines”, unframed, 46 x 66cm (18 x 26in). Estimated at £1,000-£2,000
‘The immediacy of the peril is apparent in his work and, sadly, Haines was killed while painting during a flying bomb raid’
ANTIQUE COLLECTING 55
m a r k@ m a r k l i t t l e r.c o m w w w. m a r k l i t t l e r.c o m 0 1 2 70 4 4 0 3 57
H e l p yo u rs e l f to a b e t te r d e a l • We’re independent and offer unbiased and impartial advice. • For some items a private sale is your best option, which we can arrange for you. • Our private sales earn you on average 35% more than by selling at auction. • For other items selling at auction is the better choice, in which case we have access to every auction house in the UK. • We select the auction house that is best suited to your items, significantly increasing the final sale price. Catherine Hunt 1/2_artwork 24/05/2017 11:23behalf Page 1 • We handle everything on your
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A small selection at Heritage in Woodstock, Market Square
Kangxi Blue & White Vases
Kangxi Blue & White Bowl
Web: www.cathyhunt.co.uk Email: CathyHunt@btinternet.com Tel: 07976 319344 01242 227794
Kangxi Bottle Vase
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The Duchy Auction Company Limited Auctioneers & Valuers Based in Cornwall
01326 218407 www.duchyauctions.com auctions@duchyauctions.com
FINE ART & COLLECTABLES SALE Saturday 24 June 2017 The Duchy Auction Rooms, Penryn, Cornwall ENTRIES NOW INVITED Regular visits to London & The Home Counties Ronnie Wood Original £7,200 : John Rocque Map 1746 £4,700 : Shagreen Etui 18th Century £850 : Swallow Doretti 1954 £26,000 Prices shown include a buyer’s premium. Details can be found at duchyauctions.com
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RECORD BREAKING SALES AT HANSONS AUCTIONEERS A rare Chinese vase
Sold for £650,000
Hansons thrive on selling with all the theatre and drama of auction house romance whilst encouraging an online audience of live bidders to bid one more! Charles Hanson BBC Bargain Hunt expert is available for Charity Events, Valuation Days, Talks and Charity Auctions. FREE VALUATION DAYS throughout Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire. Bring along your Antiques, Oriental Works of Art, Jewellery, Silver, Coins, Toys, Books and Collectables.
For more information telephone: 01283 733988 The Auction Centre, Heage Road, Etwall, Derbyshire DE65 6LS service@hansonsauctioneers.co.uk www.hansonsauctioneers.co.uk Regulated by RICS
EVENTS Round-up Another map of Europe dated to 1900 (below) depicts a Russian octopus with the face of Tsar Nicolas II, clamping its tentacles around the throats of Poland, Persia and China, one grabbing Turkey’s foot and another laid across Finland. France beckons Germany to help her against Britain who she blames for her colonial upsets.
The London Map Fair is on June 17-18 at the Royal Geographical Society, 1 Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AR. www.londonmapfairs.com
FAIR PLAY
A round-up of some of the events taking place in the UK this month
1
THE LONDON MAP FAIR
The world’s largest map fair returns this month with a selection of serio-comic maps providing a timely, sobering and wryly amusing lesson in failing international relations. While European disharmony continues to dominate the headlines, visitors to the event from June 17-18, will be reminded international strife is nothing new. Serio-comic maps were effectivlely political cartoons on a grand scale, the source and date of each determining how the various nations are depicted. While Russia and Germany and often presented in an unflattering way, all participants come in for some stick. Dated to WWI the ‘John Bull’ map (above) shows John Bull at the outbreak of hostilities. France is the figure of Marianne, sticking a bayonet into the eagle of Imperial Germany, while the Russian bear claws the ankle of the Austrian Pierrot. Italy is a singer with the song sheet ‘You Made Me Love You, I Didn’t Want to Do It’. While Scandinavia, Iberia and Switzerland look on in various levels of distress.
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DEALER Profile Massimo de Martini is the owner of Mayfair map specialists Altea Gallery Ltd and co-organiser of this month’s London Map Fair Above John Henry Amschewitz, European Revue. Kill That Eagle. On sale at this month’s fair from Altea Gallery, priced £2,850 Above right Frederick W Rose, John Bull and his Friends. On sale at this month’s fair from Altea Gallery, priced £6,500 Below B. Crétée, Symbolic map of Europe. On sale at this month’s fair from Bryars and Bryars, priced £4,500
What sort of maps do you specialise in? Everything really, but being in London means we have a lot of London material, especially town plans of the capital, pictorial maps and the ever-popular Tube maps. What changes have you seen over the past 25 years? In the past, the classic buyers were always the Americans who made up the biggest market. You would look at an atlas, count the American maps and price a book accordingly. That all changed when the banks crashed in 2008. The Americans closed down as buyers – although they are back now – and new markets emerged in South East Asia, China, Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand, as well as the Mediterranean countries. What is currently in demand? These days people tend to prefer more decorative maps. It could be the colour they go for, the age, the imprint or what it represents. The days of collectors looking for every example of a map of Middlesex are gone. So we put a lot of effort into presentation, especially with bespoke mounting and framing.
For more details visit www.alteagallery.com
A dealer at Antiques for Everyone’s London event
5 minutes with fair-goer and dealer Mark Stacey From Reeman Dansie Auctioneers and Santiago Ventura Real Antiques
WHAT ARE THE ANTIQUES TO WATCH? Good quality, unusual, one-off items from all periods are selling well – the more unusual the better. We find affordable decorative paintings are proving popular at the moment. Rare and beautiful things will always be collected, especially named pieces, so look for good modern designers, and things that will fit practically into modern homes and living.
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ANTIQUES FOR EVERYONE SUMMER FAIR
More than 200 specialist dealers will take part in next month’s Antiques for Everyone at the NEC, Birmingham. For the first time Antique Collecting magazine will be a media partner at the prestigious event – the largest vetted antiques fair outside London. This year’s exhibitors at the fair, which runs from July 20-23, include Mary Cooke Antiques, Hazlehurst Sculpture and Antiques and Jeroen Markies Art Deco. The event will also host the Maurice Collins Collection, made up of inventive contraptions ranging from ladies’ accoutrements to WWII escape buttons. The collection, built up over the past 30 years, also contains a number of early labour-saving devices.
WHAT ARE YOUR TOP TIPS FOR BUYING AT FAIRS? Check condition and talk to the dealer – they won’t bite! When discussing a price, remember to be honest and polite. If you see something you like, buy it – as you don’t often have second chances with good pieces.
Own it!
