July 2024: ANTIQUES NEWS & FAIRS is moving to a new home at The House Directory - where antiques meet interior design! A new and exciting collaboration aligning our 2 brands for a wider reach. Stay tuned for more news!
THE DECORATIVE ANTIQUES & TEXTILES FAIR
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The Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair (known as The Decorative Fair) is a family-owned event that launched in 1985 to specifically unite the antiques and interior design trades. There are three events each year: a Winter Fair in late January, a Spring Fair in mid-May and an Autumn Fair during the busy ‘design season’ in late September/early October. Also affectionately known in the trade as ‘Battersea’, this is the Titan event of the international decorative trade taking place 3 times a year and forming the cornerstone of the business of many of its 180 exhibitors from UK and Europe. The Fair was originally devised by dealer Patricia Harvey when the design trade was looking for more unusual antiques rarely available at the major London antiques fairs. Her aim was to give decorators and designers everything they wanted under one roof, and brought together a wide range of decorative antiques and twentieth century design mixed with formal antiques, collectors’ items, art and accessories: the formula proved an instant hit. Many exhibitors present room-sets, providing inspiration on how to display items imaginatively. In 1997 the fair moved to a marquee venue in Battersea Park, now Evolution London. Ten years later exhibitors David and Jane Juran took the helm, retaining the Fair’s uniquely friendly spirit and vibrancy. Leading member of the decorative trade Spencer Swaffer provided this endearing endorsement of the Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair (written for the occasion of the Fair’s 30th birthday in 2015): "Antiques dealers are basically loners who plough their own furrows. What makes Battersea unique is the way it unites a whole band of competitive hunters into a united, amiable bunch of friends for a few days three times a year. It is that cheerfulness which shines out of Battersea and makes it such a joy to visit. Anywhere that allows dogs clearly has its heart in the right place. Being first in the queue of buyers, first out of the traps and into the stands, has always been a closely fought battle. It [the opening day queue] used to be the domain of two of the greatest dealers of the late 20th century, the late Guinevere Weaver, who'd leave her Kings Road store early doors to be first in line, and the late Toby Landey, flying in from New York to buy for her Sentimento store. They knew they'd find great things. We all knew we'd learn something: a new theme, a new look, a subtle nuance, a way of putting things together, a different finish for a standard bit of furniture, a twist of old fabric to jazz up a chair. Battersea taught us the values of rust, the brutalist shock of industrial, that bleach isn't just something to throw down the toilet but a way to transform a dull commode. Battersea rules and under the amiable ownership of the excellent David Juran it has reached new heights encouraging new dealers and attracting the old guard from more stuffy shows." Spencer Swaffer. The Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair also offers a digital iteration of their much-loved Fair ‘Digital Decorative’ where you are able to step into the dealer’s showroom with their innovative, interactive 3-D tours, or you can browse visuals of items for sale in the Gallery Windows.
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Post Fair Report - The Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair, Spring 2024
The Home Bothy sales included the wall lights, pair of chairs and the sculpture on
table. Large mirrors sold by Streett Marburg & Charlotte Casadejus.
Sales of high value items, art and good furniture bring sunshine to many exhibitors at the Spring 2024 Decorative Fair
A strong opening day for the majority of exhibitors got the Spring Decorative Fair, held in Battersea Park from 7-12 May, off to a flying start. The week brought serious buyers, decorators working on projects, and trade customers looking for fine and unusual furniture, mirrors, lighting and elegant C20th furnishings. Art in various disciplines sold well including sets of prints; modernist objects and works of art proved very popular, with a notable interest in Brutalist designs; traditional English antiques and upholstery was in demand. Numerous dealers reported selling to US buyers and international private clients. Almost every exhibitor said they had made sales to new customers. A flourish of serious business on Sunday afternoon brought a good uptick for many at the close of the Fair.
Among dealers reporting a very good Fair were Justin Evershed-Martin (C20th design & antiques), Sans Pretention (mainly C20th), Joshua Lumley (rugs & tapestries), Schmid McDonagh (C20th design & art), Nick Jones (antiques & C20th), Cal Smith Gallery (modernist art & design), Hudson Antiques (antiques & C20th), L&V Art and Design (C20th), Streett Marburg & Charlotte Casadejus (antiques & C20th), Mary Cooke Antiques Ltd (antique silver), Mark J West Ltd (antique glass), L Prentice Art & Antiques (mainly C20th), Catharine Miller (contemporary art), The Home Bothy (antiques & folk art), and Florence Evans Fine Art (modern art).
Later painted George III chest sold by Drennan & Sturrock TP £4400. Brutalist tables
by Lothar Klute sold by Cal Smith Gallery, TP £14,500. An important royal silver gilt
bowl sold by Mary Cooke Antiques Ltd.
Lesley Ferguson (decorative antiques), standing at the Fair in her own name for the first time, said she was “absolutely delighted” with the experience and with sales which were primarily to trade buyers. Richard Price, another new exhibitor, said: “It is a joy to exhibit, the organisation is extremely good, it is effortless to move in and out, and the parking is fantastic. I sold my bigger, more impressive clocks, mostly to new clients, at prices from £2500 to £10,000.”
Stand out sales reports from furniture dealers: Wakelin & Linfield had a brilliant opening with many sales of fine antique furniture including a Dutch marquetry escritoire, an oyster veneered early chest of drawers and an outstanding set of eight Regency gothic chairs at prices to around £7000; Cal Smith Gallery sold a set of Brutalist coffee tables by Lothar Klute ticketed at £14,500; new exhibitor Stephane Olivier sold an elaborate contemporary decorative mirror by French artist Edouard Chevalier TP £14,000 and took a commission for another; Sans Pretention sold a pair of commodes ticketed at £28,000, Caroline de Kerangal a pair of bronze floor lamps after Giacometti for a five-figure sum, new exhibitor Beton Brut a 1970s German sofa and ottoman TP £16,000+VAT, and Nick Jones a spectacular parquetry centre table TP £14,000. Chalet White sold an important pair of Morel & Hughes Regency armchairs to a new collector priced in five-figures.
Set of eight Regency gothic chairs sold by Wakelin & Linfield, TP £6950. Galerie
Arabesque had great success selling Delftware. Outstanding French parquetry inlaid
centre table c1870, sold by Nick Jones TP £14,000.
Among collectors’ items and art, big ticket sales were reported by Mary Cooke Antiques Ltd (new) who sold their star piece and multiple collectors’ items at prices up to £10,000; Florence Evans Fine Art sold several of her major works at prices to £18,000; Mark West sold a group of 13 Val St Lambert vases on opening day to a new customer and Richard Price (new) sold his bigger, more impressive clocks, mostly to new clients, at prices to £10,000.
More dealers reporting a good Fair included Dorian Caffot de Fawes, Jenna Burlingham Gallery, Joost van den Bergh, D J Green Antiques, Sandy Stanley, Dee Zammit, Florence Evans Fine Art, Galerie Arabesque (in particular their offering of Delft ceramics), Macintosh Antiques, Philip Varma, Richard Steenberg, Interior Boutiques, Town & Country, Form & Function, Tom Rooth, Saunders Fine Art, Tom Hurst, S&S Timms, Hossack & Gray and David Brooker Fine Art.
The Arts & Crafts foyer display enjoyed a number of sales including a Shapland & Petter of Barnstaple Arts & Crafts oak buffet with copper repousse panel c1900, TP £1650, to a new UK client as well as a part-upholstered high backed chair (James Miles), an Islamic octagonal occasional table (Patrick Macintosh), an oriental framed mirror and smaller frame (Peter Last Ltd), a glazed ceramic jardiniere on stand (Julian Simon Fine Art), and a rare Sussex chair by Ford Madox Brown (Justin Evershed-Martin).
Stephane Olivier sold a large mirror by Edouard Chevalier TP £14,000. One of the
verdure tapestries sold by Joshua Lumley. C18th Venetian gilded gesso mirror, original
glass, TP iro £10,000 sold by Justin Evershed-Martin.
The House Directory LIVE debuted on the mezzanine with nine exhibitors and 14 further brands showcased. Talented craftspeople came to demonstrate their skills during the week, and talks involving the likes of Edward Bulmer, John Cullen Lighting, Cox London, Salvo and Decorative Fair exhibitors Harald Altmaier and Joe Chaffer (Vagabond) brought in new audiences. The double book launch of ‘The Restoration Guide’, a collaboration between The House Directory and Salvo, was a highlight of the event.
Angel Tan of The House Directory said: “It was a privilege to be invited to curate the mezzanine of The Decorative Fair this spring. Our aim was to pull together established and emerging interiors brands and suppliers, as well as to host talks and workshops that were aligned with the ethos of the Fair, that would also capture the interest of both longstanding and first-time visitors. We are so proud of the rich resource that is The House Directory online, and it was a joy to curate a live event that celebrates our members’ skills, expertise and stories. We are looking forward to building upon this foundation, and growing the event in the future.”
Florence Evans Fine Art sold this work by Hedwig Pillitz (1896-1987) TP £18,000;
a contemporary polychrome paster relief sold by Catherine Miller; Joost van den
Bergh sold this work by Japan-based artist Umeda Miharu (b. 1946)
Some well-known faces spotted at the Fair were actors Emerald Fennell and Andrew Scott, Sir Paul Smith, designer Julien McDonald, Jenny Éclair, entrepreneur Liz Earle, TV personality Mark-Francis Vandelli, artist and interiors writer Luke Edward Hall, and ‘the king of clubs’ Robin Birley (possibly buying for his new project Maxime’s in NY?).
Designers and trade buyers noted as being in attendance: Nina Campbell, Rita Konig, Kelly Hoppen, Saskia Haining of Martin Brudnizki Design Studio, Duncan Campbell of Campbell Rey, Vicky Davar of Maison Artefact, Spencer Swaffer, Max Rollitt, Edward Hurst, Ray Azoulay of Obsolete (USA), Martyn Lawrence Bullard, Paolo Moschino, Salvesen Graham, Alice Crawley, Jane Churchill and Hollie Bowden Interiors.
