Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2016 i Homes & Antiques

It’s finally time to prepare for the new season and where better to start than at home? Bringing fresh ideas and a light touch to how you’ll live over the next few months can not only get you into the spirit of summer but ensure that you’re prepared to get the best from the glorious months ahead. Following months of cocooning indoors and wanderlust, we set the scene with a travel-inspired shoot exploring the latest trend for displaying antique and vintage maps, while charting their fascinating history on page 46. Hot colours and exotic prints are also set to be big this summer, so we bring you our edit of old and new in Paradise Found (p35) and, as we think about enjoying our outside space once more, we show…

Who’s that girl? I have this beautiful French bust I see and admire every day. It would be lovely to know her name! I bought her at the Antiques for Everyone event in Birmingham NEC about six years ago. I paid £150 but the value is not important as she is the most beautiful item to look at and is part of our home. Can one of your experts tell me any more about her? DEBORAH SMITH, NORTHAMPTON EXPERT ADVICE PAUL ATTERBURY , Antiques Roadshow miscellaneous expert This classical-style bust probably dates from the late 19th or early 20th centuries. The brand name Porcelaine de France, impressed on the base, was widely used from the late 19th century, and the main production regions were Paris and Limoges. The bust is…

ON THE WING Sworders Summer Country House sale, 7th June Musical boxes are still so charming, hence a top estimate (£1,200 to £1,500) for this trilling, late 19th-century ‘singing bird’ box. Made in gilt metal in the style of the French maker, Bontems, the box is decorated with scrollwork, foxes, birds and cherubs. * 01279 817778; sworder.co.uk A SALE OF NOTE TOYS GALORE With a strong vein of nostalgia running through our cultural tastes at the moment, toys as collectables are garnering new fans. Among the toy specialist auction houses such as Vectis (vectis.co.uk) and Lacy Scott & Knight (lskauctioncentre.co.uk) is Special Auction Services, with its next major toy sale this month. Up for grabs will be two Barbie sets from the Janet Winterflood Collection of Vinyl Dolls, both point-of-sale…

‘Fairy pictures’ is how William Henry Fox Talbot, a pioneer of early photography, described his first experiments. The fragile images – some of the earliest to remain light fast and permanent – were of Lacock Abbey, a medieval nunnery until the Dissolution of the Monasteries that Talbot had inherited. Ghostly but fascinating, the images are now the subject of a new book William Henry Fox Talbot: Dawn of the Photograph. It was while sketching using a camera lucida (a prism that allowed the user to see both the subject they were drawing and their paper at the same time) on his honeymoon to Lake Como in 1833 that Talbot first came up with an idea to fix photographs permanently on paper; something that at this point had not been achieved.…

Ironically perhaps, British furniture brand Ercol enjoyed its first flush of success, thanks to the post-war austerity years. Ercol’s founder Lucian Ercolani, an Italian cabinetmaker with a passion for Shaker furniture, had taken the bentwood frame of the classic ‘Windsor’ chair and worked out a way to mass-produce it. Impressed by this efficiency, the Board of Trade awarded Ercol a contract for 100,000 of these low-cost simplified ‘Windsors’ and soon the chairs were found in kitchens across Britain. From 14 pre-made pieces, they could be made at a rate of 2,000 per week. The company had been founded in 1920 when Ercolani moved from London, where his Tuscan framemaker father had brought the family in search of work, to High Wycombe, the centre of English furniture-making. He started Ercol from…

• 1st Jewellery, McTear’s, Meiklewood Gate, 31 Meiklewood Road, Glasgow. 0141 810 2880; mctears.co.uk • 2nd Decorative Interiors including British & Continental Ceramics & Glass, Mallams, Grosvenor Galleries, 26 Grosvenor St, Cheltenham. 01242 235712; mallams.co.uk • 7th Fine Art & Antiques, Canterbury Auction Galleries, 40 Station Road West, Canterbury, Kent. 01227 763337; thecanterburyauctiongalleries.com • 7th & 8th Garden & Natural History, Summers Place Auctions, The Walled Garden, Stane Street, Billingshurst, West Sussex. 01403 331331; summersplaceauctions.com • 8th De ning the Interior: English Furniture, Silver, Ceramics, Works of Art & Sculpture, Bonhams, 101 New Bond Street, London. 020 7447 7447; bonhams.com • 8th Select Jewellery & Watches, Lyon & Turnbull, 33 Broughton Place, Edinburgh. 0131 557 8844; lyonandturnbull.com • 9th Silver & Jewellery, Furniture & Works of Art, Duke’s, Brewery Square,…

WADDESDON’S NEW OPENING With the new opening of the central Red Drawing Room, visitors can now enter Waddesdon, as 19th-century guests would have done. 01296 653203; waddesdon.org.uk A SELLING EXHIBITION OF ENGLISH CLOCKS Howard Walwyn is a leading expert in antique English clocks so expect some of the finest examples of horology at his exhibition from 14th to 23rd June on London’s Kensington Church Street. 020 7938 1100; walwynantiqueclocks.com SOCIETY PORTRAITS The Royal Society of Portrait Painters annual exhibition (until 20th May) features intriguing images of both famous faces and depictions of everyday life, such as Melissa Scott Miller’s, above. 020 7930 6844; therp.co.uk…