A miniature of a foppish gentleman painted by AngloItalian artist, Joseph Pastorini, c. 1810. On sale at this year’s fair from Wigs on the Green, priced £875
DEALER Profile Miniature portraits specialist Cynthia McKinley from Wigs on the Green The art of the miniature The history and importance of miniature paintings dates back to Henry VII – the word ‘miniature’ derives from Latin and means ‘red lead’ – a colour regularly used for the initial letters of an illuminated manuscript (hence ‘red letter’ days). An illuminator was known as a miniator and it was from the practice of manuscript illumination that the art of the miniaturist originated. In the 16th century the Royal Librarian Quentin Poulet assembled a group of miniators from his native Low Countries and in 1525, Henry VIII recruited Lucas Hornebolte from one of the most important families of Flemish miniaturists. He is generally credited with the invention of the miniature portrait but the best-known miniaturist of all was Nicholas Hilliard, 1547-1619. Other great miniaturists include Hilliard’s contemporary, Isaac Oliver, Isaac’s son, Peter; John Hoskins, Alexander and Samuel Cooper and David des Granges. In 1660, the Royal Society of Miniaturists was formed
and during the next 100 years, the art of miniature painting grew. Prices and condition Many of the best miniatures sell for over £10,000. Nevertheless, examples can be purchased for £500 or less, although miniatures with named subjects by well recorded artists generally cost upwards of £1,000. Prices tend to be highest for children, attractive female sitters and officers in colourful uniform. Miniatures are almost always valued more for artistic quality and who painted them than for the importance of the subject. Before buying look out for signs of mould, flaking paint or hairline cracks in the ivory. The frame and back of the miniature may contain significant details of the artist and subject and should be examined carefully.
Visit Wigs on the Green at this year’s fair on Stand K20. Cynthia Walmsley also specialises in portrait miniatures from the mid 17th century to late-19th century. Visit her stand on A2.
WHERE ARE YOU FAVOURITE HUNTING GROUNDS? I buy from many places: auctions, fairs, and centres – all have advantages and negatives. I like Long Melford Antiques Fairs in Suffolk and Dunston Hall’s Fair in Norfolk.
For more details visit www.svrantiques.com or www.reemandansie.com
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BURFORD ANTIQUES FAIR
Scandi chic will be all the rage when collectors descend on Burford Antiques Fair in Oxfordshire from July 29-30. The fair will feature a wide variety of fine art, antiques, Two hand-painted Swedish decoy ducks, £275 each, collectors’ items and vintage from Newsum Antiques furnishing pieces at prices from less than £25 to more than £10,000. Highlights include Scandinavian folk art from WinchcombeUpsala Ekeby blue fish plaque by Mari Simmulson, based Newsum £175 from Newsum Antiques Antiques, includung a pair of Swedish decoy ducks priced at £275 each. Witney-based furniture specialist W.R.Harvey Antiques will show a fine Regency period mahogany serving table that once stood in Barmoor Castle, Northumberland, priced at £6,250. For more details visit www.penman-fairs.co.uk
ANTIQUE COLLECTING 61
FAIRS Calendar Because this list is compiled in advance, alterations or cancellations to the auctions listed can occur and it is not possible to notify readers of the changes. We strongly advise anyone wishing to attend an auction especially if they have to travel any distance, to telephone the organiser to confirm the details given.
LONDON: Inc. Greater London Adams Antiques Fairs 020 7254 4054 www.adamsantiquesfairs.com Adams Antiques Fair, The Royal Horticultural Halls, Elverton Street, SW1P 2QW, 25 Jun, 16 Jul. Clarion Events Ltd 020 7370 8211 www.olympia-antiques.co.uk The Art & Antiques Fair, Olympia Exhibition Centre, West Kensington, W14 8UX, 26 Jun – 2 Jul.
Kempton Park Race Course, Staines Road East, Sunbury-onThames, Middlesex TW16 5AQ, Jun 13, 27, Jul 11, 25.
London Map Fairs 020 7836 1901 www.londonmapfairs.com Map Fair, Royal Geographical Society, 1 Kensington Gore, SW7 2AR, 17-18 Jun.
Vintage and Decorative Antiques Markets www.vintageandantiques.co.uk Vintage Vauxhall, The Workshop, 1 Whitgift Street, London, SE11 6AT, 9 Jul.
Masterpiece 020 7499 7470 www.masterpiecefair.com Masterpiece, South Grounds, The Royal Hospital Chelsea, Chelsea Embankment, SW3 4LW, 29 Jun-5 Jul. Sunbury Antiques 01932 230946 www.sunburyantiques.com Sunbury Antiques Market,
SOUTH EAST AND EAST ANGLIA: including Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Norfolk, Suffolk, Surrey, Sussex. Arun Fairs 01903 734112 Antiques Fair, Woodland Centre, Rustington, Sussex, BN16 3HB, 2 Jul.
Arthur Swallow Fairs 01298 27493 www.asfairs.com The Decorative Home and Salvage Show, Loseley Park, Guildford, Surrey, GU3 1HS, 14-16 Jul. B2B Events 01636 676531 www.b2bevents.info Detling Antiques, Vintage and Collectors’ Fair, Kent County Showground, Detling, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 3JF, 17-18 Jun. Field Dog Fairs 01780 410286 www.fielddogfairs.com Antiques and Collectors’ Fair, Holmewood Hall, Church St, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, PE7 3BZ, 24-25 Jun.
Image courtesy of BADA Fair
Etc Fairs 01707 872 140 www.bloomsburybookfair.com Bloomsbury Ephemera, Book & Postcard Fair, Royal National Hotel, 38-51 Bedford Way, WC1H
ODG, 25 Jun, 30 Jul. Bloomsbury Book Fair, Royal National Hotel, 38-51 Bedford Way, WC1H ODG, 9 Jul.
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FAIRS Calendar Because this list is compiled in advance, alterations or cancellations to the auctions listed can occur and it is not possible to notify readers of the changes. We strongly advise anyone wishing to attend an auction especially if they have to travel any distance, to telephone the organiser to confirm the details given.