Organiser Jane Juran commented: “A combination of the first warm weather of the year plus train strikes on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evidently did not deter quality buyers keen to attend and make acquisitions, though it may well have affected day trip buyers from out of town. The free entry after 4pm continued to attract evening visitors, in particular a younger clientele (other than Friday night by when the weather was hot and drinks outside were no doubt preferable!).”
Darren Hudson, Organiser, added, “We were glad to welcome a number of exciting new exhibitors who brought fresh looks to the event, which was much commented on by our regular and trade visitors. As usual, dealers pulled out all the stops in terms of presentation and effort, for which we thank them, as they give The Decorative Fair its unique character and appeal.”
Visit ANF Calendar for future fair dates
Posted: 21 May 2024
Post Fair Report - The Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair, Autumn 2023
Vagabond Antiques, showing the pair of C19th carved gilded angels and marble figure of
Psyche from the front of the stand that sold during the Fair.
Plenty of new clients among the high visitor numbers in attendance brought a week of steady sales to dealers at the Autumn Decorative Fair, held from 3-8 October in Battersea Park. Dealers reported making sales to clients visiting from across the world, including the USA, Italy, Switzerland, Australia, the Middle East as well as many local resident ex-pats. Opening day saw a good number of decorators from the UK and USA.
Unseasonably good weather brought out the crowds, especially on Saturday, which saw the highest-attended day of the event. A large number of young customers were evident over the weekend, and some serious buyers on Sunday brought a pleasing flourish final day for various dealers in different disciplines.
High quality accessories, unusual decorative objects and useful and portable furniture made the strongest sales, with upholstery and sets of chairs, occasional tables, consoles, mirrors, lighting and textiles amongst the most popular items. Farmhouse and refectory tables sold well, with dealers in both country and formal antiques reporting sales throughout the week.
Highlight sales reported from around the Fair:
Among stand-out sales by Chalet White was a long set of twelve Georgian dining chairs after Robert Manwaring, the C18th furniture designer and cabinet maker (a contemporary of Chippendale), ticketed at a five-figure sum as well as a recently rediscovered work by the Scottish artist James Bourhill (fl. 1880-1900), a large scale painting of dogs in a landscape, ticketed at £5500. Giles Hutchinson-Smith added: “We’ve had a good show, all our clients were new customers.”
Foster & Gane also reported a very good week, selling a Lalique pendant light to a private American client on opening morning, an Artichoke ceiling light by Danish designer Poul Henningsen TP £15,000, a Roman mosaic set as a low table TP £16,500, a set of Lutyens-style early 1900s wall lanterns TP £24,000 (going to the USA), and a Hans Wegner desk. Further major sales continued, including a large pair of lanterns and a Peter Waals desk which went to an existing US-based client after they saw a video of the stand shared by the dealer on Instagram.
Martin D Johnson Antiques sold his star piece, a Holland & Sons table made for Windsor Castle and gifted by Queen Mary of Teck, for a five-figure sum, which went to a US decorator for their personal collection, and finished well on Sunday with sales of several large cabinets and a refectory table. Clients were mostly new private London-based buyers.
Vagabond Antiques was happy and made good sales including an C18th lead garden water cistern to a new private client TP £12,500, a pair of early C18th Venetian carved gilded wooden angels TP £18,000, a marble figure of Psyche TP £12,000 (both seen in pic below), as well as mirrors and console tables and a Georgian sofa.
Gallery BR made steady sales of tables, chairs, contemporary art and sculptural objects such as a trio of Spanish C14th/C15th carved stone capitals typical of Girona, TP £8500, which went to a new private client. The Home Bothy also sold across the board, furniture and unusual and folk art objects, such an archaic carved limestone Janus Head from the private collection of a surrealist artist in France, which went to an existing private customer ticketed at over £5000, and a late C19th carved stone French console to a new private buyer TP £4900.
A trio of stone sales: an early C20th birdbath by sculptor Ottillie Maclaren Wallace, a
student of Rodin, ticketed at £12,000 from Arabesque Antiques, a group of medieval
Spanish capitals from Gallery BR (TP £8500) and an archaic Janus Head from The Home
Bothy (TP in excess of £5000)
While some dealers in 20th century furniture and accessories reported mixed fortunes, many also reported a very good week. The Moderns, Philip Thomas, Quindry, and Dorian Caffot de Fawes were all happy with sales across the board. Philip Thomas enjoyed buoyant sales of both furniture and accessories to a variety of buyers including US decorators and “young tech industry privates living in places like Notting Hill”. Sales included an unusual mid-century First Edition of The Big Tulip chair by Pierre Paulin, TP £5000, and a sculptural Italian desk by Guiseppe Rivados, c1970, which went to the US trade. Dorian Caffot de Fawes said he’d had his best opening day yet, with sales of cabinet pieces, lighting, mirrors, and seating, such as a very interesting pair of rope and oak Arts & Crafts chairs c19010 (TP £3300) which went to a US buyer. Henry Saywell Works of Art sold an eccentric 1960s set of papier mâché Tomotom table and chairs by Bernard Holdaway produced by Hull Traders which went to a decorator on opening morning (and which Henry said he could have sold ten-times over until he removed them from his stand!).
Modern design sales included this daisy-shaped Tomotom dining suite from Henry Saywell
Works of Art, a Poul Henningsen Artichoke light from Foster & Gane, and The Big Tulip
chair by Pierre Paulin (from Philip Thomas)
Around the Fair, dealers who reported sales of good pieces, including traditional formal and country house antiques, included Arabesque Antiques, Richard Steenberg, Craig Carrington, Nick Jones, Hudson Antiques, David Levi, Inglis Hall Antiques, Geoffrey Stead, Fontaine, On-Reflection Ltd, Violet Grey, Peter Last Ltd (antique frames), Drennan & Sturrock, and Ted Wolter.
At the stand of Mark J. West who enjoyed one of his best fairs, and the Holland & Sons
table from Windsor Castle gifted by Queen Mary of Teck, which sold from Martin D. Johnson
Antiques for a five-figure sum
Art and collectors’ items such as glass, silver, jewellery and ceramics also saw some strong sales, with exhibitors such as M & D Moir (who noted good sales of American art glass by Tiffany and Steuben), Linda Jackson (who described her busy stand on Saturday as being “mobbed” by customers), Anthea AG Antiques and Sandy Stanley reporting a good week, while Mark J. West had one of his best-ever Fairs selling a great deal of decorative and useable glass. He said: “I met a lot of young people including one who sent her father in to buy her Christmas present on the following day”.
Catherine Miller and Interior Boutiques both had excellent sales of contemporary art, as did Henry Miller Fine Art with his speciality of male studies, and Saunders Fine Art with modern Scandinavian works (“It has been fantastic” said Guy Saunders) while Henry Saywell Works of Art reported strong interested in the artworks of modern British artist David Leverett, priced from £300 to £30,000. Sue Norman Blue & White China had a good week and was very upbeat about meeting many new clients including younger buyers starting out on making a collection, while Form & Function and new participants L. Prentice Art & Antiques and Schmid Macdonagh were happy with sales of C20th art ceramics, sculpture and objects as well as smaller furniture and accessories. Schmid Macdonagh sold a picture by Duncan Grant.
Florence Evans Fine Art, exhibiting for the second time, met good new private clients “led by the image, narrative and quality of the paintings” and sold a number of her big ticket items as well as more affordable works at prices from a few hundred pounds to over £20,000. Star sales were all works by lesser-known but hugely accomplished female artists, including a Windrush-period portrait of a Man from Antigua, c.1950s, by Mary Lomax, and a very beautiful Hungarian portrait by Zoltan Heya c.1930 of Sarolta Steiner, a woman who escaped Budapest during WWII, remarkably bringing the portrait with her to the UK.
Art sales: from Florence Evans Fine Art were these accomplished portraits, a Man from
Antigua, c.1950s, by Mary Lomax, and a Hungarian portrait by Zoltan Heya from c.1930,
of Sarolta Steiner; while Catharine Miller reported her best ever Fair
Well-known visitors seen at the Fair included Joseph Fiennes, Matthew Macfadyen, Keeley Hawes, Jodie Comer, Matt Smith, Emerald Fennell; fashion designers Sir Paul Smith and Andreas Kronthaler; Lily Allen, Gary Kemp, Jemima Goldsmith, Holly Valance, Lady Bamford, Lady Fellowes; gardeners Butter Wakefield, Rachel de Thame, Arit Anderson, and TV presenter Alex Jones.
International decorator and trade buyers at the event included Rose Tarlow the doyenne of US decorators who attended on opening morning, along with a client, and shopped extensively around the Fair. Other from the US included Michael S. Smith, Martyn Lawrence Bullard, Matthew Patrick Smyth, Ray Azoulay of Obsolete, Billy Cotton, and buyers from Tom Ford. And from the UK, Rose Uniacke, Rita Konig, Bunny Turner of Turner & Pocock, Guy Goodfellow, Max Rollitt, Sarah Vanrenen, and Edward Hurst among many others.
As both Organiser and an exhibitor at the Fair, Darren Hudson is in an unique position to take an overview of proceedings. He comments: “There was an excellent turn-out of wealthy private buyers and decorators at the Fair, and many dealers made steady sales throughout the week, with those who stock plenty of objects, smaller furniture items and accessories doing well. With the flattening of the housing market, and a tailing off of the post-covid boom in the interiors industry, it has become evident that some clients are being more cautious than in the past couple of years, and it was perhaps not so surprising that some large and more serious furniture items were trickier to sell this time around.”
“Balancing that was the outstanding attendance we enjoyed, and the noticeable number of younger and new visitors who came. It is good to be attracting this youthful new crowd, who aren’t really seen at other antiques fairs, and who we hope will continue to come and experience the fun and variety we have to offer.”
Jane Juran adds: “We’ve worked extremely hard to bring our attendance back up to the levels we had reached pre-covid and our extensive marketing and digital campaigns have definitely proved a huge success. We were also very pleased to welcome Tribal Art London as our guest event on the Mezzanine: it looked fantastic. Complementing our own Fair, the event was widely admired by our exhibitors and visitors - and it seems their dealers enjoyed good business too.”
