Art Antiques London
Art Antiques London will take place this coming Wednesday, June 13th, until the following week, Wednesday, June 20th, 2012 at the Albert Memorial West Lawn, Kensington Gardens, London (opposite The Royal Albert Hall). This important art fair incorporates The International Ceramics Fair and Seminar, which was launched in June 2010.
The Silver Fund Puiforcat Tea and Coffee Set from Adrian Sassoon. A Very Rare Jean Puiforcat Mexico Tea and Coffee Set on Tray Sterling silver with green onyx handles. Mexico, Circa 1943
The fair has since won praises for its central location, light and airy atmosphere, not to mention stylish presentation. Now in its third year, Art Antiques London has surpassed expectations, and has become a vital yearly meeting place for international dealers, collectors, museum curators and academics. Over 70 of the world’s leading art dealers will be present. This year, the breadth of dealers has grown to include experts in disciplines such as Modern British Art, 20th Century Design (my favorite design period), Tapestry and Antique Textiles, and European Jewelry.
Sèvres Teapot & Sugar bowl from Adrian Sassoon
Photos courtesy Adrian Sassoon
UK antique dealer, Adrian Sassoon will once again be showing an extraordinary array of ceramics, both antique and contemporary. One of the most coveted being a Teapot and Sugar bowl from a Tea Service made at Sèvres between 1782 and 1785. Did you notice the style of decoration of flat gilding (above photograph) laid over the dark blue ground color and then scratched through with lines to form patterns? It is so rare that when Adrian Sassoon first saw this type of decoration in the late 1980’s he was so un-familiar with it that he wondered if it was even authentic 18th century Sèvres decoration. Since then several pieces have emerged and a great example was bought by the Art Institute of Chicago. The greatest use of this technique was on the monumentally costly Toilet Service given by King Louis XVI and Queen Marie-Antoinette of France in 1782 to the Crown Princess of Russia, Maria-Feodorovna who was travelling in Europe under the name of the ‘Comtesse du Nord’. On that trip they purchased great quantities of the finest furnishings in Paris, which along with the Toilet Service are still in the palace they were building at Pavlovsk, near St. Petersburg.
Private View (By invitation only) is on Wednesday, June 13 from 11am – 9pm. Public Opening Hours are: Thursday, June 14: 11am – 7pm. Friday, June 15: 11am – 7pm. Saturday, June 16: 11am – 7pm. Sunday, June 17: 11am – 6pm. Monday, June 18: 11am – 7pm. Tuesday June 19: 11am – 7pm. Wednesday June 20: 11am – 6pm.
