LONDON.- The organisers of
The Art & Antiques Fair Olympia announced exhibitor highlights for the 49th edition of its flagship fair. The Fair will take place from June 22nd (preview) to June 26th entirely on the ground level in Olympia Grand - the largest of the famous Victorian halls with the iconic domed roof.
New exhibitors arriving at the west Kensington venue in June include furniture dealer and BBC Antiques Roadshow expert Lennox Cato, jewellery dealer Moira, prints specialist Isaac and Ede, Chinese ceramics dealer Santos and Antiquities dealer Apollo Galleries.
Art Nouveau specialists Morgan Strickland has a stained glass panel by the Czech artist Alfonse Mucha, best known for his theatrical posters. The panel was supposedly removed from a restaurant in Buenos Aires, built in 1915.
There are a number of jewellery dealers at the fair including Anthea AG, Wimpole Antiques and Grasilver. Anthea AG brings a platinum pendant necklace, c1910 in green white and violet symbolising the then famous line 'Give Women the Vote'.
Mathew Holder has a remarkable collection of smaller pieces including some rare jewellery. A gold, enamel and rock crystal Royalist pendant was made for King Charles I (c.1600-1649) English, made in the second half of the 17th century. He also brings a micromoasic plaque symbolising the temple of the love from 18th century Rome.
Silver specialist, Mary Cooke has a spectacular George II antique sterling silver basket made in London in 1752 by Samuel Herbert & Company for Mary Barnardiston
whose crest features on the piece.The so-called Weston Hall Basket is linked to the Northamptonshire-based Sitwell family which included Edith, Osbert and Sacheverell.
New exhibitor Lennox Cato brings a pair of very stylish Regency period, beechwood chairs in the Roman taste. Each chair is stamped TR, Thomas Reynolds, on the underside of the seat rails. This chair maker is recorded in the 'Dictionary of English Furniture Makers 1660 - 1840'; page 738.
Amongst Cato's smaller pieces is a Tiffany Petite Sonnerie carriage clock encased in rhodonite. The gilt bronze decoration is possibly by Leon Message (1842 - 1901) who was was a French sculptor.On the back of the clock placed between laurel leaf ormolu decoration, is a 'Tiffany & Co' label. Fellow furniture dealer, Robin Martin Antiques has an equally ornate large rectangular lapis lazuli-mounted, engraved gilt bronze casket 1860-80, applied with a variety of bronze-cased samples. It is probably Russian.
S&S Timms deal in English furniture and have a rare pair of mahogany dressing tables, c1830, attributed to Gillows of Lancaster who supplied some of the finest country houses of their time.
Art dealer, John Barkes has been dealing in Soviet Era paintings from Ukraine since 1995. His display at Olympia will feature two examples of a rare phenomenon - subversive compositions by Members of Soviet Artists' Unions. Overt nationalistic sentiment was suppressed; the Ukrainian language, anthem and flag were illegal.
The artist Vladimir Veselka's 1960s canvas of a young couple vigorously launching a river boat, painted in the colours of Ukraine, is a clear allegory of future aspirations. Valentin Smirnov, his colleague at the Kyiv Artists' Union, used a similar palette in a more prosaic sketch of men in conversation at their place of work.
Walker Galleries has a painting relating to this summer's Jubilee theme, a watercolour by William Harding Collingham Smith 1848 - 1922. It is a view of Kensington High Street at the intersection with Kensington Church Street, on Queen Victoria's Jubilee in 1897.
Thomas Spencer brings a John Nash RA (1915-2012) Whiteleaf Hill, watercolour and pencil on paper, signed, 1920 (12.75 x 15.5 inches paper size). This work has not been seen in public since the 1967 retrospective of John Nash in the Royal Academy. This work was featured in that exhibition on loan and has been in one family its whole 102 year life.
Painted in 1920 this work is of Whiteleaf in Buckinghamshire looking down the hill. Nash lived near Whiteleaf during this period and his brother Paul Nash would come to visit him often staying in the inn at the bottom of the hill. This same view is captured by Paul Nash in his 1920 work 'Behind The Inn' (Tate Collection) - this time looking up the hill rather than down. Featured: John Nash Retrospective, 1967, Royal Academy, No. 239
Asian specialist, Laura Bordignon brings Japanese silver vase of gu shape with a writhing dragon coiled around its neck clutching the flaming sacred jewel with enamel decorations to its foot and neck. It is signed Bokuryu hokkyo, Oryusai, Ryoshu koku, engraved by Ryoshu, Oryusai studio Meiji period 1868-1912.
Hickmet Antiques has a bronze 'Hunter at Rest' by John Willis-Good dated c 1870. Willis-Good was one of the very few English animal sculptors. Bronze sculpture was very much focused in France in the 19th century. The artist exhibited horses and dogs at the Royal Academy from 1870 – 1878. As another tie-in with the Jubilee celebrations, the dealer also has a bronze corgi sculpture.
Mark Goodger has an extraordinary variety of antiques boxes and accessories from Lalique car mascots to Victorian inkwells. Coming to Olympia is an impressive seven-piece Boulle Desk set, Made by Asprey, from a Royal household, the “Earl & Countess of Guilford” who lived at the Mansion House, Waldershare Park. It is dated 1880.
Popular with the visiting interior designers, rugs and textiles are well represented by Gallery Yacou. The dealer has one Persian Tabriz carpet from late 19th century with an arts and crafts patten which is very unusual so was probably a special commission. Another early Beriz Persian carpet is dated 1880 and uses a pomegranate design borrowed from the 17th century. The Pomegranate symbolised fertility.
The show runs alongside Spirit of Summer Fair and tickets will include entry to both.