Visit ANF Calendar for future fair dates
Posted: 18 October 2023
Post Fair Report - The Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair, Spring 2023
Foyer Display sales included an Edwardian sofa, C17th side table, Georgian footstool, painted chest,
C18th dresser and a rare C17th coaching table
The rare, the unique and the traditional were top of the sales charts at the Spring Decorative Fair held in Battersea Park from 9-14 May, opening just after coronation weekend.
There was a noticeable number of younger visitors in attendance, especially at the weekend and on weekday evenings, taking advantage of the Fair’s recent new policy of free entry after 4pm each day. Sales were driven at this Fair in particular by sophisticated, ultra wealthy private buyers looking for stand-out and exceptional pieces not just as statement interior design, but collectors’ items too. As one exhibitor put it, “Decoration can be serious”, and many customers were evidently looking for objects of excellence, as well as affordable or more purely decorative pieces.
Chalet White - Group of C19th ship dioramas
Traditional English and country antiques were popular at this Fair, and a pleasing volume of vernacular and early furniture sales was reported. Farmhouse tables sold well especially to decorators, and painted antique furniture too. The Foyer display, which featured Carolean and C17th furniture in an old-fashioned country home setting, made many sales including a rare late C17th William & Mary period coaching table in beautifully patinated walnut c1690, a Charles II armchair, a Regency pine dresser with original paint, a large C19th painted marriage chest, an Edwardian high back sofa, a pair of 1953 coronation stools, and a wonderful length of C19th crewel work in the C17th manner. Julian Simon Fine Art also sold a very traditional mid-C17th Italian oil painting of a putto to a new client. These sales were primarily to private buyers.
Craig Carrington - Exceptionally rare Regency carved wood mirror c1810
Disquarded - Large C19th Parisian Verdigris lantern
Mirrors of all styles, sizes and periods sold strongly – Craig Carrington sold an exceptionally rare Regency mirror ticketed at £38,000, Christopher Jones sold a large pair of mid-C19th gilded gesso and carved wood mirrors for a five-figure sum, Disquarded sold a huge C19th ornate gilded mirror to fit an existing panelled room to a new private buyer refurbishing a large country house - and good examples of statement textiles made stand-out sales. Hudson Antiques sold a large C17th Aubusson landscape tapestry with a ticket price of £28,000; Drennan & Sturrock sold a Spanish C17th armorial tapestry ticketed at £15,500 and Streett Marburg & Charlotte Casedejus sold a number of large embroideries mounted as art as well as a very rare example of C18th Italian silver bead and crewel work, framed, and ticketed at £8500. Katharine Pole had a very good week, noting strong sales of C18th and C19th quilts.
Hudson Antiques - Large C17th Aubusson tapestry
Art sold well for many of the Fair’s specialist dealers. Darnley Fine Art met a new client who purchased a large Fauve impressionist work by Robert Deborne (1870-1944) ticketed at £65,000. Saunders Fine Art sold C20th Scandinavian pictures to new clients and made good sales to the trade. Jenna Burlingham Gallery, Julian Simon Fine Art, David Brooker Fine Art, Osborne Gallery and Catharine Miller reported a good week. Panter & Hall Decorative sold a number of larger than usual paintings. Interior Boutiques sold many contemporary décollage abstracts by Huw Griffiths at four-figure prices. New participant Cal Smith Gallery enjoyed a positive reception for brutalist artworks, amongst sales was a wrought steel brutalist table and chair ticketed around £3000.
Darnley Fine Art - Robert Deborne (1870-1944) Fauve impressionist work
New participant Florence Evans Fine Art had a brilliant opening day and sold to new clients throughout the week, of works at prices from around £200 to around £20,000 spanning wood cuts to important collectors’ pieces. “It was a great first-ever fair for my business, it was exciting to take part and I’m already looking forward to exhibiting again – Battersea has a truly collegiate feel. I was thrilled to be meeting and selling to private clients, decorators and serious art collectors. One very good existing client made their first visit to Battersea on my invitation and went away delighted, with bulging bags of purchases from around the Fair.”
Buyers were seeking out extra-special accessories: unusual antique and vintage lighting, decorative objects and sculpture, collectable glass and ceramics. Sue Norman Blue & White China was very happy with sales of C18th and C19th English pieces; Mark J. West (glass), Laura Bordignon Japanese Works of Art reported a good Fair, while Galerie Arabesque sold multiple examples of antique Delftware vases and tiles. David Levi Antiques was happy with sales of folk art and objects, and Home Bothy sold good pieces to collectors including a rare medieval Italian pottery jug and a group of early C20th owl decoys ticketed at £4900 from a single-owner collection. M. Goldstein sold a pair of early C20th French gilt bronze and frosted glass lanterns in the Japanese manner priced at £8500 to an international decorator.
Drennan & Sturrock - Rare hooded Orkney chair, Robert Lorimer table and Spanish armorial tapestry
Geoffrey Stead - one of a pair of C18th neoclassical consoles
Traditional furniture dealers reporting particularly good sales include Drennan & Sturrock, who sold to decorators in the first half of the week including a superb table by Sir Robert Lorimer ticketed at £15,500 as well as a very rare Orkney chair (TP £5500 to the US), then further good sales to private buyers over the weekend; Geoffrey Stead, whose sales included a pair of C18th neoclassical console tables (TP £15,000), a c1760 French painted marble-topped serving table (TP £7500) and a large C18th Italian tortoiseshell framed mirror (TP £4500); Wakelin & Linfield, Cave Decorative Arts, S & S Timms, Vagabond, John Bird Antiques, Brown Elliott, Town & Country, Patrick Macintosh Antiques, new exhibitor Holtby & Co, and Richard Steenberg.
Holtby & Co - Edwardian sofa
Wakelin & Linfield sold mainly good early furniture to collectors and private buyers, “pieces that felt comfortable and reassuringly old fashioned, and that work so well with modern art and objects, as the one shows off the other in a home; it was most encouraging” said Helen Linfield. Amongst sales were a very good Sheraton linen press which went to a Scottish customer (TP £7500), a superb dresser base (in the region of £6000) to an American dealer, and a selection of good C18th delftware plates. From the Foyer display they also sold a rare C17th William & Mary walnut drop leaf coaching table and a good oak side table, both circa 1690, both sold to private clients, and priced in the region of £3000.
Vagabond - Set of four bronze C19th statues of the Four Seasons
Joe Chaffer of Vagabond said “we had a great fair, we found there was a steady flow of customers throughout the week and we made sales daily. The Decorative Fair always creates an energetic atmosphere and is a great chance for us to catch up with existing clients and to meet new people”. Their sales included a good set of C19th bronze statues of the Four Seasons to a current client ticketed in excess of £50,000, a Régence period commode c1720 in the manner of Etienne Doirat (1675-1732) with rosewood and kingwood veneers (TP £14,500) to a new private customer, and a group of 31 Portuguese C18th glazed terracotta bowls (TP £7450).
Foster & Gane - Chinese export lacquer sofa circa 1830
Dealers in decorative, mixed stock and 20th century pieces reporting a very good Fair included Nick Jones, Dorian Caffot de Fawes, Streett Marburg & Charlotte Casedejus, Christopher Jones, M. Charpentier; sales by Foster & Gane included a Chinese export lacquer sofa c1830 ticketed at £18,500 to a private buyer from Singapore as well as a fine mid-century Danish sofa by Kaare Klint; Philip Thomas and Caroline de Kerangal. Interest from trade clients was evident earlier in the week, with US and international antiques buyers and interior designers shopping the Fair.
Dorian Caffot de Fawes - Large early C20th Chinese screen
Nick Jones, who had one of his best ever Battersea’s, was selling high value items, primarily practical furniture, especially for storage, such as bookcases, chairs and mirrors, and exceptional decorative objects including a bronze by the Czech sculptor Franz Fischer (1900-1980), Le Toro, dating to 1960 and ticketed at £23,500. Dorian Caffot de Fawes had “a great fair! I sold to my usual interior designers and private collectors, and met new ones: around 30% of sales were to new customers.” Among sold pieces was a very unusual and large (over 8m wide) polychrome Chinese screen, early C20th, ticketed at £8800 and a pair of c1930 chairs by Art Deco design master André Sornay ticketed at £3300.
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Chalet White - An extremely fine late C18th Venetian settee upholstered in a rare C19th Indian chintz textile
Giles Hutchinson-Smith of Chalet White said: “We sold to both a local and an international audience with buyers from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, New York and Marrakesh, and one particular sale of a group of exceptional C19th ship dioramas to a yacht being completed on the Mediterranean.” They sold many notable and unusual antique pieces including a rare chinoiserie clock, a group of C19th tinsel paintings, a late C17th Welsh oak side table c1690 with a lovely dark patina and an extremely fine late C18th Venetian settee in original painted decoration upholstered in a rare, unique C19th Indian chintz textile, ticketed at £22,500.
Well-known faces attending the Fair included entrepreneur and owner of 5 Hertford Street Robin Birley (possibly shopping for his latest club to be opened in New York), actors Nigel Havers, Eddie Redmayne, Stephen Beresford and Lorraine Chase, dancer and actress Cherry Gillespie, Bob Geldof, Bryan Ferry, and Holly Valance.
Drennan & Sturrock - Table by Sir Robert Lorimer
Amongst designers and trade buyers shopping at the event were Jermaine Gallacher, Katherine Pooley, Kathryn Ireland, Rita Konig, Edward Hurst, Willie Nickerson, Nina Campbell, John Minshaw, and Saffron Wace of Aldridge & Supple; Colefax & Fowler, Guinevere, and Ray Azoulay of Obsolete USA.
Fair Organisers Jane Juran and Darren Hudson both praised exhibitors, suppliers and carriers for coping with the added pressures of setting up over the coronation weekend. “In the end we had a very smooth set-up and dealers’ stands were looking as fantastic as ever. There were many exceptional pieces on offer, and the visitors we attracted this Spring were evidently collectors, as well as looking to source interesting design, art and objects for decoration.”