OLD Case of exotic birds, c1860, £890, Spencer Swaffer. 01903 882132; spencerswaffer.com NEW ‘Manila Green’ rug, 140 x 200cm, £409, Modern Rugs. 01388 663738; modern-rugs.co.uk NEW ‘Parrot’ silk cushion cover by Kristjana S Williams, £135, Amara. 0800 587 7645; amara.com OLD 1970s palm tree table lamp, £1,150, Fears and Kahn. 01949 851736; fearsandkahn.co.uk NEW Matthew Williamson plate, £16 for four, Debenhams. 0844 800 8877; debenhams.com NEW ‘Pineapple’ light, £1,545, Christoper Wray. 020 7013 0180; christopherwray.com OLD 19th-century gold ground folding screen, £5,800, Windsor House Antiques. 01832 274 595; windsorhouse antiques.co.uk NEW Large ‘Long Island’ sofa in ‘Capuchins Boysenberry’, £2,259, Multiyork. 0845 303 7134; multiyork.co.uk OLD Vintage tropical bird jug, £6.50, The OK Corral. 01983 568175; theokcorral.co.uk OLD Ceramic parrot by Wilhelm Robra, c1914, £795, Serhat Ahmet Antiques at Grays. 020…

HOME OF THE MONTH A WORD OF warning before you read our feature on Paola Angoletta’s Italian home – it’ll have you hankering to hop on a plane in search of Venetian artwork, toleware accessories and, naturally, a rose-covered pink-hued house. Thankfully, our Style Spy page will help you recreate the look, wherever your home is…

Weird and wonderful maps are always popular with buyers. ‘I have an interest in quirky maps,’ says Philip Curtis of The Map House. ‘I have a charming map of South America with an inset of Pepys Island – named after Samuel Pepys when he was secretary to the Navy. Some officer in the Navy no doubt got a nice commission and a new ship out of it, but the island doesn’t exist – he just made it up to curry favour.’ Tim Bryars of Bryars & Bryars says, ‘I’ve got jigsaw maps from the 1780s, and an 1880 Gifford’s flexible Pocket Map, which is printed on linen and designed to be folded up in your pocket.’ Stephen Luck of Tooley Adams & Co. has a rare 1987 map in stock…

Profile THE OWNERS Bartek Ostojski and Andrew Fowkes, owners of lifestyle and Scandinavian/industrial interiors shop Arbol House, live here with their Bavarian mountain hound, Hala (01244 329643; ovohome.com). THE PROPERTY This 15th-century barn conversion is located on the outskirts of Chester. It has two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a sitting room, a kitchen and a dining room. It was a stint travelling in Europe and living in Barcelona that inspired Bartek Ostojski and Andrew Fowkes to begin collecting mid-century furniture and accessories. ‘We’ve always appreciated craftsmanship and quality, and you find a better quality of finish in older pieces,’ says Bartek. ‘But it was while we were living in Barcelona for four years that our eyes were opened to mid-century design. Pieces from that era were especially prominent in the local…

Al es Antique Market, 13–25 Church Street, Marylebone, London, NW8 8DT. 020 7723 6066; al esantiques.com ‘This indoor market has an array of fabulous lighting from the 1950s and furniture from all decades, as well as paintings and clothing,’ says Sera. Barnett Lawson Trimmings, 16–17 Little Portland Street, London, W1W 8NE. 020 7636 8591; bltrimmings.com ‘This shop sells the very best ribbons, upholstery trimmings, organza roses and feathers.’ Portobello Market, Portobello Road, London, W10 5TA. 020 7727 7684; portobelloroad.co.uk ‘The Friday market has the best antique fabrics, clothes and quirky furniture. It tends to be quieter than the Saturday market, too.’…

Antichità Marciana, San Marco 1864, campo San Fantin, Venice. antichitamarciana.it ‘You can find beautiful objects and oriental art at this antiques shop, close to St Mark’s Square in Venice,’ says Paola. Asolo Kilim Antiquariato di Damiano Pellizzari, Via Marconi, 132, 31011 Asolo, Italy ‘This shop is really amazing and inspiring. I always find unique pieces from all over the world here – I recently bought an amazing oriental carpet here.’ Mercatino dell’antiquariato, Piazza Paolo Camerini 1, 35016 Piazzola sul Brenta, Italy. comune.piazzola.pd.it/ mercatino-dellantiquariato ‘On the second Sunday of every month this wonderful market is held in Piazzola sul Brenta in Asolo. I always love to visit because you can find local art and special pieces from all over in the world, from Tibet to Afghanistan. There are hundreds of stalls.…

1 Fellows Auctioneers Fellows holds over 100 auctions each year. As specialists in a variety of fields and with an auction to cater for every need, its continually changing inventory makes Fellows a hub of excitement for lovers of watches, jewellery and antiques. Forthcoming sales: 6th June – Vintage Jewellery & Accessories 16th June – Antique & Modern Jewellery 20th June – Silver & Plated Ware 28th June – The Watch Sale Augusta House, 19 Augusta Street, Birmingham, B18 6JA fellows.co.uk 0121 222 7666; 020 7127 4198 2 Midland Furniture Auctions Midland Furniture Auctions holds one of the UK’s biggest weekly furniture auctions every Wednesday in the heart of the country. Packed to the brim with the latest ranges and types of furniture, bidders can expect a fantastic choice and…