Antique and Collectors’ Fair, Wood Green Animal Charity, Godmanchester, Cambridgeshire, PE29 2NH, 15-16 Jul. Galloway Antiques Fairs 01423 522122 www.gallowayfairs.co.uk Antiques Fair, Cranleigh School, Cranleigh, Surrey, GU6 8QQ, 14-16 Jul. IACF 01636 702326 www.iacf.co.uk Sandown Park Racecourse, Portsmouth Rd, Esher, Surrey, KT10 9AJ, 4 Jul. South of England Showground, Ardingly, Nr Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH17 6TL, 20-21 Jun, 18-19 Jul. SOUTH WEST: including Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Wiltshire. IACF 01636 702326 www.iacf.co.uk Shepton Mallet Antiques and Collectors’ Fair, Royal Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset, BA4 6QN, 30 Jun-2 Jul. Penman Antiques Fairs 01825 744074 www.penman-fairs.co.uk Burford Antiques Fair, Burford School, Burford, Oxfordshire, OX18 4PL, 29-30 Jul. Vintage and Decorative Antiques Markets www.vintageandantiques.co.uk Bath VA, Green Park Station, Green Park Road, Bath, Somerset, BA1 1JB, 25 Jun, 2, 30 Jul.
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EAST MIDLANDS including Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Rutland, Sheffield. Arthur Swallow Fairs 01298 27493 www.asfairs.com Lincoln Sunday Antiques Market, Lincolnshire Showground, Lincoln, LN2 2NA, 2 Jul. Indoor/ Outdoor Antiques Market, Donington Park, Castle Donington, Derby, DE74 2RP, 24 Jul. Field Dog Fairs 01780 410286 www.fielddogfairs.com Antiques and Collectors’ Fair, Southwell Racecourse, Station Rd, Rolleston, Nottinghamshire, NG25 OTS, 1-2 Jul. IACF 01636 702326 www.iacf.co.uk Runway Monday at Newark Antiques and Collectors’ Fair, Runway Newark, Newark, Nottinghamshire, NG24 2NY, 26 Jun. Lady Bay Vintage www.ladybay.co.uk Lady Bay Vintage Antiques Fair, Hospitality Marguee, Nottingham Rugby Club, 1 Holme Road, West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, NG2 5AA, 17 Jun WEST MIDLANDS including Birmingham, Coventry, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire.. B2B Events B2B Events 07774 147197 or 07771 725302 www.b2bevents.info Malvern Antiques and Collectors’ Fair, Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Worcs., WR13 6NW, 25 Jun. Cranmore Park Vintage and Antiques Fair, Cranmore Park Exhibition Centre, Cranmore
Avenue, Shirley, Solihull, West Midlands, B90 4LF, 9 Jul. Malvern Flea and Collectors’ Fair, Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Worcs., WR13 6NW, 23 Jul. Bowman Antiques Fairs 01274 588505 www.antiquesfairs.com Antiques Fair, Bingley Hall County Showground, Staffs., ST18 0BD, 16-18 Jun. Clarion Events Ltd. 0121 767 2947 www.antiquesforeveryone.co.uk Antiques For Everyone, Hall 5, NEC, Birmingham, B40 1NT, 20-23 Jul. Coin and Medal Fairs Ltd. 01694 731781 www.coinfairs.co.uk The Midland Coin Fair, National Motorcycle Museum, Bickenhill, Birmingham, B92 0EJ, 9 Jul.
Field Dog Fairs 01780 410286 www.fielddogfairs.com Antiques and Collectors’ Fair, Heritage Motor Centre, Banbury Rd, Gaydon, Warwickshire, CV35 OBJ, 8-9 Jul. JOS Events 01746 710033 www.josevents.co.uk Shrewsbury Flea, West Midlands Showground, Berwick Road, Shrewsbury, SY1 2PF, 24-25 Jun, 29-30 Jul. WALES Towy Events 01267 236569 www.towyevents.co.uk Carmarthen Antiques and Flea Market, United Counties Showground, Carmarthen, 18 Jun, 30 Jul.
Detling Antiques, Vintage & Collectors Fair
The Kent County Showground, Detling, Maidstone, Kent. ME14 3JF.
17th-18th June
Saturday Early Entry: 8.30am - £6 Saturday Entry: 10am-4.30pm - £5 Sunday: 10.30am - 3.30pm - £4
Malvern Antiques & Collectors Fair The Severn Hall, Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Worcs, WR13 6NW.
Sunday 25th June
Antiques, Art Deco, collectables & much more
- with outside pitches
Early Entrance: 8.30am - £4 • Entrance: 10am-4pm - £3
Cranmore Park Vintage & Antiques Fair
NOW ON A SUNDAY
Cranmore Park Exhibition Centre, Cranmore Avenue, Shirley, Solihull B90 4LE.
Sunday 9th July
Early: 9am - £3 Entrance: 10am - 3.30pm - £2.50
Malvern Flea & Collectors Fair
Three Counties Showground, Worcestershire, WR13 6NW.
Sunday 23rd July
Entrance: 7.30am-3.30pm - £5
Tel: 01636 676531 www.b2bevents.info
Wilkinson's 1_Wilkinson's 1 22/05/2017 13:45 Page 1
The OlD SAlerOOmS, 28 NeTherhAll rOAD, DONCASTer, DN1 2PW, eNglAND Tel: +44 (0) 1302 814884 Fax: +44 (0) 1302 814883 email: sid@wilkinsons-auctioneers.co.uk website: www.wilkinsons-auctioneers.co.uk
Period Oak, Paintings, Carvings, Country Furniture and effects
Sale Date:
Sunday 25th June 2017
11am
Viewing:
Thursday 22nd June 2017 Friday 23rd June 2017 Saturday 24th June 2017 Sunday 25th June 2017
11-4pm 11-4pm By Appointment 9-11am
Fully printed catalogues available for £8.50. Debit & Credit Cards Accepted.