“There were plenty of international attendees who had travelled to London on the occasion of the coronation, which was pleasing to note. We strive hard to ensure our exhibitors benefit from a good level of business across the three Fairs each year, and we always look to attract visitors via new sources of marketing – we invested significant additional advertising this Spring in the London hotel and tourist market. Exhibitors now have their sights set on a busy summer ahead re-stocking for the big Autumn design season.”
Visit ANF Calendar for future fair dates
Posted: 7 June 2023
Post Fair Report - The Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair, Winter 2023
A beautiful Edo Period silk panel TP £8000 sold by Justin Evershed-Martin
The Winter edition of The Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair, held from 24-29 January 2023, experienced a vibrant opening day with strong sales for the majority of exhibitors. Many continued in the same vein throughout the week, particularly for those specialising in decorative antiques and 20th century design, and a good number of art dealers. Most notable was the number of US trade buyers in attendance at the start of the week, and plenty of UK and international decorators.
Opening day attendance was back to pre-covid levels, in fact it was one of the busiest the Fair has recorded – one dealer described the first hours as “a whirlwind of buyers”. Across the week visitor numbers continued an upward trajectory; they have increased progressively since the Fair returned in October 2021.
A Louis XV commode sold by Foster & Gane
Foster & Gane had a good opening, selling their J. Anthony Redmile centrepiece, a Louis XV commode with a breche violette marble top, later decorated c1975 by Redmile in a selection of various shells including red scallops and various crystals. The piece was ticketed at £25,000 and went to a UK decorator. Sales were also made to a couple of new US decorators. The week continued well, with sales of a large 1940s amboyna wood screen ticketed at £12,000, a modern painting, various textiles and tables.
Justin Evershed-Martin on the first day sold a wonderful Edo Period silk panel TP £8000 which was greatly admired by many visitors to his stand, as well as several pairs of C20th designer chairs, a Chinese lantern and modernist lighting to a mix of trade and new private buyers.
Modernist Italian armchairs c1950 sold by Philip Thomas
Many other twentieth century design specialists reported very strong sales on the first day: Gallery KIY made sales of a wide variety of named modern designers – seating, tables, lights – as well as small objects of all periods including (secondary market) contemporary ceramics such as vases by the leading Japanese studio potter based in the UK, Akiko Hirai, at prices between £1000-£3000. Amongst furniture sales was a pair of generous, curved 1930s armchairs by the Finnish designer Märta Blomstedt ticketed at £20,000. Philip Thomas reported a good day with “decisive decorators making quick choices”; sales included a pair of modernist Italian armchairs in wrought iron c1950 ticketed at £2600, also many pieces of upholstered furniture and lighting - buyers were split evenly between trade and private. He was pleased overall with sales during the week, as was Quindry, Caroline de Kerangal and L&V Art and Design, whose sales highlights included a pair of Paolo Buffa cabinets (asking price £9750) and a pair of gilded tôle leaf wall lights (asking price £3850) both 1950s in date. Hudson Antiques did strong business all week selling every day and had a particularly busy Friday. Darren Hudson said “I actually ran out of mirrors having sold six from the same spot”.
Paolo Buffa cabinets sold by L and V Art and Design
Dorian Caffot de Fawes said the Fair had been excellent, “my second best out of the 21 Decorative Fairs I have participated in so far”. Among sales was an unusual European neo-gothic early C20th stool priced at £1850. Ed Butcher, specialist in glamorous, Hollywood Deco-inspired lighting, mirrors and furniture, reported a good week, and noted the number of New York interior decorators. “We had an amazing first day and steady sales thereafter” of coffee tables, sideboards, chairs, mirrors and lighting. A stand-out piece sold was a very rare Roger Capron Vallauris ceramic table lamp ticketed at £2500. Capron worked with Picasso at the Vallauris pottery from the 1950s.
Dealers in traditional antiques enjoyed a good opening: Anthony Fell sold to decorators and private clients, and a few trade buyers, including several 18th century mirrors, a Chinese chest on stand, a pair of Regency library chairs and another good Georgian chair. Alastair Drennan said he had made strong sales, as did Craig Carrington with his classical works of art and furniture, and David Bedale reported steady sales at opening and throughout the week of traditional antique furniture; he mentioned four sales to US trade, one of whom was a new contact.
Flemish cabinet c1680 sold by Hansord Antiques
William Cook Antiques sold “classic English furniture and decorative objects, things of interest and quality” to a mix of new and existing clients, trade and private, at prices ranging up to around £9000. On the first day a stand-out sale was of an early C18th carved wood Chinese Buddha with original decoration which came from an American private collection and was “in remarkable condition considering its age”. Sales by Hansord Antiques included a late C17th ebony and tortoiseshell Flemish cabinet on stand ticketed at £8800 to an existing private client up from the country on their first visit to the Fair in Battersea, and a 1950s working steam train model (ticket price £3500) to a commodities broker based in London.
Joe Chaffer of Vagabond Antiques reported one of his best Fairs to date, with strong sales of sculpture, statuary and mirrors, such as fine pair of C18th Venetian mirrors engraved with chinoiserie figures, ticketed at £8500.00. Among garden pieces sold was an important marble urn (ticket price £24,000) and a C19th life-sized carved marble statue of a classical maiden, after Antonio Canova, with a ticket price of £22,000.
“I made new clients, and sold to existing ones. US decorators bought from me, I sold a good painting to one, and mirrors to others. It was our best opening, and overall up there as one of our best ever Fairs.”
Around the fair dealers in many disciplines said there was a fantastic buzz on Tuesday. Andrew Angell of Interior Boutiques described it as a “phenomenal” opening; he made sales of traditional paintings, contemporary art and collage works, and a great deal of lighting. Anthea AG Antiques was very pleased to make an early sale to a new client she met at the Autumn Decorative fair who acquired a significant piece of jewellery. Peter Last Ltd with his specialist selection of antique picture frames said it had felt very busy, with “lots of impulsive buying”. M. Charpentier, dealers in decorative antiques, said “it feels like the old buzz is back”; they made sales across the board - pictures, lighting, seating, mirrors, console tables – and an early C20th marble bust on plinth in the classical style ticketed at £8500.
Sales by Phil Taylor’s Cool Stuff included a set of 1930s photogravure nude studies, possibly French, ticketed at £7800 and an unusual large antique triptych gold-framed country house mirror. Inglis Hall Antiques had a good week: sales included a giant wooden shop model of a gun ticketed iro £3000 which featured on the Counter Culture themed display stand put together by the Fair Organisers, a life-sized metal parrot sculpture by Mexican painter, sculptor and designer Sergio Bustamante (b. 1949) ticketed at £1800, and a wonderful large mid-C19th French elm farmhouse table (priced at £5900) to a US decorator.
Home Bothy
The Home Bothy, dealers in folk art and unusual antiques and works of art reported an excellent opening day with sales to US and UK trade and private buyers including a large c1780 Venetian grotto frame ticketed at £6950, an early C20th copper and brass owl sculpture/bird scarer to a private buyer TP £6800 (centre of image above), a collection of small gogottes ticketed at £6800 and an unusual tree trunk table on which they were displayed. He was very happy with steady sales all week, including an unusual pair of American mahogany armchairs (ticket price £3600) to a new private client.
Gallery BR
Gallery BR had a very strong start, selling contemporary paintings, a huge Arts & Crafts table (ticketed iro £6000), and a set of Pierre Jeanneret chairs with an asking price well in excess of £30,000, to new clients (table and chairs shown above). “The opening felt like we are back to pre-covid days.”
Toby Lorford said it had been the best opening two hours he’d ever experienced: he sold an imposing pair of antique painted European tables, a very large farmhouse table, a pair of large C20th ceramic decorative greyhounds, and a lovely antique palampore textile. (See tables, one stacked, and the textile picture above.)
Showing one of the pair of Italian c1770 canapes (sofas) sold by Nick Jones
Nick Jones reported a record-breaking first day, his best opening day ever. “There was a host of US interior decorators along with UK trade and regular clients. I sold all my larger furniture pieces and most of my mirrors.” In fact he repeated the feat again on day two. Amongst sales was a pair of Italian c1770 canapes (sofas) with original paint priced at £13,500 the pair, and a four-door oak C19th bookcase TP £8000. “Battersea is bucking the trend,” he said.
Timothy Langston Fine Art & Antiques had an excellent opening day, a stand out sale was a group of twenty C18th and C19th faience and delft tobacco jars, to a new American trade buyer who came as an Antiques Diva shopping client, ticket price £25,000. Other dealers in decorative antiques and design who enjoyed strong sales all week were Catherine Despas from France, Streett Marburg & Charlotte Casedejus, Jeroen Markies Art Deco, Odyssey Fine Arts who sold plenty of pictures, sets of prints and furniture including a rare pair of tables designed by Louis Vuitton on the 1920s/30s; DJ Green Antiques, and Christopher-Hall Antiques with painted Scandinavian and European furniture.
Christopher Butterworth
Christopher Butterworth had a “fantastic” opening day with lots of US business done, making sales of lanterns, chandeliers, a large mirror and table, including a good Charles X Empire chandelier that was ticketed at £16,000. “It was probably the best day I have had at a fair, ever.” He went on to enjoy his best fair ever in over 30 years as a dealer.
WSJ Gallery
Many art dealers fared well: WSJ Gallery sold a good number of paintings to designers who came with their clients and overall were “very happy”. Sales included a triptych of canvases by contemporary British artist Peter seal (ticket price £16,200, to a new buyer who came with their decorator (a regular customer of WSJ). Other picture dealers including Darnley Fine Art, David Brooker Fine Art, The Parker Gallery, Osborne Gallery (all with traditional art), Henry Saywell Ltd, Jenna Burlingham, Catharine Miller and Panter & Hall Decorative (with modern and contemporary works) all sold well with some saying it was their ‘best fair ever’ and reported meeting lots of new people and good numbers of decorators and Americans.
Rhona Valentine
Textile dealers had a good week: Rhona Valentine enjoyed her best ever Fair, with her finest pieces proving popular with buyers both trade and private, such as a large crewel work panel to the trade ticketed at £7000, a good c1800 tapestry priced at £9500, two important C16th Franco-Scottish needlework cushions priced at £2500, two large Fortuny panels c1920, a large C19th Indian velvet hanging (£850) and on Sunday afternoon she sold out of antique quilts. Su Mason said “I have had a lovely Fair, and was particularly pleased to sell to US and Canadian clients.” Katharine Pole enjoyed steady sales, as did rug dealer Joshua Lumley, while kilims and Swedish flatweaves sold well for dealers who stock them.