Annie Sloan Regarded as one of the leading authorities on decorative paint and responsible for the painted furniture revolution, Annie has written more than 25 books on the subject and developed her own popular range of Chalk Paint during her 25-year career. Music has been a constant part of my life. I would even go as far as saying it’s played as much of a role in my life as art and painting. Ever since I was a little girl I can remember the houses I grew up in were always filled with music. I have fond memories of my father playing records, and his love of music was passed down to me and my own family. While I was at art school I was in a band, and now…

1. I’ve seen people using hardwood flooring outdoors and it looks fantastic. You can pick up sections of parquet flooring or hardwood floorboards quite cheaply in reclamation yards. Glue them on to lengths of ply and use them to make paths or as alternative decking. 2. Salvage yards often have lots of damaged pieces of stone from sections of walls, old pillars and broken fireplaces. I’ve used them in my own garden and built a huge garden wall. It’s another cost-effective idea (you can expect to pay about £5 per piece of stone) and makes a striking feature. I left gaps in the wall and filled them with moss or left them for the birds to make nests in. 3. Belfast sinks are a popular feature in a garden but…

Hungarian-born Brassaï (1899–1984) studied art in Budapest and Berlin before arriving in Montparnasse in Paris, with a mission to record the social aspects of Paris like a fly on the wall. Brassaï became synonymous with images of Paris and his work became known to an international audience. This signed gelatin silver print on Agfa paper (which places it post-Second World War) was printed later than its original date and was consigned to auction at Dreweatts & Bloomsbury last spring. Estimated at £300 to £500, it fetched £420.…

Affordable options Uneditioned prints Some well-known photographers, including Henri Cartier-Bresson and Elliott Erwitt, printed unsigned images in the 1980s and 1990s in editions where there was no known quantity. Such prints can be bought at auction in the low hundreds of pounds. Posthumous prints These are images printed from a photographer’s archive by their estate after their death. Without the photographer’s signature they tend to be more affordable. Look out for posthumous prints by British photographers Cecil Beaton and Norman Parkinson. Investment Options Early prints These are images that were printed around the time the photograph was taken. Signed prints are especially sought after because they confirm authenticity. Specialists check the authenticity of a pre-1950s photograph by looking at the type of paper used and whether it fluoresces when held…

Sting, real name Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner, is famous for being one of the world’s best-selling musicians, having sold over 100 million records both as a member of new wave rock band The Police, and as a solo artist. He is less well known for being a collector of great works of art and fine furniture. However, he and his wife – actress, film producer and director Trudie Styler – both have a keen eye and discerning taste, as a recent auction of some of their pieces has shown us. After years of lovingly furnishing their six-storey Georgian family home in Queen Anne’s Gate, London, the couple are downsizing to an apartment in the new Battersea Power Station development, so needed to sell the bulk of their furniture and art.…

1 B2B Events Antiques fair B2B Events run the very best in antiques & collectors fairs, vintage, flea and retro fairs. • 7th & 8th May 2016 – Edinburgh Antiques, Vintage & Collectors Fair: Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston, Edinburgh, EH28 8NB. Admission: Saturday early entry 8.15am – £6pp; 10am–4.30pm, £4pp; Sunday 10am–4pm, £4pp. •Holiday Monday 30th May 2016 – Malvern Flea & Collectors Fair; Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Worcs, WR13 6NW. Admission 7.30am–3.30pm – £4pp. B2Bevents.info 01636 676531 2 Dairy House Antiques & Interiors Antiques centre Enjoy a visit to Dairy House Antiques, where you will find an ever-changing array of antiques and vintage items for the home and garden, including furniture, lighting, gardenalia, collectables, mirrors, silver and other decorative items. Open seven days a week, Dairy House also offers…

I have always been obsessed with writing, alphabets and the making of words. I love fonts and I am captivated by the history of letters. I remember in the 1980s my family owned an unremarkable Olivetti typewriter. I thought it was magical. My Corona typewriter connects me to my heroes. My favourite writer is Martha Gellhorn and I remember at university reading an account of her getting a commission to report on a war and packing her Smith Corona typewriter. Then it was the height of modernity and was probably very similar to mine, which is also from the 1920s. I found it rather serendipitously at a flea market in Brooklyn. I don’t know what planted the seed in my head that day but I knew I was looking for…

GLOBES First printed in the 1470s, globes are currently a hot antique to display. Learn all about cartography on p46 SALE STORY Sting has sold over 100m records and his love of music inspired his collection of art and objects p136 CHATSWORTH Two rare 17th-century tapestries have been newly hung at one of the UK’s most important houses p92 VASES Discover why this vase broke records in the auction room and became hotly contested in our secret history p130 WALLPAPER Traditional designs often evolved via tapestries and textile designs from the 17th century onwards p105 Follow us... FOLLOW THE H&A TEAM… … on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram for regular updates and to nd out which fairs we’ll be visiting…