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AUCTION Calendar AUCTION CALENDAR
McTears Meiklewood Gate, 31 Meiklewood Rd, Glasgow, Because this list is compiled in advance, alterations or cancellations to the auctions listed can occur and it is not possible to notify readers of the changes. 2880 especially if they have to travel any distance, to telephone the organiser to confirm the details given. We strongly advise anyone wishing to 0141 attend810 an auction Thomson Roddick and www.mctears.com Medcalf, Coleridge House, British and International Pictures, Autographs, Historical Shaddongate, LONDON: Carlisle, Cumbria, Feb 1. Christie’s, South Kensington, Documents, Ephemera and CA2 5TU London Jewellery, Feb 19. Inc. Greater SW7. 020 7930 6074 Chiswick Auctions, Postal History, Jul 11 01228 5289939 Watches, Coins and Banknotes, www.christies.com 1 Colville Rd, Chiswick, W3 8BL Great Britain, Europe, Asia www.thomsonroddick.com 21. Bloomsbury Auctions, 16-17 Pall Feb Modern British and Irish Art, Jul 13 020 8992 4442 and Oceania, The David Pitts Collectors’ Sale,SW1Y Feb 15. Rare and Collectable Whisky, Mall, St James, 5LY Interiors, Jul 19 www.chiswickauctions.co.uk Collection, Jul 11 Antiquarian Books, Feb 22. Wine, FebSale 24. followed by 020 7495 9494 www. General The Philatelic Collector’s Series Scottish Contemporary Art, bloomsburyauctions.com Roseberys, Knights Hill, SE27 Paintings and Fine Art, Jun 13 Sale, Jul 12 Vectis Auctions Ltd, Fleck 26. The Erotica Sale: Books, Works on Feb 020 8761 2522 Musical Instruments, followed Orders, Decorations and Way, Thornaby, StocktonJun on29 Paper and Photographs, www.roseberys.co.uk by Guitars and Folk Instruments, Medals, Jul 26 Tees, TS17 Western and9JZ Oriental Manuscripts WALES Asian Art, Jun 27 followed by Antiquities and Tribal 01642 750616 and Miniatures, Jul 6 Fine Art, featuring Fine European Art, Jun 14 SOUTH EAST AND EAST www.vectis.co.uk Anthemion Auctions, Caricatures, Jul 13 Ceramics, Modern Sculpture & General Sale, Jun 20, 27 ANGLIA: Inc. Bedfordshire, Specialist Die Cast, Feb 15, 16. 15General Norwich Road, Antique Picture Frames, Jun 27-28 Sale followed Cambridgeshire, Essex, General Toy,New FebBond 17. St., W1 Cardiff, Wales, Bonhams, Art and Antiques, featuring by Rugs, Jul 4CF23 9AB Hertfordshire, Kent, Norfolk, Dolls and Teddy Bears, Feb 23. 029 2047 2444 020 7447 7447 Books, Jul 22 Fine Wine and Spirits, Jul 5 Suffolk, Surrey, Sussex Model Train, Feb 24. www.anthemionauction.com www.bonhams.com 20th Century Contemporary Art Sale to Jul include, Modern British and Irish Art, Jun 14 General Sotheby’s, New Bond St., and Design, 11 Antique Canterbury Auction Galleries, 40 and Later Furniture, Porcelain, Wilkinson’s, Old Saleroom, Fine EuropeanThe Ceramics, Jun 14 W1 020 7293 5000 General Sale followed by Silver Station Road West, Canterbury, Glass, Paintings, Feb 1. Netherhall Rd, Doncaster, South Fine Watches and www.sothebys.com and Objects of Vertu, followed Kent, CT2 8AN Fine Sale, to include, Fine & Yorkshire. DN1Jun 2PW Wristwatches, 21 Ancient Marbles: Classical by Designer Handbags and 01227 763337 Antique Furniture, 01302 814 884and Impressionists Sculpture and Works of Art, Jun 12 Fashion, Jul 18 Porcelain, Glass, www.thecanterbury Paintings, www.wilkinsonsModern Art, Jun 22 Modern and Post-War British GeneralSilver, Sale Jewellery, followedWorks by of auctiongalleries.com Art, Feb 22. auctioneers.co.uk Prints and Multiples, Jun 27 Art, Jun 12 Ceramics and Glass, Jul 25 None listed at time of going Period Oak:Paintings, The PrivateJul 5 Old Master Finest and Rarest Wines, Printed Books and Manuscripts, to press. Peter Collections, Fine Clocks,Feb Jul 526. Jun 14, Jul 12 Jul 26Francis, Towyside Salerooms, Antiquities, Jul 6 Impressionist and Modern Art Cheffins, Clifton House, 1&2 Old Station Rd, SCOTLAND Fine and Rare Wines, Jul 13 Evening Sale, Jun 21 Christie’s, KingCarmarthen, St., SW1 Clifton Road, Cambridge, SA31 1JN Impressionist and Modern Art Day 020 7839 9060 CB1 7EA 01267 233456 Bonhams, Queen St, Bonhams, Knightsbridge, Sale, Jun 22 www.christies.com 01223 213 213343 www.peterfrancis.co.uk Edinburgh. SW7 020 7393 3900 Contemporary Art Evening Handbags and Accessories, Jun 12 www.cheffins.co.uk Antiques, Interiors and 0131 225 2266 www.bonhams.com Auction, Jun 28 Important Jewels, Jun 13 Fine Art, Jun 14-15 Feb 8, 22.Irish Art www.bonhams.com Decorative Arts from 1860, Jun 13 Collectables, Contemporary Art Day Auction, Modern British and Interiors, Jun 29, Jul 27 Home andJun Interiors, Feb 22. Jewellery, 14 Jun 29 Evening Sale, Jun 26 The Connoisseur’s Sale, Jul 6 Welsh Country Auctions, Fine Books and Manuscripts, Old Master and British Works Modern British and Irish Art Day The Library Sale, Jul 12 2 Carmarthen Rd Lyon & Turnbull, Broughton Jun 14 on Paper, Jul 5 Sale, Jun 27 Cross Hands, Llanelli Pl., Edinburgh. Memorabilia, Entertainment Treasures, Jul 5 Impressionist and Modern Art Clarke & Simpson Auction Carmarthenshire 0131 Jun 28 557 8844 Old Masters Evening Sale, Jul 5 Evening Sale, Jun 27 Centre, Campsea Ash, Nr Wales, SA14 6SPand Modern Works www.lyonandturnbull.com British and European Art, Jul 4 Old Master Sculpture and Works Impressionist Wickham Market, Suffolk, 01269 844428 Jewellery, Silver and Watches, Modern British and Irish Art, Jul 11 of Art, Jul 6 on Paper, Jun 28 IP13 0PS 01728 746323 Feb 22. Jul 19 www.welshcountryauctions.co.uk Jewellery, Impressionist and Modern Art Day Old Masters Day Sale, Jul 6 www.clarkeandsimpson.co.uk Textiles, Feb 23. Jul 25-26 Antiques and28Effects, Feb 13. Home and Interiors, George Daniels, 20th Century Sale, Jun The Monday Sale, Jun 12, 19, 26, Innovator, Jul 6 Jul 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 English Literature, History, Art Deco, Design and Retro, Jun 19 Childrens’ Books and SNAPE ANTIQUE & COLLECTORS CENTRE Rural Bygones, Jul 8 Illustrations, Jul 11 Antiques and Fine Art, Jul 19 19th and 20th Century ANTIQUE AND RETRO CLOTHING + LINEN + TEXTILES + SILVER + DRINKING GLASSES + CERAMICS FROM 18TH (LOWESTOFT, CHINESE Sculpture, Jul 12 EXPORT & ARMORIAL) TO 20TH CENTURIES + ANTIQUITIES + ORIENTAL + Victorian, Pre-Raphaelite & British Durrants, Peddars Lane, Beccles, VINYL + CD’s + JEWELLERY + COSTUME JEWELLERY + STAMPS + FIRST DAY Suffolk, NR34 9HA Impressionist Art, Jul 13 COVERS + COINS + POSTCARDS + CIGARETTE CARDS + COLLECTABLES 01502 712 122 www.durrants.com INC. (SEWING + CARD CASES + VESTAS + BOXES) + SMALL FURNITURE + Antiques and Fine Art with CLOCKS + TRAINS/TOYS + SILVER PLATE + CUTLERY, EATING Spink, Southampton Row, ACCOUTREMENTS AND CANTEENS Jewellery and Silver, Jun 16, WC1 020 7563 4000. PICTURES + WATERCOLOURS + MINIATURES + SILHOUETTES + ANTIQUE Jul 7, 28 www.spink.com MAPS & PRINTS + PENS +ADVERTISING + BOOKS ANTIQUARIAN TO Sporting and Antique Guns of MODERN + BUS DESTINATION BLINDS + CAFE/GARDEN CHAIRS TABLES The “Lionheart” Collection of KITCHENALIA + GALVANISED TUBS Distinction, Jul 15 Great Britain and British Home Furnishings and Interiors, Feb 7, 21.
