Furniture

The antique furniture world has lost one of its great characters and senior statesmen in David Pettifer who died on 30th August aged 94.

This medieval (probably 14th century) small bronze cauldron or posnet is a recent detecting find, dug late last year in a field in Norfolk.

Much of the market for ‘country house’ antiques is now in the hands of UK’s regional auctioneers. Here we review two recent bellwether sales.

In October Christie’s conducts a timed online sales series titled Collections.

Chairs and sofas by Howard & Sons are a pricey niche market these days, largely immune to the varying fortunes of the wider market for Victorian and Edwardian furniture.

This 18th century mahogany card table was part of a collection of furniture from Earnshill House in Somerset offered by Busby (25% buyer’s premium) in Bridport, Dorset.

When the Romanian-born French designer Maria Pergay (1930-2023) was asked why she chose to make furniture out of steel, she responded that it was because she had a score to settle with Stalin. “You know his name means steel? So the more I hit it, the happier I am.”

Dealer association Salvo promoted its revised Pocket Guide at a ‘Secondhand September’ drinks party on September 5.

Painted wood panels from a partial Louis XVI boiserie-panelled bedroom were among the 250 lots at the Design for the Home and Garden auction at Andrew Jones (25/18/12% buyer’s premium) in Los Angeles on July 17.

A celebrated collection of 19th and early 20th century sanitary wares is to be sold.

Dealer who has run a major Irish fair for 35 years feels Georgian furniture is starting to rise in value

Highlights from the estate of Max Clendinning and Ralph Adron sold at Sworders

Darren Hudson is the proprietor of Hudson Antiques. For the last eight years he has been organiser of the thrice-yearly Decorative Fair in Battersea Park. The next starts on October 1.

One of the more unusual items on offer at Tennants’ (20% buyer’s premium) Summer Fine Sale was a lock of hair from the 19th century nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale (1820-1910). It was thought to have been cut in 1883 when she was 63 years old.