From our feature on studio pottery to Erna Hiscock’s beautiful home filled with antique samplers, there was lots to get excited about in our May issue FACEBOOK • Georgie Muirhead, Newark-on-Trent As a new reader I would like to say how much I love Homes & Antiques. A step away from your standard ‘on-trend’ interiors, I love the offer of eclectic, antique and creative styles that have helped feed my imagination in our first family home. Thanks and I look forward to more. TWITTER • Hickmet Fine Arts @HickmetFineArts LOVE these tips from @homes_ antiques on #styling country furniture - stunning! • BowdenKnight @BowdenKnightWin Love this collection of #antique samplers featured in this month’s @homes_antiques, really interesting pieces • The Vintage Rose @vintagerosech3 I am loving this beautiful painted bureau…

OLD AND BOLD Cushion with Titley & Marr ‘Ashby’ vintage linen cover. 01666 500887; brownrigg-interiors.co.uk £40 FLOCKS OF FANCY ‘Lady Kristina’ in ‘Parasol’ archive print cushion. 020 7734 1234; liberty.co.uk £110 THE WATERLILIES ‘Nymphaea Camellia’ silk satin cushion. 020 7893 7760; designersguild.com £90 BLUE BLOOM Vintage Sanderson indigo floral cushion. 01628 531555; indigoandrose.co.uk £45 PAINTERLY POSY Soft-hued ‘Majorcan Garden’ cushion. 00800 0026 8476; anthropologie.com £68…

WHO After 12 years spent living in Asia, Linda Dallison realised that she had developed a unique collection of Far Eastern and English antiques. When she started marrying the two together at home, friends and family started to ask her to source pieces for them and Splendid Ted was born. WHERE The shop, a Grade II-listed converted barn is in Seal, Kent. It is named after the Dallisons’ beloved wired-haired fox terrier Ted (kennel name ‘Splendid Ted’). ‘He looks exactly like the 1950s vintage dogs on wheels so it seemed appropriate,’ Linda says. WHAT Linda’s eye mostly draws her to rustic English pieces and furniture that has been loved and used. ‘I like pieces with a good patina,’ she says. ‘There are some contemporary Asian finds but mostly the shop…

A spread of roses As the summer begins it seems well-timed to visit a new exhibition celebrating the English rose. The Bowes Museum’s new show, prompted by its acquisition of the Van Dyck portrait above, celebrates the rich pageant of British beauties from the 17th to 20th century. * Until 25th September. Barnard Castle, Newgate, County Durham, DL12 8NP. 01833 690606; thebowesmuseum.org.uk CRAFT WORK For those on the hunt for contemporary pieces to mix with their antiques, take a trip to Devon for The Contemporary Craft Festival. This year, The Great Pottery Throw Down team will be there throwing pots; plus over 200 designer makers and a new Craft Cinema (on a bus dating from 1967) showing vintage and contemporary lms about design. * 10th–12th June. Mill Marsh Park, Bovey…

A client we called Gothic Gary came in. He spotted the piece instantly. ‘Name your price,’ he said to me, without hesitation I’m always looking for that extra-special piece – an antique that has an edge. Over the years I’ve learned that these aren’t always the rarest pieces or the ones that are worth the most money, but somehow they just have something exceptional about them. Learning to spot them is an art and one that takes years to hone. There can be two identical chairs, made on the same day by the same man, but one will be more desirable than the other. It might come down to a slight difference in shade, a quirk in the way it’s made or the way it commands attention when it’s placed…

WHERE TO SEE • The British Library, 96 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DB. 0330 333 1144; bl.uk. The library also hosts the exhibition 20th Century Through Maps from 4th November to 1st March • The Royal Geographical Society, 1 Kensington Gore, London, SW7 2AR. 020 7591 3000; rgs.org. The society also hosts The London Map Fair from 4th to 5th June WHERE TO BUY • Bryars & Bryars, 7 Cecil Court, London, WC2N 4EZ. 020 7836 1910; bryarsandbryars.co.uk • In The Woodshed. 01373 452989; inthewoodshed.co.uk • Jonathan Potter Ltd, 5 Margaret’s Buildings, Bath, BA1 2LP. 01225 300573; jpmaps.co.uk • The Map House, 54 Beauchamp Place, Knightsbridge, London, SW3 1NY. 020 7589 4325; themaphouse.com • Michael Jennings Antique Maps and Prints. +33 493 65 72 52; maphouse.co.uk • Tooley Adams &…

Christie’s, 85 Old Brompton Road, London, SW7 3LD. 020 7930 6074; christies.com Bill’s anatomical Victorian teaching aid was bought at Christie’s. Cliffe Antiques Centre , 47 Cliffe High. St, Lewes , BN7 2AN. 01273473266 ; cliffeantiquescentre.co.uk ‘It stocks everything from Victorian upholstered furniture to 1920s silk screens. ,’saysBill. Gorringes , 15 North Street , Lewes , BN’7 ‘ 2PE. 01273 472503; gorringes.co.uk ‘This auction house is the Sotheby’s of the south,’ says Bill, who can often be found bidding here.…

El Rastro market, Madrid.madrid-guide-spain.com/el-rastro.html ‘This open-air flea market sprawls through Calle de la Ribera de Curtidores and an amazing maze of side streets, every Sunday morning from 8am to 2.30pm. You can pick up the most unusual antique and modernist pieces,’ says Andrew. Encants Vells ea market, Barcelona. encantsbcn.com/en ‘This flea market is one of the oldest in Europe, open Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 9am to 8pm, with public auctions Monday to Friday, from 7.15am to 8.30am. It’s an amazing place with antique and junk-shop finds, as well as new clothes and electricals. Our best buy was a 1930s rosewood sideboard with a mirror-lined cocktail cabinet.’ Miejsce, Miodowa 4, Krakow, Poland. miejsce.sklep.pl ‘This fabulous store in the centre of Kraków is filled with original and upcycled mid-century pieces as…