Several members of the public came in to the Press Office after their visit to congratulate the Organisers, with one saying: "The best show I've seen for a long time - you have really pulled it together. I've been coming to this fair for years. This is an extremely well curated show; the quality of the dealers here is exceptional."
There was a high number of the UK trade visiting throughout the week in addition to the noticeable increase in US trade buyers who were back in force and spending widely. Many commented that there is no other fair like it, a great mix and fun to visit and exbibit at: “it is the place to be”.
Amongst trade visitors were Rose Uniacke, Edward Hurst, Nina Campbell, Rita Konig, Chelsea Textiles, hotelier Olga Polizzi, and buyers from the US included decorators Martyn Lawrence Bullard, Billy Cotton, Ken Fulk, and dealers Ray Azoulay of Obsolete a large antiques store on the West Coast, Ainsworth-Naoh from Atlanta, and Fickle International from Texas.
Celebrities spotted shopping included Phoebe Waller-Bridge who spent most of Saturday at the Fair with her partner Martin McDonagh, celebrated director of The Banshees of Inisherin; playwright and author Stephen Beresford, Fleabag actor Andrew Scott, Eddie Redmayne, Nigel Havers, fashion designer Andreas Kronthaler of Vivienne Westwood Ltd, Sir Paul Smith, and Holly Valance. An exhibitor said they were very pleased to have met a director from the Royal Academy, who was visiting in a personal capacity.
A Japanese Mid Century Cloisonne Enamel floral vase by Tamura sold by Jacksons Antique
New participant and young dealer Callum Jackson of Jacksons Antique made a sale on opening day to new clients who in the past were regular visitors to Masterpiece. Now they come to Battersea. Callum was pleased overall and the experience was beyond his expectations. “This is the only fair I have been to with so many celebrities who look so completely at ease. It’s wonderful!” Callum summed up: “Battersea is a stunning event with a huge variety of exceptional dealers with an equally exceptional variety of stock. You could quite easily redecorate your house with what’s available, from furniture to vases and everything in-between. The fair is a must for all with a keen eye for unique and eye-catching pieces.” Amongst sales was a Japanese mid-C20th cloisonné enamel floral vase by Tamura, ticketed at £925.
Organiser Darren Hudson said: “I had to open the Fair a few minutes early on Tuesday due to the exceptional number of visitors queuing outside on a brisk January morning. It was fantastic to feel their genuine eagerness to get inside and buy, and it was particularly gratifying to see so many overseas buyers.
This buzz continued throughout the week with many commenting on how busy it was, not just on the first day. Saturday also brought an amazing crowd. I was pleased to see how many dealers were in early each morning restocking and redesigning their stands.”
Jane Juran adds: “We're very lucky to have such amazingly talented dealers standing at the Fair and I'm glad it was successful for so many of them. While times are undoubtedly challenging at the moment we remain committed to providing our exhibitors with a reliable thrice-yearly event which we are all very proud of."
The Spring edition of The Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair takes place from Tuesday 9 to Sunday 14 May, opening the day after the coronation bank holiday, when the eyes of the world will be on London. The capital will be a hive of exciting activity and welcoming a high volume of international and UK tourists.
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Posted: 7 February 2023
PANTIQUE STORIES: A BRIEF HISTORY OF TRADE AND SHOP SIGNS
Hatchwell Antiques - A golden oak haberdashery or shirt maker’s cabinet, with brass label holders.
Danish, circa 1930. 54 drawers, each drawer has the right hand side cutaway for access. Dimensions
Height 137cm, width 182cm and depth 49cm. Priced at £3600.
Trade signs and related ephemera are historic devices of identification and persuasion. Even in classical times there is evidence that the Greeks, Romans and Egyptians all used forms of signage. Emblems, symbols and pictorial designs were practical when the majority of the population was illiterate. “At the sign of the…” was the easiest way for people who couldn’t read to locate a business, inn or buildings close by.
In medieval Europe, the use of emblems to distinguish inns and trades became more complex as heraldic imagery was incorporated, and establishments gained vernacular names based on eye-catching elements of the coats of arms which marked them – The Talbot, The Red Lion, The Crossed Keys etc. Certain identifiable trade signs that survive into modern times include the three balls of the pawnbrokers (a symbol said to have originated with the Lombards who came to London as bankers in the Middle Ages), and the red
and white pole of the barbers. Traditionally they were barber-surgeons, distinct from medical doctors, and the red drapes on the pole indicated they could perform operations such as blood lettings, tooth extraction or (rather grizzly) amputations and the like – the red symbolising the colour of blood.
James Worrall - This is a beautifully made shop display box, with a curved glass opening
front and mirror. It has 3 glass shelves and the front can be opened from the back or front.
Made by S. Mawson & Sons Limited in the early 1900s. Shop Display Case £950. H: 49cm (19.3")
D: 39cm (15.4") L: 48cm (18.9"). Ideal to display a collection of small objects, or for storing
ties/scarves etc in a bedroom/dressing room.
Whilst the use of signs, metal or board, was generally optional for traders, publicans however, were on a different footing. From the late 14th century, English law compelled innkeepers and landlords to exhibit signs outside their premises. The legislation stated "Whosoever shall brew ale in the town with intention of selling it must hang out a sign, otherwise he shall forfeit his ale”. This legislation made public houses easily identifiable to passing inspectors of the quality of the ale they provided (at a time when drinking water was usually unsafe and ‘small beer’ was drunk by all). The practice of using signs spread to other types of
commercial establishments. Similar legislation was enacted in Europe.
The making of signs and signboards was, and still is, considered an art form, although it has received little attention as such, except perhaps by lovers of folk art. In the past it was often a collaborative craft involving carpenters, joiners, carvers, sign-painters, gilders and ironworkers.
The Home Bothy - Collection of 3 hand blown, sculptural cornichon or truffle pickling
glass jars. France Circa 1780. Dimensions: 31cm (H) x 14cm (W) x 14cm (D). Priced at £590.
Competition for attractive, costly signboards led to rich ornamentation and elaborate ironwork, which typically imbued them with personalities of their own – one of the reasons we find them so charming today. In large towns, where many premises practiced the same trade, and especially, where these congregated in the same street, a simple trade sign was insufficient to distinguish one house from another. Thus, traders began to employ a variety of devices to differentiate themselves. Sometimes the trader used
a rebus on his own name (e.g. two cockerels for the name of Cox); sometimes they adopted a figure of an animal or other object, or portrait of a well-known person, considered likely to attract attention.
Since the object of signboards was to attract the public, they were often of an elaborate character. Not only were the signs themselves large and sometimes of great artistic merit (especially in the 16th and 17th centuries, when they reached their greatest vogue) but the posts or metal supports protruding from the houses over the street, from which the signs were swung, were often elaborately worked, and many beautiful examples of wrought-iron supports survive both in England and continental Europe.
The Home Bothy - Engaging late 19th Century milliners display head. Carved wood,
France Circa 1880. Dimensions: 30cm (H) x 18cm (W) x 18cm (D). Priced at £1400.
Exterior signs were a prominent feature of the streets of London from the 16th century. Large overhanging signs became a danger and a nuisance in the narrow ways as the city streets became more congested with vehicles. When the French traveller Mission visited Britain around 1698, he observed that London signs were ‘commonly very large, and jut out so far that in some narrow streets they […] run across almost quite to the other side. They are generally adorned with carving and gilding, and there are several that with the branches of iron which support them, cost above a hundred guineas’. Outside of the larger cities, where there was more space, signboards could be hung from decorative arches of wood and iron.
Hatchwell Antiques - Salter's trade spring balance 1918. A No. 20 T iron and brass
spring balance by George Salter & Co Ltd. To weight 300 lb by 1 lb. 15 inch dial.
Silvester's patent. Dated 1918. Height: 81 cm | 32 in. Priced at £550.
Over time, authorities were forced to regulate the size and placement of exterior signage. In 1669, a French royal order prohibited the excessive size of sign boards and their projection too far over the streets. In London, around the years 1762–1773, laws were introduced which gradually compelled sign boards to be removed or fixed flat against the wall.
That said, it is possible today to see some wonderful examples of old signs; an exceptional one is that hanging outside The Bell Inn, Stilton on the Great North Road, said to be where the famous local blue cheese got its name. Look up as you walk. You never know what snapshots of history you might see.
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Posted: 5 January 2023
Post Fair Report - Discerning Buyers Search Out Connoisseur Pieces at the
Autumn Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair, 4-9 October 2022
Sold by: Lorfords, console (pair), green buffet & table
“A very discerning crowd of people prepared to spend good money on good things,” was how Anthea Gesua of Anthea AG Antiques described visitors to the Autumn edition of The Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair, held in Battersea Park from 4-9 October. In the closing edition of the Fair’s three events of 2022 (although in effect the first of the ‘new season’ in the design world), visitors - UK and international, trade and private - were in attendance to acquire fine examples of antiques, 20th century design, jewellery and works of art, and to also snap up the unusual, so often discovered at Battersea.
Exhibitor sales reports included many higher priced, rare and exclusive pieces, including formal antique furniture and objects. Drennen & Sturrock sold a traditional William IV library table to a new private client with a ticket price of £11,500; Inglis Hall sold a large 17th century portrait in the manner of Peter Lely to a new private buyer with a ticket price of £7,800; a lovely High Regency day bed c1815 in the style of Morel & Hughes, cabinetmakers to the Prince Regent, was sold by Macintosh Antiques to the trade; Lorfords sold a pair of Italian neo-classical consoles circa 1790 to an existing private client ticketed at £24,500; large antique floor rugs sold well at prices over £10,000; and textile dealer Rhona Valentine sold a pair of Jacobean crewelwork panels to a UK hotel, ticketed at £9,500.
