Peta Smyth, dealer of antique textiles, sends treasures to Bonhams, March 21
Mythological Soho tapestry, last quarter 17th century, England, after designs by Francis Cleyn, estimated at £12,000-£18,000. Image courtesy of Bonhams
LONDON – Peta Smyth has been dealing in antique textiles since 1976, and her shop at 42 Moreton Street in Pimlico is renowned for its extensive array of fine textiles – attracting a loyal and diverse clientele of interior designers, antiques dealers and collectors. Now, after 45 years in the business, Peta has decided to close her shop and enjoy her retirement, with the remaining contents of the shop – as well as items from her personal collection – being offered by Bonhams as part of the Collections sale on Tuesday, March 21 in Knightsbridge. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.
Bonhams Group Head of Private Collections, Furniture & Works of Art, UK, Charlie Thomas said: “Peta Smyth has long been the go-to name when it comes to antique textiles and her popular Pimlico shop has provided inspiration for countless interior designers and collectors. This exclusive sale at Bonhams will be the final chance to acquire pieces from her impeccably curated selection of fine textiles, including items from her impressive personal collection. We are sure it will to entice those new to fine textiles and seeking inspiration, as well as established interior design connoisseurs.”
Peta Smyth, noted dealer of antique textiles, photographed in her Pimlico shop. Image courtesy of Bonhams
The diverse selection on offer will include tapestries, needlework for antique furniture, silk brocades, embroidery, appliqued and printed textiles, curtains and smaller decorative pieces such as cushions, braids and fringes, with a particular emphasis on European textiles of the 16th century through the 19th century.
Length of silk velvet, 18th century, possibly Italian, estimated at £3,000-£5,000. Image courtesy of Bonhams
Writing in Bonhams Magazine, Serena Fokschaner states: “There are some interior designers who’d rather you didn’t know about Peta Smyth. For almost 50 years, Peta has been quietly supplying some of the industry’s key names, like Alidad, Nicky Haslam or Emma Burns, Managing Director of Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler, with the pre-19th-century rarities – Flemish tapestries, gleaming passementerie or fragments of Spitalfields silk – that they use to bring color and patina to rooms.”
Aubusson tapestry, late 17th century, estimated at £8,000-£12,000. Image courtesy of Bonhams
In his catalog foreword, the renowned interior designer Alidad commented: “Going into the shop was like entering a kind of heaven. In no other place I knew could one be sure to find just the kind of selection of European textiles and tapestries, dating from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries, which could be guaranteed to inspire ideas; and nowhere else could one have found anyone as sympathetic and patient and generous with her knowledge as Peta.”
Click to view top auction results on LiveAuctioneers: https://www.liveauctioneers.com/pages/recent-auction-sales/