About Judith J U DI T H M I LLER is a leading antiques expert. She is one of the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow experts and has written more than 100 books covering antiques, collectables and interior design. Here, we ask her to choose her favourite room from the houses featured in the issue and explain what makes it so interesting. CORSET LAMPSHADE The lampstand is 21st century, but in many respects its lampshade is a witty post-modern acknowledgement of Victorian style passementerie – the tassels, fringing, braids, tapes, ribbons, and other trimmings that proliferated on furnishings in numerous 19th-century interiors. Of course, they were also employed in couture, and to risqué effect in particular on Victorian corsetry – a tight waisted, flaring form here wittily re-configured…

PROJECT Transform an uninspiring radiogram into a beautiful piece of furniture with a little help from Annie Sloan PAGE 114 GARDENS Make your outside space more stylish with garden salvage, from statuary to urns and other surprising finds PAGE 118 PHOTOS Don’t miss the chance to collect some iconic images at the upcoming annual photograph sales at Christie’s and Sotheby’s PAGE 124 STING More than just a pop star, the sale of the contents of Sting’s London home proves his credentials as a collector, too PAGE 136…

I decided that this radiogram would work well as an interesting piece of furniture with some history. I loved its handsome design, especially the ball and claw feet 1 I wanted the texture and the age of the piece to be the main focus, so selected a classic, neutral colour – in this case ‘Old White’. It goes with pretty much anything you pair it with but it always looks lovely with Dark Wax. I needed the paint to be very thick so I could create a lot of texture for the wax to work with, so I let my pot of paint sit out overnight with no lid on. This thickens up the paint, making it perfect for this particular technique. If you want to speed up the process.…

Photography is the fastest growing sector within the contemporary art auction market, with top sellers including a Cindy Sherman print, Untitled #96, c1981, from the fabled American photographer’s Centrefolds series, which was sold for $3.89m (£2.76m) at Christie’s in New York in 2011. This May, the annual top-tier photographs sales mounted by Sotheby’s and Christie’s, and held in their London salesrooms, will coincide with Photo London, a new selling show now in its second year at Somerset House. For the first time, the show has lured New York gallery owner Howard Greenberg (the Mr Big of the photography dealing world) to take one of its 80 stands, which says a lot. Things are hotting up. ‘Traditionally, the market for photography was much more established in Paris and New York,’ says…

Historic photographs by 19th-century exponents of the art don’t come up for sale very often, as many of them are already in collections, and can fetch high prices as a result. Consequently, Christie’s estimated this image by the Victorian amateur photographer Julia Margaret Cameron at £6,000 to £8,000 but it sold for £5,000 because it wasn’t mounted or signed, two things that collectors of such images look for. Julia Margaret Cameron (1815–79) took up photography as a leisure pursuit aged 48, having been bought a camera as a present by her daughter and son-in-law. At her home, Dimbola Lodge in Freshwater on the Isle of Wight, she would spend hours setting up tableaux of historic scenes or characters played by family, friends and servants. Her housemaid Mary Hillier was a…

1 OUT OF THE BLUE Blue-and-white china. Chinese, no? The answer is, in fact, no. The decorative style that we so often associate with China originally hailed from Iran. As the Mongols ravaged their way across the Middle East, they destroyed local potteries (who were known for their blue-and-white wares). From the Middle East they made their way to China where Qubilai Khan (the Kubla Khan of Coleridge’s famous poem) established himself as emperor and set up an export trade of luxury goods. Realising that there was a market for such wares in what are now Iran and Iraq, the same Chinese potters who had discovered the translucent beauty of porcelain, began to introduce a cobalt pigment from Iran into their pots. These vases are the most fabulous example of…

Table Bleue (1963), designed by Yves Klein (1928–1962). In International Klein Blue (IKB) pigment, glass, Plexiglas and chrome-plated metal, this table was one of a pair (the other was pink) that was based on a model by Klein. Estimate: £20,000–£30,000. Fetched: £25,000. Service Visage Noir AR 40 (1948), by Pablo Picasso (1881–1973). This quirky glazed and engraved ceramic plate is one of an edition of 100. It was auctioned as one of four Picasso plates, alongside a terracotta plate by French artist Jean Cocteau (1889 –1963). Estimated at £2,000–£3,000, it sold for £5,500. A vase, c1930, by Jean Besnard (1889–1958). This glazed earthenware vase was one of three vessels in Sting and Trudie’s collection by French ceramic artist Jean Besnard. They had acquired it in 2007. It sold for £3,250…