A sister panel (detail shown) to a pair of English crewelwork panels sold by
Rhona Valentine to a UK hotel
Anthea AG Antiques reported sales of serious pieces of jewellery at high prices, not “things you might buy on a whim, but signed works clients knew were good” such as an important diamond rivière necklace, and a Boucheron bangle that was priced in excess of £20,000. A highlight sale for Craig Carrington was a very rare pair of large important urns by John Marriott Blashford & Co, circa 1850. The stamped pieces were reputedly from a house designed by Nash, and are illustrated in the catalogue. Ticketed in region of £15,000 they went to an existing client. Christopher Butterworth had a great fair; he made good sales of ceiling lights including a Charles X period ormulu chandelier to a decorator for a US project, ticketed at £17,000, as well as lamps and decorative pieces such as a large pair of Pichon vases priced at £4800 to a new private buyer.
Sold by: Mark Goodger, a rare prohibition bootlegger case, solid silver hip flasks by J.E Caldwell
& Co, silversmiths of Philadelphia. Circa 1930, asking price £7,000
Dealers in traditional and formal antique furniture and accessories reporting a good week included Chalet White - who said “it was amazing, the Fair is a great operation, we’ve done extremely well” and also noted the volume of international buyers in attendance, David Bedale, John Bird - whose sales of formal furniture included a crenelated gothic linen press, Drennen & Sturrock, Richard Steenberg, Odyssey Fine Arts – who sold formal antique furniture as well as many sets of antique prints, Vagabond – who sold significant items such as a fine pair of early 19th century Italian mahogany console tables c1810 ticketed at £18,000 which went to a San Francisco based interior designer and English regency period pair of carved marble urns to a new private client TP £8,500, Macintosh Antiques, Fontaine Decorative - who reported one of their best ever fairs, Hudson Antiques, Linda Jackson Antiques, and Peter Last - a new exhibitor specialising in traditional antique picture frames, whose sales included an impressive Italian 19th century ebonised carved wood ripple mould frame with an asking price in excess of £5,000.
Sold by Chalet White, a pair of C19th Chinese porcelain vases as lamps (exc. shades) TP £4,250
Martin Johnson, who has exhibited at the Fair for more than 15 years with his partner Paul Wong as Martin D. Johnson Antiques, said “signing up to the Battersea Decorative was the best decision I ever made”. Westland London, new to the Fair, made sales of their traditional architectural pieces and works of art, including a set of rare set of 1792 plaster intaglios with an asking price of £5,400. They commented: “We were absolutely thrilled with our first Decorative Fair! It was a fantastic opportunity to both meet new clients and reconnect with existing ones. We achieved our objective to show how our stock has evolved and this was met with lots of interest, and a few great sales too!”
Sold by: Westland London, 1792 intaglio set
Timothy Langston made an interesting long-distance sale, a large group of 40 variously sized mid-C20th Belgian reconstituted stone and painted garden sculptures in the form of fly agaric and other toadstools, bought by a new private buyer. They were spotted by a US visitor who exclaimed her friend in California adored toadstools. Several photos and texts later, and the group was purchased for dispatch to Los Angeles at a ticket price of around £8000. Timothy made steady sales throughout the week, mostly to new buyers.
Collection of garden toadstools sold by Timothy Langston going to LA
A highlight sale for M. Goldstein was a much discussed piece amongst dealers in the fair, a wonderful cast iron Coalbrookdale aesthetic period glazed hanging cabinet, possibly designed by Christopher Dresser, with a ticket price of £4500 which went to a new private client.
Good sales were made by dealers in country, painted and vernacular pieces as well as folk art: French Country Living - who had a very busy opening day and made sales of large painted European pieces, David Levi, DJ Green Antiques, Home Bothy – reporting good sales of mid-market works, Peter Bunting – who sold a glamorous William & Mary period walnut chest on stand in the region of £10,000 to new private buyers and a fine oil painting in the manner of Joseph Wright of Derby dated 1750/60, and Wakelin & Linfield – whose sales included two rare pieces, a traditional Welsh lambing chair c1725 ticketed at £3,000 and a twopart colonial Anglo-Indian campaign chest with secretaire c1820 ticketed at £5,000, both to new clients.
Sold by: Christopher Butterworth, a pair of Pichon vases ticketed at £4,800.
Dealers in 20th century and mixed period stock reporting very good Fairs included Streett Marburg & Charlotte Casedejus, who had one of their best fairs yet, Dorian Caffot de Fawes, Marie Ducasse - who could barely keep up replacing the stock on her stand, Philip Thomas, Ed Butcher, L and V Art & Design, Jeroen Markies Art Deco, and Hossack & Gray – who described buyers as looking for “connoisseur pieces of high quality”. Vintage fashion and jewellery dealers Katheleys and Chelsea Vintage Couture both reported buoyant sales, as did Timewise Vintage Watches.
Textile dealers Rhona Valentine (who had one of her best fairs), Katharine Pole, Tribal Art & Textiles, Owen Parry, Joshua Lumley all reported an excellent week of sales, while art dealers who did good business included WSJ Gallery, Julian Simon Fine Art, Jenna Burlingham Gallery, David Brooker, Tom Rooth who said “it was really buzzy, with overseas clients and decorators” and Odyssey Fine Arts - with multiple sales of print sets spanning traditional botanical, marine and fashion subjects priced in the mid- to high thousands.
Anthony Hepworth Fine Art sold a large 5ft x 4ft contemporary work painted especially for the fair by British artist Peter Seal (b. 1959), who has a strong international following; it went to an existing client in the States priced in excess of £10,000. Malby Maps reported lots of enquiries on rare, big ticket pieces and made new clients, whilst sales included a Stamford’s library map of London c1875.
Sold by: Anthony Hepworth Fine Art, work by Peter Seal
Andrew Angell of Interior Boutiques said: “It has been unreal, my best ever Fair”. Sales included numerous contemporary multi-media artworks by Huw Griffiths at prices up to £15,000, as well as traditional paintings, and mainly 20th century pairs of chairs, cabinet furniture, nests of tables and lamps. Decorators and antiques trade were spending widely around the Fair in the opening days, but it was the very wealthy, Ultra High Net Worth private buyers that many dealers commented on at this Fair. As Darren Hudson, Organiser, observed, “In difficult economic times, there remains a strata of clientele who can still afford to buy anything, and it was evident we attracted visitors of this nature who shopped at the Fair.”
Jane Juran added: “Our new Contemporary on the Mezzanine section looked fantastic. All the exhibitors made sales and were very positive about the great new contacts they met, with expectations of follow-up sales and visitors to their galleries after the Fair. They agreed how successful we were in attracting the right people - buyers who come to acquire beautiful things of all periods for their homes.”
Contemporary on the Mezzanine will have a place at the Fair again next Autumn, with dealers wishing to return, and a number of additional galleries expressing an interest in joining the section.
The Fair Showcase in the Foyer was designed and styled to demonstrate how works of art and furniture from across many centuries can work together in interiors. It featured pieces dating from the late 17th century to the contemporary. Several items sold, including a group of contemporary paintings, a 1950s ceiling light, a Victorian painted folk art wall cabinet, and an aesthetic period tile top wicker table.
Nick Jones, who had a very good Fair, commented that the new daily “free from 4pm” entry policy had been an excellent idea, creating a gentle buzz later in the day with a crowd that were there to buy.
Among well known visitors spotted at the Fair were actors Griff Rhys Jones, Michelle Dockery, Richard E. Grant and Andrew Scott (“the hot priest” from Fleabag), also Sir Paul Smith, Bob Geldof, Jack Dee, fashion designer Andreas Kronthaler from Vivienne Westwood, and Holly Valance.
Decorators and trade buyers shopping included Guy Goodfellow, Rita Konig, Rose Uniacke, Salvesen Graham, Edward Hurst; Rose Tarlow and Kathryn Ireland from the USA; Albion Nord, Louise Bradley, Nicholas Chandor, and Abby de Bunsey.
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Posted: 1 November 2022
A solid week of sales and increasing footfall of new, young buyers brings optimistic atmosphere to the Winter Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair
The Winter edition of The Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair, now in its 37th year, was held in Battersea Park from 25-30 January 2022. It delivered a solid week of sales for exhibitors across all sections of the Fair. Renowned for attracting the trade, interior decorators as well as London and international dealers in fine art and antiques were out in force as usual on opening day.
Many exhibitors commented on the buzzy and optimistic atmosphere, and that visitors were keen to make purchases. Whilst a number of US trade were in evidence, with international travel still somewhat uncertain the Fair again offered its Trade Shopping Service for overseas buyers, which brought export sales to many dealers.
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An early, 1963 Arne Jacobsen leather egg chair priced in the region of £18,500 with Foster & Gane
Fair Organiser Jane Juran said: “It is exciting to see so many new and young buyers coming to the Fair. They are the future life blood for events such as ours, so it is particularly gratifying to have had such positive reports to that effect from exhibitors.” Darren Hudson, Co-Organiser, added: “The Fair was filled to the brim with special pieces which, given the on-going challenges faced by the trade in acquiring new stock, especially from Europe, just proves the efforts our dealers go to in making this such an appealing event.”
Upholstery, seating and larger accessories such as side tables, lighting and mirrors, of all periods antique and C20th, sold extremely well. Macintosh Antiques had a very busy week, and whilst enjoying successful sales of his (typically) country house antique furniture, such as a lovely and highly unusual George I walnut chest of drawers, c. 1720, ticketed at £6,800, they also sold a rare modernist 1934 Crate chair by Gerrit Rietveld, acquired by a decorator for their private collection. An example is in the V&A, and it was priced around £5,000.
‘Swirling Doves’ by contemporary English artist Vera Jefferson, sold by Jeroen Markies, TP £3,250
Dealers with a mix of antique and C20th stock reporting a good week included Sans Pretention, whose sales spanned a 1970s travertine and tiger’s eye veneered bookcase c1970 made in Rome, TP £12,500, bought by a decorator, to a good quality antique bronze head of Dionysus TP £8500 made in the Naples foundry, which went to a private buyer. Streett Marburg & Charlotte Casedejus reported “a lovely vibe and excited visitors”. Streett said it had been their best fair ever, “people were hungry to buy”, and said they had made new clients, and seen lots of new young visitors. Sales included a Regency lacquered, bamboo and rattan chinoiserie centre table TP £7,500 to a private buyer, in the manner of John & Frederick Crace who designed most of the furniture at the Royal Pavilion Brighton; a C19th Spanish painted and gilded bench TP £2,500; a large collection of abstract contemporary artworks by Lucy Noughton, which sold out early in the week, priced £350-600, and a C19th mahogany solicitor’s deeds cabinet TP £4,800.