Empire – Part VII, Jun 22 Ancient, British and Foreign Coins and Commemorative Medals, Jul 4
SNAPE ANTIQUE & COLLECTORS CENTRE SNAPE MALTINGS IP17 1SR 01728 688038 OPEN EVERY DAY FROM 10.00am
66 ANTIQUE COLLECTING 61
Ewbank’s, London Rd, Send, Woking, Surrey 01483 223 101 www.
ewbankauctions.co.uk Jewellery, Watches and Silver, Jun 21 Fine Art and Antiques, Jun 22 Antique Furniture and Clocks, Jun 23 Antique and Collectors, Jul 12 Contemporary Art and Modern British Paintings, Jul 27 Gorringes, 15 North Street, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 2PE 01273 472503 www.gorringes.co.uk Antiques and Collectables, Jun 12, 19 The Summer Sale of Fine Art and Antiques, Jun 27 John Nicholson’s, Longfield, Midhurst Road, Midhurst Road, Haslemere, Surrey GU27 3HA 01428 653727 www.johnnicholsons.com Oriental, Jun 21 Fine Antiques, Jun 22 Fine Paintings, Jun 28 Keys, Aylsham, Norwich, Norfolk www.keysauctions.co.uk Wines, Spirits and Related, Jun 22 Fine Sale, Jul 18-20 Lacy Scott & Knight, 10 Risbygate St, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP33 3AA 01284 748 623 www.lskauctioncentre.co.uk General Antique and Collectables, Jun 24, Jul 15 Reeman Dansie, Colchester, Essex, CO4 9HU 01206 754750. www. reemandansie.com Royal, Antiques and Fine Art, Jun 20-21 General Sale, Jul 4, 18 Rowley Fine Art, 8 Downham Road, Ely, Cambs, CB6 1AH 01353 653020 www.rowleyfineart.com Antique and Later Furniture, Paintings, Silver, Jewellery, Ceramics and Collectables, Jun 17, Jul 15 Sworders Fine Art Auctioneers, Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex 01279 817778 www.sworder.co.uk 20th Century Decorative Art and Design, Jun 13 Homes and Interiors, Jun 20, Jul 4, 18
Summer Country House, Jun 27 Silver and Jewellery, Jul 11 Fine Wine and Port, Jul 25 Toovey’s, Spring Gardens, Washington, West Sussex, RH20 3BS 01903 891955 Fine Paintings, Drawings and Prints, Silver and Plate, Jewellery, Firearms and Edged Weapons, Militaria, Medals and Awards, Jun 14 Asian and Islamic Ceramics and Works of Art, British and Continental Ceramics and Glass, Jun 15 Antique and Period Furniture, Tea Caddies, Trays, Boxes and Diminutive Furniture, Collectors’ Items, Works of Art and Metalwork, Needleworks, Textiles and Clothing, Rugs and Carpets, Jun 16, Jul 14 Collectors’ Toys, Dolls and Games, Jul 11 Decorative Paintings, Drawings and Prints, Silver and Plate, Jewellery, Coins and Banknotes, Jul 12 Clocks, Watches, Barometers, Cameras and Scientific Instruments, British and Continental Ceramics and Glass, Jul 13 Tring Market Auctions, Brook St, Tring, Herts, HP23 5EF 01442 826 446 www. tringmarketauctions.co.uk General Sales, Jun 17, Jul, 1, 15, 29
Books, Maps and Ephemera, Jul 7 W&H Peacock, 75 New Street, St Neots, Cambridgeshire, PE19 1AJ 01480 474550 www.peacockauction.co.uk General, Jun 15, 22, 29, Jul 6, 13, 20, 27 SOUTH WEST: Inc. Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Wiltshire Amersham Auction Rooms, Station Rd, Amersham-on-theHill, Bucks. 01494 729292 www.amersham auctionrooms.co.uk Household Effects, Furniture, Objects of Purpose & Desire, Jun 15, Jul 27 19th Century and Later Furnishings, Objects of Desire, Jun 22, Jul 13 Ceramics, Glass, Ornamental Objects, Domestic Furniture and Effects, Jun 29, Jul 20 Selected Period and Quality Reproduction Furnishings, Ceramics and Collectable items, Jul 6 Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood, Okehampton St, Exeter, Devon 01392 413100 www.bearnes.co.uk Maritime, Jun 14 Antiques and Interiors, Jul 4, 18 Two day Fine Art Sale, Jul 11-12 Charterhouse Auctioneers The Long Street Salesroom Sherborne, Dorset 01935 812277 www.charterhouse-auction.co.uk Classic and Vintage Cars, Jun 18, Jul 15-16 Coins, Stamps, Militaria, Collector’s Items, Antiques and Interiors, Jun 23 Pictures, Books, Automobilia, Antiques and Interiors, Jul 28
T.W. Gaze, Diss, Norfolk 01379 650306. www.twgaze.com Antiques, Vintage and Industrial Furniture, Jun 16 Vintage Fashion and Furnishings, Jun 17 The Quarterly Antiques Special Sale, Jun 23 Antiques, Jun 30 Architectural Salvage and Statuary, Jul 1 Antiques, Jul 7, 14, 28 Modern Design, Jul 8 Modern and Collectable Toys, Jul 14 Jewellery with Antiques, Lighting, Jul 21 Gallery Sale, Jul 29
Chorley’s, Prinknash Abbey Park, Gloucestershire, GL4 8EU 01452 344499 www.chorleys.com Country House Antiques and Fine Art, Jul 18-19
W&H Peacock, 26 Newnham Street, Bedford, MK40 3JR 01234 266366 www.peacockauction.co.uk Antiques and Collectables,
David Lay Auctions Penzance Auction House Alverton, Penzance, Cornwall 01736 361414 www.davidlay.co.uk
General Household, Jun 13, Jul 11 Antiques and Selected Items, Jun 29-30 Fine Art, Jul 27 Dawson’s Auctioneers 9 Kings Grove, Maidenhead, SL6 4DP www.dawsonsauctions.co.uk Antiques and Collectables, including Silver and Jewellery, Jun 24, Jul 22 Dickins, The Claydon Saleroom, Calvert Road, Middle Claydon, Buckingham. MK18 2EZ. 01296 714434 www.dickinsauctioneers.com Antiques and Collectables, Jul 7-8 General Goods and Chattels, Jul 15 Dominic Winter Auctioneers, Mallard House, Broadway Lane, South Cerney, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 5UQ 01285 860006 www.dominicwinter.co.uk British Topographical Books and Early Maps inc. a Private Collection of Yorkshire Books, Early Printed Books and Manuscripts, Fine Bookbindings: Renaissance to Arts and Crafts, Bookbinding Tools and Accessories, Jun 14 Fine Art and Antiques, Paintings and Watercolours, Old Master and Modern Prints and Drawings, Antique Furniture and Collectables, Jun 15 Printed Books, Maps and Documents, Jul 19 Childrens’ and Illustrated Books, Modern Literature and First Editions, Early Peepshows, Games, Victorian Greetings Cards and Playing cards, Jul 20 Dreweatts, Donnington Priory, Newbury, Berkshire. www.dreweatts.com 01635 553553 Jewellery, Silver and Luxury Accessories, Jun 13 The Fine Sale, Paintings, Furniture, Ceramics and Works of Art, Jun 27 Fine Jewellery, Watches, Silver and Objects of Vertu, Jul 12 Duke’s, Dorchester, Dorset 01305 265080 www.dukes-auctions.com (at Duke’s Grove) Ceramics, Glass and Asian Art, Furniture and Works of Art, Jul 27