NORTH & SCOTLAND 4th Antiques & Collectors Fair, Albert Halls, Dumbarton Road, Stirling, FK8 2QL. 10am–4pm. £1.50. 01764 654555; scotfairs.co.uk 4th–5th Saltaire Vintage Home & Fashion Fair, Victoria Hall, Victoria Road, Saltaire, West Yorkshire, BD18 3JS. 9.30am–4pm. £3. 07985 181120; roseandbrownvintage.co.uk 11th–12th The Great Wetherby Racecourse Antiques Fair, Wetherby, West Yorkshire, LS22 5EJ. 8am–5pm Saturday, 9am–4pm Sunday. £4 (£5 before 9am Saturday). 01332 830444; jaguarfairs.com 12th The Vintage Village, Stockport Covered Market Hall, Market Place, Stockport, SK1 1EU. 10am–4pm. Free. thevintagevillage.co.uk 26th The Vintage Home Show, Victoria Baths, Hathersage Road, Manchester, M13 0FE. 11am–4pm. £3. 0113 345 8699; vintagehomeshow.co.uk SOUTH 4th Vintage & Very Nice Market Bazaar, The Assembly Rooms, North Street, Chichester, PO19 1LQ. 10am–5pm. Free. 01243 531074; vintageandverynice.co.uk 4th Wanstead Vintage Fashion & Brocante Fair, Wanstead United Reformed…

DECORATIVE ANTIQUES UK Decorative Antiques UK is a beautiful antiques shop, situated in the village of Hurst Green, East Sussex. They have a vast selection of European decorative antiques and furniture, with a particular emphasis on antiques from France and Sweden. Stock changes frequently and all items can be viewed on their website. However, as there is so much on offer, if you are able, it’s well worth paying a visit in person to their pretty shop. decorativeantiquesuk.com  // 01580 860317 DAIRY HOUSE ANTIQUES & INTERIORS Treat yourself to a visit to Dairy House Antiques & Interiors this summer and you are bound to find something interesting, quirky or practical to add to your home or garden. This large antiques centre has something for everyone and features several dealers with…

A porcelain bust gets Antiques Roadshow miscellaneous expert Paul Atterbury pondering on page 12 Philip Curtis, director of The Map House, introduces us to a world of sea monsters and propaganda on page 46 Victoria Oakley, head of objects conservation at the V&A, shares her tips for caring for antique vases (p134) Textile and costume consultant Liz van Hasselt is intrigued by a fabric fragment sent in by a reader (p10) Jo Banks Textile conservator, Chatsworth House (p101) Andrew Beeston Furniture specialist, Halls Auctioneers (p19) Tim Bryars Specialist dealer, Bryars & Bryars (p48) Stephen Luck Director, Tooley Adams & Co (p49) Judith Miller Co-founder, Miller’s Antiques Guides (p80) Drew Pritchard Antiques dealer and television presenter (p31) Amelia Walker Specialist head of private collections, Christie’s (p136)…

FRESH LINENS If you want to give your rooms a quick summer update without too much investment, try upholstering a cushion or a footstool in a new fabric. Prestigious Textiles’ ‘Nomad’ collection is a range of crisp linens in globally-inspired blockprint patterns. The chalky blue and natural shades sit beautifully against well-worn woods. £19.99 per m. * 01274 688448; prestigious.co.uk STYLE STEER Try displaying collections of similar items in a grid system. We have a set of old bowling shoes bought on eBay that we display in Perspex boxes hung on the wall. Perspex boxes are brilliant for housing collections. They give old pieces a strong contemporary edge. Kit Kemp, co-owner and design director, Firmdale Hotels WHAT TO BUY CASSEROLE FIESTA It’s great when solidly traditional brands take a fresh…

BUY With brown furniture still fantastic value at auction, now is a great time to snap up late 18th-century mahogany pieces. Single or pairs of mahogany dining chairs in the Chippendale style cost from £50 to £100 each. Why not make up a harlequin set for a fraction of the price of reproductions? Or what about a mahogany night cupboard? These cost around £300 and can be reinvented as a store cupboard for a TV and digibox. SELL Collectors will pay thousands of pounds for 16th- and early 17th-century oak coffers made before the reign of Charles I (1625-1649), especially if the patina is good. At Halls recently, an Elizabethan oak coffer sold for £9,200. In comparison, the more plentiful coffers of the late 17th century sell in the low…

Historically, different flowers have been attributed specific meanings. Discover these in Meaningful Bouquets with ideas for 25 displays, sigh-worthy photography and watercolour illustrations. (Chronicle, £16.99, out now) After working in fashion magazines, Willow Crossley set up a boutique styling flowers and selling antiques. Inspire: The Art of Living with Nature shows how antiques can enjoy new life with a bloom or two. (CICO Books, £16.99, out now) Selina Lake’s wistful vintage style uses pretty English flowers and old botanical prints. Botanical Style explores five looks with easy-to-do tips. (Ryland Peters & Small, £19.99, out 12th May)…

A SWAN AND DANCE Estimate: £400–£600 Alicia Markova is often considered, alongside Margot Fonteyn, the most astonishing dancer of her generation. She was the founder dancer of no less than three companies and co-founded the English National Ballet. Her career began in the 1920s when she was spotted by Sergei Diaghilev, owner of the Ballet Russes, and she reached the height of her fame in the 1940s and 1950s. A tutu (pictured here being worn by Markova), made in the 1950s for Swan Lake, played into many romantic dreams of ballet at Fieldings’ recent sale. The vendor was given the costume in 1959 while working in the Royal Opera House’s wardrobe department. In cream satin and embellished with silver braid, sequins and tulle, it was quite a gift, particularly as…

