LONDON – The inaugural Mayfair Antiques & Fine Art Fair will open Thursday, Jan. 10, and run through Sunday, Jan. 13, at the London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square, London W1K 6JP. The Antiques Dealers Fair Ltd., known for organizing boutique luxury antiques weekends around England, has chosen this prominent venue in the West End of London for its first foray into the capital city.
Ingrid Nilson, director of the Antiques Dealers Fair Limited said, “We have been encouraged by a number of dealers to open up a fair in London. Supported by our regular exhibitors, we are delighted to welcome new specialist dealers, who have not previously exhibited at one of our fairs. We have an exciting international marketing plan to encourage the right visitors to come to the fair. The London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square is an ideal venue for this high-caliber event. The fair is exclusively for members of the British Antique Dealers’ Association and LAPADA, the Association of Art & Antiques Dealers and we are already 90 percent contracted.”
Highlights on the exhibitors’ stands include a George I burr walnut bureau bookcase, circa 1710, selling for £45,000 from W.R. Harvey & Co. (Antiques) Ltd. from Witney. They are once again in possession of this piece, as it had been housed across the other side of the world for the last 30 years. David Foord-Brown Antiques from Cuckfield is bringing a unique pair of fine English Regency period rosewood and brass inlaid tables exuding quality and style, circa 1820, in the manner of cabinetmaker Louis Le Gaigneur, priced at £39,500. One contains four tea caddies while the other is a worktable with an assortment of fitted compartments and a tray. They too have returned from the U.S., having originally come from a prominent Philadelphia man via the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Other furniture dealers include Wakelin & Linfield, S&S Timms Antiques, Melody Antiques and Nicholas Arkell Antiques.
Gazelles of Lyndhurst are bringing Art Deco furniture, design and accessories.
Among the antique rugs, textiles, kilims, Asian works of art and artefacts from Galerie Arabesque from Stuttgart is a 12th century wooden sculpture of the Japanese monk Sogyo Hagiman priced at £15,000 and a large Chinese Imari vase, Kangxi dynasty, selling for £7,500.
Among the fine art at the fair are two very different marine oil paintings brought by Haynes Fine Art of Broadway and Willow Gallery – The Storm by Pieter Cornelis Dommerson (1834-1908), dated 1877, is priced around £80,000 from the Willow Gallery. With its raging seas and thunderous clouds it is a complete contrast to the tranquility of Haynes Fine Art of Broadway’s Idle Sails, Loch Etive in Calm by Montague Dawson (1895-1973), priced at £115,000. A further selection of fine art can be found at Cambridge Fine Art, Atelier, Paul Mayhew Fine Art, the Hunt Gallery and Art of the Imagination. Puck – Lutin des Bois by Luca Madrassi (1848-1919) is a signed bronze with marble base, circa 1887, on 19th century specialists Garret & Hurst Sculpture’s stand, priced at £17,875, while Angelika CJ Friebe’s stand includes antiquarian maps, prints and books from 16th to early 20th centuries.
Designer names from the past abound from jewelery specialists Sue Brown, Plaza, Markov, T. Robert and Anthea AG Antiques, the latter bringing a glamorous 1960s Hermès gold bracelet, selling for £7,950. Timepieces are very sought after and the fair includes “The Oath of Horati” a rare French empire ormolu mantel clock, the white enamel dial signed Le Roy, Hgr Du Roi, Paris, circa 1805, and priced £22,500 from Richard Price & Associates and on a smaller scale, a highly decorated silver and enamel miniature Viennese clock, 1870, from T. Robert priced in the region of £6,000.
There is plenty of silver on offer from J.H. Bourdon-Smith, Mary Cooke Antiques and Stephen Kalms Antiques.
Not everything in the fair has a high price tag and glass specialist Mark J. West has an intact blue glass fire extinguisher, complete with its contents, from the 1860s, priced at £168. AD Antiques, specialists in British art pottery, is bringing pieces by well-known names such as William de Morgan, Martin Brothers, Wedgwood and others. AD Antiques is also showcasing the work of well-known contemporary ceramic designer Heidi Warr, who worked as principle decorator at Dennis Chinaworks. Some of her work can be found in the Victoria and Albert Museum.
One of London’s most stylish hotels, the London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square is situated in the heart of Mayfair, just minutes from the bustle of Oxford Street and Park Lane. Originally built as a large majestic townhouse, it still combines classic qualities, while blending luxury and exclusivity with modern style, flair and sophistication. With 237 striking contemporary bedrooms with plush goose down bedding, WiFi connectivity and the latest technology, The London Marriott is the perfect place to relax when not visiting the fair or exploring all that this sought-after part of London has to offer. This five-star hotel is conveniently located adjacent to the U.S. Embassy and boasts two restaurants headed by internationally renowned chef Gordon Ramsay: Maze offers fine dining, specializing in French cuisine with Asian influences, unusually served as tasting size dishes. Maze Grill is influenced by NewYork grill restaurants with chef Ramsay’s inspired touch.
The hotel is offering a special “antiques fair” rate for people wishing to stay overnight, which includes complimentary tickets to the fair. To take advantage of this special rate, contact Katya Nunziati: +44 (0)20 7514 1512, F: +44 (0)20 7514 1528, email: katya.nunziati@marriotthotels.com.
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