Furniture

Organised by specialist dealer Mark van Veen for the Tiles and Architectural Ceramics Society, the annual tile fair will be held on Saturday, October 6, in Nottingham at St Jude’s Church, Mapperley.

Auction house Lyon & Turnbull hails the encouraging return of American interest at its September 5 sale.

Romanians, Hungarians, Saxons, Roma and Russians have all historically lived in the area in central Romania known as Transylvania. Each group had its own distinct culture, but after years of living side-by-side these ‘families’ drew inspiration from one another.

MADAM – Your news story (‘Ivory removed from Chippendale before sale’, ATG No 2356) draws attention to the deliberate and unforgivable removal of original ivory elements from an important commode by Thomas Chippendale, England’s most famous cabinet maker.

Our story last week revealed that ivory elements of an important piece of Chippendale furniture, the Rowland Winn commode made c.1766, were removed for its appearance at a Christie’s auction earlier this year, the commode having been imported from the US.

A late 19th century kingwood and ormolu mounted jardinière, offered for £4995 by Mark Buckley Antiques of Ilkley, is among the pieces on show at Galloway Fairs’ next event at Duncombe Park.

A prominent figure in the early furniture trade, Peter Bontoft of William H Stokes Antiques, died suddenly of a heart attack, on July 29. He was 73.

New Los Angeles saleroom Andrew Jones Auctions, set up by a group of ex-Bonhams specialists (as reported in ATG No 2355), will hold its grand opening and inaugural sale on September 15 in its Downtown Los Angeles gallery.

Ivory elements of an important piece of Chippendale furniture were removed prior to its appearance at auction earlier this year, ATG has learned.

Other exhibitions launching this September include 'Forces et Mouvements' at Galerie François Léage, a fifth-generation dealership on the well-known rue du faubourg Saint-Honoré.

MADAM – In his letter (ATG No 2355) Michael Baggott references the possibility that, following changes in the law, antiques could be mutilated because of their ivory content.

It’s a rare sale these days at which an English furniture standard challenges quality Chinese pieces for price, but the top end of the trade certainly rated a 6ft 3in (1.9m) William and Mary walnut and featherbanded bureau cabinet offered by Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood (21% buyer’s premium).

Just as fine English mahogany is selling below par, Chinese furniture, particularly in the desirable huanghuali hardwood, is booming.

Simplicity and geometry are key to the works of Eugène Printz, one of the Parisian practitioners of Art Deco design.

Private bidders were overtaken as dealers found warmth in the best traditional furniture and chattels offered at auction.