NEW Marble and brass pendant light, £185, Tom Dixon. 020 3696 4950; tomdixon.net NEW Wood and bone photo frame, £22, House of Fraser. 0845 602 1073; houseoffraser.co.uk NEW ‘Buddy’ metal and concrete desk lamp, £125, Loaf. 0845 468 0698; loaf.com NEW Brass and glass tea light holders, £25 for set of two, Eclect Design. 020 8299 0261; eclectdesign.com OLD Mid-century ‘Interplan’ mahogany and glass sideboard by Robin Day for Hille, £2,200, Béton Brut. betonbrut.co.uk NEW ‘Nomad’ knitted wool and wood stool, £125, Around the House Furniture. 0800 246 5186; aroundthehousefurniture.co.uk OLD 1960s red leather and brass magazine rack by Carl Auböck, £1,700, Sigmar. 020 7751 5801; sigmarlondon.com NEW Cork and pink ceramic vase by Bloomingville, £47, Amara. 0800 587 7645; amara.com NEW ‘Hoganas’ ceramic teapot with wood stand, £85, Scandi…

Globes were first printed in the 1470s, but the survival rate of early examples is low. ‘They are always in the open, turned and touched,’ explains Tim Bryars. Restoration is possible but you need ‘deep pockets’ to start collecting. ‘A Blaeu globe would cost high six figures,’ says Tim. Philip Curtis, of The Map House, says globes are ‘highly sought-after’. ‘They’re so fragile that few survive from the 1600s. In the Georgian period, the British became great globe-makers (John Cary for example) and it was fashionable to display globes in grand libraries. Dropping out of fashion in the 1800s, they were made in large quantities in the 1900s for educational purposes.’ The Map House has a 21in-diameter floor-standing globe by John Cary (c1800) for £160,000. They also have an educational…

Profile THE OWNER Interior decorator and homeware designer Sera Hersham-Loftus lives here (seraoflondon.com). THE PROPERTY The apartment is located near Little Venice in London and is situated in an early-Victorian terrace. It has two living rooms, a kitchen-diner, one bedroom, a dressing room and two bathrooms. It’s as though you’ve stumbled upon an avant-garde artist’s home, untouched since the 1930s Randolph Avenue, near Little Venice in London, has had its share of notoriety. In the latter part of the 19th century it was rumoured that a certain aristocrat kept his mistresses there to entertain his well-heeled friends. The term ‘randy’ is said to originate from these encounters. ‘My flat, once two smaller flats, was supposedly graced by these ladies of questionable virtue. I feel it gives it a certain cachet,’…

Profile THE OWNER Paola Angoletta is an interior decorator (paolaangoletta.com). THE PROPERTY Paola’s home is in an 18th-century hamlet near Belluno in northern Italy, surrounded by woods and mountains. It’s a typical local villa over three floors with four bedrooms, a kitchen-diner, living room and library. Some of the antique furniture belongs to the house, while the rest was bought at the various flea markets in Veneto or during my journeys in the east There’s something undoubtedly magical about our childhood homes – and, no matter what form they take, humble and cosy or grand and stately – their memories will always stay with us. For most of us, this is exactly where our first homes stay: tucked in a charming corner of our minds. But, for Paola Angoletta, the…

A keen eye will spot that to the far left of one of the two tapestries in Chatsworth’s State Drawing Room, a slither of the image appears much brighter than the rest. This isn’t a trick of the light but a previously ‘missing’ section of the tapestry. The section had been tucked behind – and protected by – the rest of the textile for centuries, presumably because there wasn’t room to display the whole design. It was only discovered two years ago when the tapestries were removed from the frame for conservation. ‘It was an exciting moment,’ says Jo Banks, Chatsworth’s textiles conservator. ‘We knew that the original cartoon of the tapestry included this part of the image but assumed it must have been cut off this textile at some…

1 WHY TO USE HERITAGE WALLPAPER If the survival of the fittest is a theory that can be applied to decorating, the historic wallpapers still produced today must be the best of the best. Their designs have the ability to evoke past times and, while they are a favourite with those wanting to create authentic interiors for traditional homes or a complementary background for antiques, the appeal of heritage patterns goes far beyond the strictly historical. ‘Archive designs are timeless,’ says Shauna Dennison, creative director at Cole & Son. ‘Some of our old block prints are used in grand and traditional schemes whereas we’ve seen other historical design used in contemporary settings. There are no hard and fast rules.’ 2 REDRAWN HERITAGE PRINTS It’s rare for historic designs to be…

We’re always looking for character, authentic patination and beautiful form With a little thought and careful planning, your garden can be an extension to your home and provide extra living space during the warmer months of the year. Planting and landscaping might be the backbone to a garden, but it’s the added ornaments and structures that can transform it into something special. Reclamation yards and decorative antiques shops – even skips, for that matter – yield old pieces of beautifully weathered or aged garden furniture, statuary, gates, terracotta pots, planters, plant supports and unusual objects (horse troughs and rainwater hoppers, for example), which can be used to accentuate an existing theme or bring character to a specific area in your plot. While hunting for such items can take a bit…