ANTIQUE COLLECTING 67
AUCTION Calendar Because this list is compiled in advance, alterations or cancellations to the auctions listed can occur and it is not possible to notify readers of the changes. We strongly advise anyone wishing to attend an auction especially if they have to travel any distance, to telephone the organiser to confirm the details given.
George Kidner, The Lymington Saleroom, Emsworth Road, Lymington, Hampshire, SO41 9BL 01590 670070 www.georgekidner.co.uk Works of Art, Ceramics, Oriental Items, Militaria, Collector’s Items and Furniture, Jun 22 Paintings, Silver, Jewellery and Furniture, Jul 20 Kidson-Trigg, Trigg Auction Rooms, Nr. Highworth, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN6 7PZ 01793 861 000 www.kidsontrigg.co.uk Antiques plus Specialist Collector’s Section of Stamps and Coins, Jun 13 Antiques including Specialist Oriental Section, Jul 11 Lawrences Auctioneers Ltd. Crewkerne, Somerset, TA18 8AB 01460 703041 www.lawrences.co.uk General, Jun 14, 21, 28, Jul 5, 19, 26 Books, Maps, Manuscripts and Photography, Jun 16 Fine Art, Silver and Vertu, Jul 11 Decorative Antiques and General Sale, Jul 12 Fine Art, Jewellery, 19th/20th Century Design and Ceramics, Jul 13 Fine Art, Pictures, Furniture, Clocks and Rugs, Jul 14 Mallams Oxford, Bocardo House, St Michael’s St, Oxford. 01865 241358 www.mallams.co.uk The Picture and Maritime Sale, Jul 5 Mallams Cheltenham, 26 Grosvenor St, Cheltenham. Gloucestershire. 01242 235 712 www.mallams.co.uk Country House Furniture, Paintings, Jewellery and Silver, Jul 13 Phillip Serrell, Barnards Green Rd, Malvern, Worcs. WR14 3LW
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01684 892314 www.serrell.com General Sale, Jun 15 Fine Art and Antiques, Jul 6 Plymouth Auction Rooms, Faraday Mill Trade Park, Cattledown, Plymouth, Devon, PL4 OSE 01752 254740 www.plymouthauctions.co.uk Collectors’ Items and Antiques, Jun 21 Wessex Auction Rooms, Westbrook Farm, Draycot Cerne, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 5LH, 01249 720888 www. wessexauctionrooms.co.uk Antiques, Furniture and Collectables, Jun 16, Jul 1, 14, 29 Toys, Jun 23 Vinyl, Film, Music, Football, Sport, Stamps, Ephemera, Jul 21 Woolley & Wallis, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 3SU 01722 424500 www.woolleyandwallis.co.uk Arts and Crafts, Jun 21 A Private Collection of Burmantofts Faience Pottery, Jun 22 Furniture, Works of Art and Clocks, Jul 5 EAST MIDLANDS: Inc. Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Rutland, Sheffield Bamfords, The Derby Auction House, Chequers Road, Off Pentagon Island, Derby, DE21 6EN 01332 210000 www.bamfordsauctions.co.uk Victorian, Edwardian and General, Jun 21, Jul 5, 19 Gentleman’s Library and Grand Tour of Auction Curiosities Sale, Jun 21 Specialist Jewellery and Watches, Jul 5 Decorative Arts and Ceramics, Jul 19 The Bakewell Auction House, DE4 2JE Victorian, Edwardian and General, Jun 14, Jul 12, 26
Three Day Fine Art and Antique Sale, Jun 28 Batemans, Ryhall Rd, Stamford, Lincolnshire, PE9 1XF 01780 766 466 www.batemans.com Fine Art, Antique & Collectables, Vintage and Attic, Jul 1 The Stamford Auction Rooms The Sale Room, Unit 3, Station Road Ind. Estate, Little Bytham, Lincolnshire, NG33 4RA 01780 411485 www.stamfordauctionrooms.com Antiques and Collectables, Jun 24, Jul 29 WEST MIDLANDS: Inc. Birmingham, Coventry, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Bigwood Auctioneers, Stratford-Upon-Avon Warwickshire, CV37 7AW 01789 269415 www.bigwoodauctioneers.com Furnishings and Interiors, Jun 16, Jul 7, 14, 21, 28 Wine, Champagne, Ports and Spirits, Jun 8 Antiques and Collectables, Jun 30, Jul 28 Brightwells, Leominster, Herefordshire. 01568 611122 www.brightwells.com Antiques and Fine Art, Jun 21 Summer Two Day Fine Art Sale, Jul 26-27 Cuttlestones Ltd, Penkridge Auction Rooms, Pinfold Lane, Penkridge, Staffordshire, ST19 5AP 01785 714905 www.cuttlestones.co.uk Home and Garden, Jun 14, 28, Jul 12, 26 Cuttlestones Ltd, Wolverhampton Auction Rooms, No 1 Clarence Street Wolverhampton, West Midlands, WV1 4JL 01902 421985 www.cuttlestones.co.uk Specialist Collectors, 23 Jun Home and Garden, 5 Jul