Giles Hutchinson Smith of Chalet White reported good sales all week and met many new clients. “Many familiar Masterpiece visitors come here. Everybody loves it.” Sales included a gilt chinoiserie c. 1750 French or Flanders leather screen TP £10,000 to a new client for a contemporary room; many smaller antique side and cricket tables; a lovely pair of Rohe 1950s cane chairs TP £2,000. Giles, formerly a director of Mallett Antiques, said: “This fair gives us access to a clientele very similar to that of Masterpiece. It is an incredibly relaxed atmosphere in which they buy classic furniture for their country house, or fun things for their town house; there are plenty of architect designed or influenced pieces here, and not at anxietymaking prices. These high end clients buy here to enjoy living with the pieces; it’s not about investment art, it is about lifestyle.”
A beautifully patinated George I walnut chest of drawers, c. 1720, ticketed at £6,800 with Macintosh Antiques
Ed Butcher, a C20th specialist based in Lots Road, reported a great week with consistent sales across the board. Sales included a 1940s French bar cabinet ticketed at £11,500, and a 1950s Gio Ponti-style sofa priced around £3,000. He also sold a large number of accessories such as ceiling lights, mirrors, wall lights, sideboards, and a pair of rope chairs, to interior designers with ‘wish lists’, and private buyers too, a mix of existing and new clients.
Other C20th dealers reporting a very good week included L&V Art & Design, James Strang, Catherine Despas, Dorian Caffot de Fawes, who said “It has been fantastic”, Il Paralume, art deco specialist Jeroen Markies whose sales included five vibrant contemporary deco style paintings by English artist Vera Jefferson, Quindry, and art and design dealer Caroline de Kerangal who sold 14 modern French paintings as well as furniture and accessories by well-regarded names such as Mathieu Mategot. Mary Hossack, of Hossack & Gray, whose sales included a Philip Arctander chair in region of £14,000 to an interior designer, commented on how exciting it was to see and meet so many young designers buying at the Fair, bringing a new dynamic to the event. L&V Art and Design reported that “We had a queue of people on our stand on opening day waiting to pay for objects. We’ve also picked up 50 Instagram followers this week! We love the atmosphere, and meet wonderful trade and private buyers. It’s a very well run fair.”
Fine art sold well, in particular colourful modern and contemporary works. WSJ Gallery made sales every day to new and existing clients: pochoir prints by David Nash (at £2,000-£3,000) a sculptor whose primary medium is carved wood, works on paper by John McLean, canvases by Peter Seal and other works priced to around £10,000. Rosanna Wilson Stephens said: “We like this environment, the mix of dealers, and the level of clientele is very good. The clients we meet here also then visit us at our galleries in Bruton and Notting Hill. At other fairs we weren’t always getting the right sort of people for us.”
1950s Italian sofa inspired by Gio Ponti and sold by Ed Butcher
Neo-classical and Grand Tour specialist Craig Carrington, standing at the Fair for a second time, was very happy. “You definitely pull the people in here. Lots of fresh faces. But there are plenty of visitors here who I see at Masterpiece or Berkeley Square, as well as leading international art dealers of the highest calibre. The Fair is very friendly, has a relaxed atmosphere with an interesting, eclectic range of stock: unusual decorative to exceptional quality across every discipline. I love the feeling this generates.” Among his sales was a pair of Grand Tour paintings priced around £10,000 and an early C19th plaster bust of the Apollo Belvedere in “lovely untouched condition and great quality” in the region of £6,000 to a new private client.
St. James’s dealer in Indian and South East Asian art, Joost van den Bergh, a long term Asian Art in London and TEFAF exhibitor with Ben Janssens Oriental Art, was also very happy and met many new buyers including decorators with their clients. Sales included a 1950s Japanese two-fold pastel and gouache paper screen ‘Snow in the mountains of Asacho’ (near Hiroshima) by Kunihiko Sasaki (1909-1972) ticketed in region of £9,000 to a private collector, Japanese ikebana baskets, and several Imaginary Cities paintings priced around £3,000-£4,000.
Strong sales of traditional antiques and decorative Continental pieces were made by dealers including Leuchars, Vagabond, Christopher-Hall Antiques, Richard Steenberg, Chalet White, The Home Bothy, Arabesque Antiques, Drennan & Sturrock, French Country Living, Foster & Gane and Nick Jones.
Vagabond’s neoclassical Carrara marble c1820 urn on stand Italian TP £14,500 went to a private collector
Peter Whipps of Arabesque Antiques, returning to do the Fair after some years, genuinely enjoyed the experience and was very happy. Sales included an Irish George III period original painted pine gothic bookcase with a five figure ticket price, and also a matched pair of Robert Adam-designed cast iron urn stoves c.1780 cast by the Carron Foundry of Scotland, TP £7,800, which went to a US trade buyer. “I’ve met lots of new clients. This is such a friendly fair, with a unique, relaxed atmosphere.”
Vagabond had another successful show, with sales of traditional antique furniture, paintings, and garden objects, such as a neoclassical Carrara marble urn on stand c1820 Italian TP £14,500 to a private collector, and a very decorative mid-C20th Italian rosso levante marble shell, originally a fountain but being repurposed for use as an impressive bathroom basin, TP £6,800.
Dealers in collectors’ items reporting a good week include Hickmet and Morgan & Strickland (nouveau and deco objets d’art), Joshua Lumley and Aaron Nejad Gallery (rugs), Mark J. West (glass), David Levi (folk art/country pieces), Su Mason (textiles), and Garden Artefacts (gardenalia) reporting his best ever Fair.
Among famous faces spotted at the Fair were Martin & Shirley Kemp, Eddie Redmayne, David Beckham, Jack Dee, Lady Bamford, and from the interior design world and antiques trade, Melissa Wyndham, Penny Morrison, and Ray Azoulay of US dealership Obsolete.
FUTURE DATES: The Spring event will take place from Wednesday 4 to Sunday 8 May 2022 (please note five, not six days), and the Autumn event from Tuesday 4 to Sunday 9 October 2022 visit ANF Calendar
Post Fair Report - The Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair Brings The Magic Back
The magic of Battersea cast its spell as the trade and private buyers swarmed back with evident joy to shop at the Autumn Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair, held from 28 September to 3 October 2021. It was the first event the Organisers had been able to stage since January 2020, and the first large antiques and design event to be held in London post-pandemic.
Visitors were eager to buy, and the opening day was “sensational”, “amazing” and “frenzied” according to dealers. The Fair was as busy as ever and the volume of sales spectacular, right across the board. From painted country antiques to sparkling glass and silverware, early collectors’ items, folk art and traditional English furniture, twentieth century designer pieces, lighting, mirrors, textiles and works of art, the movement of stock during the first few hours was unparalleled: reports filtered through of some dealers selling out their entire stand.
David Levi, an exhibitor since the 1990s, said “It was a sensational first day… the Fair is better and stronger than ever. It was fantastic, the attendance was great. Battersea is back with a bang!”. Giles Hutchinson-Smith of Chalet White , taking part in their fourth Decorative Fair, commented that “the renewed energy the Fair has brought is so positive for the trade.”
Jane Juran, Organiser, said “despite everything that might have worked against us – COVID concerns, Brexit issues, fuel shortages, gridlocked London streets, roadworks, storms and, finally, the London Marathon, we welcomed many thousands of visitors to the Fair, and we are thrilled it has proved one of the most successful yet for many dealers, in the volume of business achieved. We must praise our exhibitors for putting on a truly spectacular show.”
Prominent sales of antique furniture and larger objects made during the week included a life-sized bronze figure of Mercury (priced in the region of £40,000), the star piece on the stand of Vagabond, as well as a group of Regency stone garden statues (TP £36,000): both went to private clients; French Country Living London sold a pair of bowed glazed doors from a French chateau (TP £10,500) to a new buyer; Richard Nadin sold the largest oval table he has ever seen (TP £9,500); Peter Bunting was very happy with sales among which were an Elizabethan painting and a C16th Spanish polychrome seated Madonna (TP £4,500); a large C19th mirror priced in excess of £20,000 went in the opening hour of the Fair from Drennan & Sturrock; a pair of marble Georgian mantelpieces were sold with an asking price of £42,000 by new exhibitor Christopher Hodsoll, who also sold a pair of Piranesi prints of Trajan’s column (TP £16,500) to a US customer. All the above dealers reported very good and exceptional Fairs.
Reporting their best ever Battersea Fairs were Maison Artefact, John Bird, Nadin & Macintosh, Foster & Gane, Nick Jones and Drennan & Sturrock. Martin D. Johnson Antiques referred to it as a “stonking Fair!” and sold a vast array of furniture and garden items across their range of prices to around £11,500, including a large C19th French pharmacy cabinet (TP £5,950).
Richard Steenberg, M. Charpentier, Home Bothy, Nic McElhatton, William Cook Antiques, Fontaine Decorative Antiques, David Bedale and new exhibitors Brown Elliott, offering traditional and decorative antiques, all reported very good sales. Early and vernacular pieces sold well too: Joanna Booth reported sales included a group of medieval French carved chestnut heads circa 1400 (TP £5,800) to a regular collector, a circa 1700 Mortlake tapestry depicting milkmaids (TP £7,000) to a private buyer, and a circa 1520 Italian illuminated manuscript fragment (TP £2,800) to a new US customer. Kate Thurlow said the Fair had been “brilliant”.
Joanna Booth - Mortlake Tapestry, English, c1700, representing the month of March, woven in wool and silk.