In the history of photography, the American Edward Weston (1886–1958) is one of the most revered photographers, alongside his contemporaries Ansel Adams and Alfred Stieglitz. One of his best-loved series focused on seashells, cabbages and peppers as sculptural objects and was made between 1927 and 1930. He began his series of nudes and sand dunes, shot in California, in 1936, which included this image, Charis, Santa Monica (227N), consigned to auction from the art and photography collection of actress Hazel Brooks. The image has featured in a number of books about Weston, including 50 Photographs: Edward Weston by Merle Armitage (New York, 1947). Signed by Weston, this is a rare ‘early print’, made at the time the photograph was shot, so was hotly contested at auction – estimate $200,000 to…

We asked Sotheby’s photographs specialist Brandei Estes which auction lot she would choose for her own collection if money were no object. She picked out a portfolio of 11 gelatin silver prints, taken by the celebrated American fashion and portrait photographer Richard Avedon in Paris between 1948 and 1956, but printed later in 1978. The set was number 38 in a limited edition of 75, printed to coincide with the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s 1978 retrospective on Avedon, one of the first exhibitions dedicated to a living photographer. ‘To have a whole set is rare because normally they are split and individual works sold separately,’ explains Estes. ‘Avedon was the first photographer to take live action shots of models: jumping over puddles, playing roulette, at a fashionable restaurant. And these…

Buying and caring for antique vases is all about attention to detail. ‘Look really closely to see any damage,’ says Victoria Oakley, a specialist ceramics and glass conservator at the V&A. ‘You might not see hairline or fresh cracks, so give the vase a gentle tap with your knuckle. If all’s well, you should get a nice solid ring. A dull tone says something’s not right.’ Check joins for signs of weakness. ‘Parts like handles might have old repairs,’ says Victoria. ‘Take a torch to help you see any faults.’ She also recommends checking the glaze when buying. ‘If there is a lot of crazing (small networks of tiny crack lines) the glaze may not be stable and, in extreme circumstances, the glaze can start to flake off.’ When it…

• The Fitzwilliam Museum, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, CB2 1RB. 01223 332900; tzmuseum.cam.ac.uk See works by Ben Nicholson and other 20th-century British artists in ‘Being Modern: Kettle’s Yard at the Fitzwilliam Museum’ exhibition, on until December (while Kettle’s Yard is being refurbished). • Tate Britain, Millbank, London, SW1P 4RG. 020 7887 8888; tate.org.uk In the Tate’s collection is an enormous selection of art by 20th-century artists such as Alan Reynolds and Georges Braque. • Masterpiece London, South Grounds, The Royal Hospital Chelsea, London, SW3 4LW. 020 7499 7470; masterpiecefair.com Visit this fair to see works by a huge range of 20th-century artists. • Midcentury Modern Shows, London. Venues vary. modernshows.com These busy mid-century design fairs around London have a massive selection of mid-century furniture from big-name dealers. • Christopher Kingzett Fine…

2-FOR-1 10th–12th The Antiques & Fine Art Fair at Harewood, The Marquee, Harewood House, Harewood, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS17 9LQ. Opening times vary. £5.harewoodfair.com 2-FOR-1 12th Frock Me! Vintage Fashion Fair, Chelsea Old Town Hall, Kings Road, Chelsea, London, SW3 5EE. 11am–5.30pm. £4. 020 7503 9171; frockmevintagefashion.com 2-FOR-1 12th–18th Art Antiques London, Albert Memorial West Lawn, Kensington Gardens, London, SW7. Opening times vary. £15. 020 7389 6555; haughton.com 2-FOR-1 17th–19th Stafford Bingley Hall Antiques Fair, County Showground, Stafford, ST18 0BD. 10am–5pm. £5. 01274 588505; antiquesfairs.com 2-FOR-1 26th Adams Antiques Fair, Lindley Hall, The Royal Horticultural Halls, Elverton Street, London, SW1P 2QW. 10am–4.30pm. £4. 020 7254 4054; adamsantiquesfairs.com 2-FOR-1 28th–3rd July Olympia International Art & Antiques Fair, Olympia London, Hammersmith Road, W14 8UX. Opening times vary. £20.olympia-art-antiques.com 2–FOR–1 Present this page…

A Al es Antique Market 020 7723 6066; al esantiques.com All the Pretty Things 07816 165510; alltheprettyvintagethings.co.uk Amara 0800 587 7645; amara.com Amy Kent Rugs 07979 594651; amykent.co.uk Andrew Bewick Antiques 020 7385 9025 Anglepoise 02392 224450; anglepoise.com Anthropologie 00800 0026 8476; anthropologie.com Antichita Marciana antichitamarciana.it The Antique Dispensary theantiquedispensary.co.uk Around the House Furniture 0800 246 5186; aroundthehousefurniture.co.uk Atlantic Blankets 0845 658 5194; atlanticblankets.com B Béton Brut betonbrut.co.uk Bloom 0844 482 2332; bloom.uk.com Bonds Antiques 01803 835007; bonds-nautical-antiques.co.uk The British Library 020 7412 7735; shop.bl.uk Brownrigg 01666 500887; brownrigg-interiors.co.uk Bryonie Porter 07939 522767; bryonieporter.com C Christie’s 020 7839 9060; christies.com Christoper Wray 020 7013 0180; christopherwray.com Cider House Galleries 01883 742198; ciderhousegalleries.com Cliffe Antiques Centre 01273 473266; cliffeantiquescentre.co.uk The Conran Shop 020 7827 4259; conranshop.co.uk D Darlings of Chelsea 020…