Fellows Hockley, Birmingham. 0121 212 2131 www.fellows.co.uk Jewellery, Pawnbrokers Jewellery and Watches, Jun 15, Jul 6, 20 Watches and Watch Parts, Jun 19 Designer Collection, Jun 26 Antique and Modern Jewellery, Jul 13 The Watch Sale, Jul 25 Vintage Jewellery and Accessories, Jul 31 Halls, Bowmen Way, Battlefield, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY4 3DR 01743 450700 www.hallsgb.com Fine Pictures, Silver and Jewellery, Jun 21 Country House, Jul 19 Locke & England, 12 Guy Street, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, CV32 4RT 01926 889100 www.leauction.co.uk General, Jun 15, 22, 29, Jul, 6, 13, 20, 27 Mid Century Design, Jun 29 Antiques and Collector’s Items, Jul 27 Jewellery, Jul 27 Potteries Auctions, Unit 4A, Aspect Court, Silverdale Enterprise Park, Newcastle, Staffordshire, ST5 6SS 01782 638100 www.potteriesauctions.com 20th Century British Pottery, Collector’s Items, Household Items, Antique and Quality Furniture, Jul 8 Trevanion & Dean The Joyce Building, Station Rd, Whitchurch, Shropshire, SY13 1RD 01928 800 202 www.trevanionanddean.com Fine Art, Antiques and Collectables, Jun 17, Jul 15 NORTH: Inc. Cheshire, Co. Durham, Cumbria, Humberside, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, Sheffield, Yorkshire
Adam Partridge Withyfold Drive, Macclesfield, Cheshire 01625 431 788 www.adampartridge.co.uk Antiques and Fine Art with Wines and Spirits, Silver, Jewellery, Watches and Toys, Jun 29 Anderson and Garland Crispin Court, Newbiggin Lane, Westerhope, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE5 1BF 0191 430 3000 www.andersonandgarland.com Fine Art, Jun 13-15 Town and County, Jun 21 Boldon Auction Galleries Ltd, Front Street, East Boldon, Tyne and Wear, NE36 0SJ 0191 5372630 www. boldonauctions.co.uk General, Jun 14, Jul 12 Antiques and Interiors, Jun 28, Jul 26 Capes Dunn Charles St., Manchester 0161 273 1911 www.capesdunn.com Interiors, Vintage and Modern Effects, Jun 19, Jul 3, 17, 31 Northern Art Evening Auction, Jun 20 Antique Furniture and Traditional Paintings, Jul 4 Jewellery and Silver, Jul 18 Dee Atkinson & Harrison The Exchange Saleroom, Driffield, East Yorkshire, YO25 6LD 013737 253 151 www.dee-atkinsonharrison.co.uk Victorian and General Home Furnishings, Jun 30 Hansons, Heage Lane, Etwall, Derbyshire DE65 6LS 01283 733988 www.hansonsauctioneers.co.uk Antiques and Collectors’, Jun 22-24, Jul 20-24 The Potteries Auction, Jun 23 Decorative Arts, Jun 26 Summer Fine Art and Antiques, Jun 29 – Jul 1 Motorcycles, Scooters and Biking Memorabilia, Jul 22 Morphets, 6 Albert St, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG1 1JL 01423 530030 www.morphets.co.uk None listed at time of going to press.
Peter Wilson Fine Art Victoria Gallery Market St, Nantwich, Cheshire. 01270 623 878 www.peterwilson.co.uk Fine Art, Jul 5-6 Gallery Sale, Jun 22, Jul 20 Sheffield Auction Gallery, Windsor Road, Heeley, Sheffield, S8 8UB. 0114 281 6161 www.sheffieldauctiongallery.com Antiques and Collectables, Jun 16, 30, Jul 14, 28 The Household Auction, Jun 17, Jul 15 Coins, Stamps, Postcards, Trade Cards and Banknotes, Jun 29 Medals and Militaria, Jul 27 Interiors Auction with Classic & Vintage & Transport Tennants Auctioneers, Leyburn, North Yorkshire 01969 623780 www.tennants.co.uk Stamps, Postcards and Postal History, Jun 21 Antiques and Interiors, Jun 24, Jul 7, 21, 29 Summer Fine Art, Jul 14-15 Coins and Banknotes, Jul 26 Thomson Roddick and Medcalf, The Saleroom, Old Auction Mart, Wigton CA7 9AS 01228 5289939 www.thomsonroddick.com Home Furnishings and Interiors, Jun 27, Jul 11, 25 Thomson Roddick and Medcalf, Coleridge House, Shaddongate, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA2 5TU 01228 5289939 www.thomsonroddick.com Antiques and Works of Art, Jun 30 Vectis Auctions Ltd, Fleck Way, Thornaby, Stockton on Tees, TS17 9JZ 01642 750616 www.vectis.co.uk Matchbox, Jun 13, Jul 12 Specialist Diecast, Jun 14-15, Jul 11 General, Jun 22, Jul 13 Model and Collectable Trains, Jun 23, Jul 21 Dolls and Teddy Bears featuring the Pitman Collection, Jun 29 Lead, Military, Civilian, Plastic Figures and Accessories, Jun 30 TV and Film Related Toys, Jul 27 Wilkinson’s, The Old Saleroom, Netherhall Rd, Doncaster, South Yorkshire. DN1 2PW
01302 814 884 www.wilkinsonsauctioneers.co.uk Period Oak, Furniture and Effects, Jun 25 SCOTLAND Bonhams, Queen St, Edinburgh. 0131 225 2266 www.bonhams.com Home and Interiors, Jun 14 Asian Art, Jul 12 Lyon & Turnbull, Broughton Pl., Edinburgh. 0131 557 8844 www.lyonandturnbull.com Scottish Paintings and Sculpture, Jun 14 Fine Furniture and Works of Art, Jul 5 Jewellery, Silver and Watches, Jul 19 McTears, Meiklewood Gate, 31 Meiklewood Rd, Glasgow, 0141 810 2880 www.mctears.com Jewellery, Jun 25 Coins and Banknotes, Watches, Jun 27 Rare and Collectable
Whisky, Jun 30 Scottish Contemporary Art, Jul 2 Silver, Asian Works of Art, British and Continental Ceramics and Glass, Jul 13 Clocks, Scientific and Musical Instruments, Works of Art and Furniture, Jul 14 Scottish Pictures, British and International Pictures, Jul 19 WALES Anthemion Auctions 15 Norwich Road, Cardiff, Wales, CF23 9AB 029 2047 2444 www.anthemionauction.com General Sale to include Antique and Later Furniture, Porcelain, Glass, Paintings, Jul 5 Peter Francis Towyside Salerooms, Old Station Rd, Carmarthen, SA31 1JN 01267 233456 www.peterfrancis.co.uk Antiques, Interiors and Collectables, Jun 14, 28, Jul 12, 26 ANTIQUE COLLECTING 69
Auction Calendar JULY.indd 4
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ANTIQUE COLLECTING 71
63
LAST WORD Marc Allum
A
friend once told me the word “posh” was a little vulgar and should never be used in a social situation, particularly when it comes to describing an accent. (I won’t tell you what he said about the word “classy”.) However, as far as adjectives go, I can’t really think of a better one to describe some of the big London art and antiques fairs. It says it all really; opulent, stylish, exclusive, luxurious – with all of these notions encapsulated in the one word, and the London fairs rarely disappoint.
