Antique dealers with flair and good taste: Over the last 60 plus years we have seen many antique dealers come and go. This is inevitable for any small business, but particularly where a successful dealership…
English Chinoiserie, japanning & lacquering.
The lacquered objects and screens brought back to Europe by the East India Company in the late 17th century created a demand for larger, more practical objects which shared the same colourful and highly decorative surfaces of…
Antique walnut furniture
“Queen Anne period English furniture epitomises the highest pinnacle of sophistication and good taste”. I heard this time and time again from many long time friends, collectors and dealers in antiques.Furniture of this period was…
Tea and tea caddies:
Tea drinking is most likely to have originated in China about 3500 years ago, for its perceived medicinal benefits. ‘Taking tea’ reached its zenith in England in the mid 17th and throughout the 18th centuries,…
Fake or genuine?
Since my early days of dealing – which go back over 60 years – I have witnessed some incredibly talented fakers at work using what used to be called ‘breakers’. For example: large Victorian wardrobes…
Carriage
Safe and efficient transport of valuable antiques, large or small. Guaranteed peace of mind using the experts. There are not many antiques businesses that can claim to have been using the same carriers for over…
How to successfully buy antiques for sale on the internet
The main dilemma facing the internet buyer is one of trust and confidence. Here are some tips: 1. The antique shop should be long established, and the best ones are usually family run businesses. 2.…
Some reflections on life in England during the 17th and 18th centuries
During the 17th century England became steadily richer. Trade and commerce expanded hugely. By the 17th century trade was an increasingly important part of the English economy. Meanwhile industries such as glass, brick making, iron…
How the antiques trade has changed
The late Monty Sainsbury of Bath was my mentor who started out as a ‘runner’ long before WW2. He told me in order to get the news he would as a boy run down to…
Poland 2018
When Dad and I travel together we always try to include visiting the best museum collections. The contents of the ‘Green Vault’ in Dresden did not disappoint. We were guests on the 2018 Rolls Royce…