Dealers in twentieth century stock were very happy: Gwen Pilard of Quindry commented on how well the Fair had gone, and that it was “business as usual”; Il Paralume said “I have found this Fair surely the best one I have attended”; Catherine Despas (who had made it over from France) and Dorian Caffot de Fawes both had their best ever Fairs; bentply and Justin Evershed-Martin reported a great week of sales; Philip Varma was very happy with sales across the board, especially mirrors and lighting, and met an important new US trade buyer from Los Angeles who purchased multiple items. New participant ODE Interiors also reported that lighting had sold strongly such as a pair of Italian Romeo Rega 1970s table lamps (TP £3,500) and Maison Bagues lights. Caroline de Kerangal reported her best ever first day; sales included a very good floor lamp by Pietro Chiesa to a well-established interior designer in the region of £5,000-£10,000. Commented on new good US decorators in attendance.
Exhibitors whose stock mixes all periods, antique to modern, made very strong sales. Nick Jones had his best Fair ever. “I’m lost for words, it has been so successful, and I’ve been thrilled to see all the regulars I always see at Battersea. We have had international decorators and trade buying in force.” He made sales across the board, of cabinet furniture, mirrors, and lights at prices from £3,000 to around £7,000. “It has been well attended by serious people looking to spend money. Every major decorator was here on opening day, as well as Americans.”
Sales by Thurstan included an important 1950s desk by Pierre Jeanneret (ticketed at £13,500) to a private UK client. Violet Grey with garden-related stock had “a brilliant first day, and in fact our best-ever Fair” with sales including a large glazed 1920s French painted store display cabinet (TP £8,000), and a group of large decorative 1960s ceramic pineapples (TP £5,000). Foster & Gane had their best ever Fair and made plenty of sales to US trade buyers (including to “the hot new gallery in LA” Seventh House), mainly of C20th furniture, including a Kaare Klint leather sofa (TP £18,500) to an existing customer (a decorator with their client), but also a large Aubusson carpet.
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Foster & Gane - A large model 41181 three seat leather sofa by Kaare Klint (1888 - 1954). Designed in 1937 and
this model manufactured by Rud Rasmussen in the 1950s. Denmark, c. 1950s
Gallery BR said: “We’ve done very well and are happy to be back!” Sales were of both antique and C20th designer furniture, and a selection of contemporary art, to new and existing clients. A stand-out sale was a pair of Fleming Lassen armchairs circa 1930-40 (TP £12,500). Hudson Antiques reported stronger than usual sales on the opening days which continued throughout the week, selling every day a mix of mid- to high-priced items: a Howard sofa (TP £14,000) to a new private client, a large breakfront oak bookcase French late C19th (TP £11,500), a pair of mid-century chandeliers at around £5,000. On the Sunday they had two clients fighting over a French art deco three piece suite, which went to private buyers (TP £4,600).
Streett Marburg & Charlotte Casedejus were happy to report “it has been an above average Fair, and we expect lots of follow through. It was great and we are very happy. It was lovely to be with people again, and seeing clients wanting to buy beautiful things.” Sales included a fabulous pair of rattan sofas (TP £6,000) that went on opening day, a late c17th French walnut trestle table (TP £5,000), and a set of painted C18th Dutch chairs (TP £4,250).
Chalet White said it was very good, “we’re incredibly pleased, and have healthy potential after sales on-going with decorators. All our buyers were new customers.” They thought the new ticketing system was very beneficial as it gives greater currency to attending the Fair. Sales included a pair of Maison Jansen Louis XV style wing chairs (TP £8,500 to a decorator with their client), a set of three glamorous circa 1810 parcel gilt and bronzed Empire pelmet poles (TP £9,000 to a private collector). “We had a good mix of private and professional buyers, and it was close to a best Fair. We soared well past the sales target we set.” They also sold lots of smaller items particularly folk art pieces such as rare complete set of eight musical whistles in the form of toy soldiers, English circa 1920s (TP under £1,000).
Chalet White - A pair of Maison Jansen Louis XV style wing chairs, the grey painted frames with shaped lower rails and cabriole legs supporting a deep cushioned seat flanked by shaped arms and backs, upholstered in burnt orange velvet with French nailed finish. Paris c.1950. TP £8,500
Textiles dealers reported a good Fair, with many making brisk sales to decorators, including Su Mason, Aaron Nejad Gallery, Bleu Anglais and new exhibitors Owen Parry and Tribal Art & Textiles. Joshua Lumley made impressive rug sales including two large Ushak carpets in vivid colours priced from £10,000-£20,000.
Dealers offering specialist and collectors’ items reporting a very good week were Linda Jackson Decorative Antiques & Silver (“my best ever Fair”); Mark Stacey Antiques (collectables/art) who added “It has been brilliant, the new ticketing policy is a good idea, it clearly encouraged visitors who definitely want to buy.” Anthea A.G. Antiques (jewellery) enjoyed the Fair and made good sales, including on opening day a diamond necklace priced around £20,000 to a new international customer, while On-Reflection Mirrors Ltd said “We had an exceptional first day, and sales remained good thereafter; we’d sold over half our stock by Friday.”
Craig Carrington, standing at the Fair for the first time, offering Grand Tour objects, was pleased with sales to new customers, including a neo-classical enamelled stoneware urn by Muller of Paris, a company renowned for many of the decorations on the buildings of Paris. Signed by Emile Muller, and dated circa 1870-80, the urn went on opening day to a new private buyer for their country house ticketed at £8,000. Craig sold a further half dozen or so items on the first day.
Art also sold well around the Fair. Julian Simon Fine Art had a good week, “all our sales were made to new clients, all of them private buyers. We had a brilliant first day and sales remained consistent.” Sold mainly modern British works, including a large still life flower painting (TP £8,000). “The Fair was beautifully organised and we were pleased with the visitor numbers.” David Brooker had “a great week – 10 out of 10! I’ve sold period and modern art, bronzes, a tapestry, across my price range from a few hundred pounds to over £3,000.” Other art dealers reporting good or strong sales were Joost van den Bergh with Asian art and objects, Osborne Gallery with traditional paintings and antique frames, Ottocento with modern and contemporary art, Panter & Hall Decorative, new exhibitor Thomas Spencer Fine Art who was upstairs on the mezzanine, Wilson Stephens & Jones (WSJ Gallery) and Jenna Burlingham Gallery. Saunders Fine Art, specialising primarily in Scandinavian modern works, described sales as “splendid!” He met trade and private buyers, sold several antique Windsor chairs and other furniture used to dress the stand, numerous Swedish works priced from £1,000-£2,000 as well as more valuable works to around £7,500. He also sold C20th Swedish ceramics and early C20th textile weavings.
The Trade Shopping Service instigated by the Organisers was a great success, with four leading overseas trade buyers making the most of virtual visiting; between them they purchased more than 80 items for export to a value of over £200,000.
Well-known faces seen at the fair included actors Michelle Dockery, Eddie Redmayne, Stockard Channing and Nichola McAuliffe, as well as Bob Geldof, Guy Ritchie, and David Beckham.
Nic McElhatton - An Irish red painted primitive armchair, 19th century.
Among trade buyers and decorators the Fair welcomed Chelsea Textiles, Steve Gambrel, Peter Mikic, Annie Waite, Olga Polizzi, Guy Goodfellow, Paolo Moschino, John Minshaw, Flora Soames, Rose Tarlow (USA), Edward Hurst, Max Rollitt, Harry Apter (Apter Fredericks), Gil Schafer of the US architectural and design practice G.P. Schafer Architect, Gallery Half (LA), Alidad, Rita Konig, Nina Campbell, Tammy Connor Interior Design (Charleston, South Carolina, USA), Emma Ainscough, Saffron & Scarlet and Seventh House gallery in LA.
Summing up the week, Organiser Darren Hudson commented on the quality of visitors to the Fair. “On the whole, exhibitors found that the new ticketing system brought a greater concentration of more serious buyers. We have put together a large and successful Fair in a world that has been turned upside down. Traditional patterns of behaviour have gone out the window, and the ‘new normal’ has not yet been established, so of course we did not expect a typical Fair with the numbers we had been attracting in recent years. The volume of sales around the Fair has been gratifying, our team did an amazing job, all the support staff on-site made a huge effort to make the Fair as welcoming and friendly as ever, and with thought to our visitors wellbeing.
Posted: Autumn Decorative 2021
A selection of items from decorative Fair's monthly Pop-Up Sales Instagram @Decorativefair
Posted: 14 May 2021
A selection of items from dealers that exhibit at the The Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair
Posted: 10 March 2021
Digital Decorative
In response to the current demand for all things beautiful and uplifting for interiors, we are delighted to bring you a digital iteration of our much-loved Fair. Our clever exhibitors have left no stone unturned in their search for fabulous and inspiring objects with which to decorate, refresh or embellish your surroundings. The emphasis is on unusual antiques and 20th century design, exciting works of art and cherished collector’s items.
Come in and explore! You can literally step inside a dealer’s showroom with our innovative, interactive 3-D tours, or you can browse visuals of items for sale in the Gallery Windows.
Please refer to Digital Decorative T&Cs.
Exclusive shopping services are available for you to take advantage of…
1. Professional shopping agents for trade buyers
For antiques dealers, interior decorators and trade buyers, wherever you are in the world, the Fair has lined up independent, specialist professional trade agents who can help fulfil extensive buying requirements. Business will be conducted directly between you and the agent, and exhibitors at the Fair. The agents can work with your usual UK shippers or with the Fair’s in-house shipping and export team, Simon Hall Ltd. Read more...
ANF TOP PICK DEALERS AT THIS FAIR
Fontaine Decorative - Large Oil on Canvas of Olive Grove in Silver Gilt Frame. Dated 1973.
Signed I Florencio Aguilera and dated '73.
Martin D Johnson Antiques - English 19th century faux bamboo cabinet circa 1860 later paint.
Macintosh Antiques - A Charles X mahogany sofa circa 1830 with the original Empire green
embroidered upholstered back and seat decorated with Classical motifs.
| Event: | The Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair |
| Organiser: | Harvey Management Service Ltd |
| Venue: | Evolution, Battersea Park, London SW11 4NJ |
ANF Top Picks: Please contact dealers direct to check availability
See other articles about The Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair on ANF:
An Eye on the Calendar with Darren Hudson
The Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair at 35
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