BEST-OF-THE-BEST In a way, they are an affirmation of success – both for the trade and the client. To offer the best-of-the-best and be able to afford it are the prerequisite criteria for membership of this sparkling art-intense universe. I love those glossy invitations, kaolin-coated passports to another world, a world that is both daunting and dazzling. So why daunting? Well, in a way the scale and grandeur can fill one with a sense of awe. A feeling of nervousness often prevails, until – having passed the lines of Bentleys, been greeted by the doorman and negotiated the security – you spot the first friendly face. Usually, I’m on a press pass, one of the benefits of being a writer – that and the goody bag bulging with glossy bits and bobs, keyrings and monogrammed memory sticks and a nice little boost to one’s ego.
BE SEEN No one can deny that these are the places to see and be seen. (“Isn’t that Johnny Depp?” I once heard.) Personally I like to “see” what’s on offer. For a start, I’m useless at recognising famous people. I once chatted to Alan Rickman for half an hour before the penny dropped! Celebrities aside, rarely – outside of a museum – are you able to see some of the items offered for sale (auctions being the other exception), let alone handle them. I smile when I think of the time I admired a rather stunning aquamarine necklace
Selling to the elite: Lindsey Ingram at Masterpiece London, photo credit Andy Barnham, courtesy of Masterpiece London
Marc My Words When it comes to being seen at London’s summer fairs, Antiques Roadshow expert Marc Allum explains why he’s happy to take a back seat and suggested to the young lady I was with that she tried it on. The request was cordially granted and naturally, it looked fabulous. However, the £400,000 price tag – which was not totally unexpected – did draw a polite gasp. She had to settle for a coffee instead which, in the smart partner restaurant, only required a small mortgage.
BUDGET OPTIONS So what is it I like about these glamorous events? Firstly, I love the spectacle. There are some dealers who always get it just right. Their stands epitomise style and
‘The £400,000 price tag did draw a polite gasp. My companion had to settle for a coffee instead which, in the smart partner restaurant, only required a small mortgage’ 72 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
taste; their choice of items, sourced with skill and imagination, come together in beautifully-decorated settings to display their wares in a way that amplifies the gravitas and importance of the historic objects on display. Fancy a Van Dyke, a 16th-century suit of armour, a Henry Moore? If your pockets are deep enough you can easily snap up superlative pieces and works of art. But for those of us with smaller bank balances there are other opportunities. The crucial fact to remember is that whatever level you operate at, people – on the whole –love their subject and are only too happy to discuss it with you. Along with passion, comes humanity and empathy and, considering the obvious stress of selling at high-end fairs, I am always heartened by the approachable nature of the art world’s high flyers. Enjoy the summer fairs season – that’s assuming your “passport” arrives!
Austen (Jane).- Thomson (Hugh) “Fanny was obliged to introduce him to Mr. Crawford”, original signed pen and ink drawing with watercolour for Mansfield Park, c.1897. Est. £1,500-2,000
[Brontë (Emily)] Wuthering Heights [with] Agnes Grey, 3 vol., first edition, 1847. Est. £60,000-80,000
Brontë (Charlotte) Autograph letter signed to Martha [Brown] (housekeeper and loyal servant to the Brontë family), probably summer 1850. Est. £4,000-6,000
Austen (Jane) Pride and Prejudice, 3 vol., second edition, 1813. Est. £3,000-4,000
[Brontë sisters] Poems, first edition, first issue, 1846. With A.L.s. by Charlotte Brontë tipped in. Est. £30,000-40,000
Brontë sisters. The Novels, 12 vol., copy number 1 of 5 specially bound and extra-illustrated sets of the Memorial Edition, with signed autograph note from Charlotte Brontë inserted, New York, n.d. Est. £6,000-8,000
Hardy (Thomas) Tess of the D’Urbevilles, 3 vol., first edition, 1891. Est. £1,000-1,500
Hardy (Thomas) The Return of the Native, 3 vol., first edition, 1878. Est. £3,000-4,000
Austen (Jane) Sense and Sensibility, 3 vol., second edition, uncut in near contemporary publisher’s cloth, 1813. Est. £3,500-5,000
[Brontë (Charlotte)] Jane Eyre, 3 vol., first edition, 1847. Est. £20,000-30,000
Fine Books and Works on Paper Including several fine, private collections of books, manuscripts, pictures and other ephemera relating to the Brontës and other 19th Century literary figures. Our team of experts would be delighted to provide a free, confidential and no obligation valuation on your items.
Auction: Monday 10th July at The Westbury Hotel, 37 Conduit Street, London, W1S 2YF For more details and the full auction calendar, please visit: forumauctions.co.uk Contact Rupert Powell: books@forumauctions.co.uk | +44 (0) 20 7871 2640 Forum Auctions, 220 Queenstown Road, Battersea, London SW8 4LP