The drawing room is probably the quintessentially English chamber in a period residence, a point which I am sure will come over strongly with the furniture and furnishings on offer at prices up to £250,000 at Windsor House’s extensive premises at 28-29 Dover Street and 23 Grafton Street, W1.
Certainly the show's importance would have been understood by Thomas Sheraton who wrote in 1793: "A drawing room is of that sort which admits of the highest taste and elegance; in furnishings of which, workmen in every nation exert the utmost efforts of their genius."
A large selection will cover the 18th to early 20th centuries. Georgian sofas, Chippendale tea tables, 18th century Chinese lacquer cabinets, giltwood suites, candelabra and fire screens will all vie for attention.
There are some surprisingly low priced items for Mayfair so it is worth a visit even if the budget is only a few hundred pounds.
Kevin Smith, owner of Windsor House, also runs a flourishing interior design business and in his 18th century premises the drawing room items are displayed with an obvious appeal to the decorators' market.
Forver Tunbridge
DEALERS Dianne and Ivor Brick, who trade as Amherst Antiques, also know the value of selling exhibitions.
Although they gave up their Sevenoaks shop a couple of years ago to work largely from fairs, they still hold an annual show. And since their speciality is Tunbridge Ware they naturally go to Tunbridge Wells.
Their third autumn exhibition at the Spa Hotel in the Kent town will be this weekend on September 28 and 29 when they offer fresh stock, including 19th century English ceramics, cranberry glass and silver.
But the emphasis is very much on Tunbridge Ware and the 130 or so pieces include three by much-favoured maker Robert Russell, an exhibitor at the 1851 Great Exhibition who earned royal patronage and international acclaim.
Cranes fly on
THE Americans are no slouches at worthy self promotion and the degree to which it works is seen at the current exhibition of Imari at leading New York specialists in Japanese art Flying Cranes. Scheduled to end on October 31, it has been extended to the end of the year.
Some 50 pieces are on sale at Flying Cranes’ gallery 58 at the Manhattan Art and Antiques Center, 1050 Second Avenue, and prices start at $1500. They end considerably higher.
Gallery owner Jean Schaefer has brought together some fine examples for a dramatic and colourful display which she thinks have an enduring appeal.
She enthuses: "The exciting palette of white Imari porcelain decorated in brilliant cobalt blue, iron red, greens and gilt plays a vital role in energising our interiors. Vases, reticulated plates, bowls and so on are positioned throughout both our city and country environments to be used and admired everyday."
Drawing on England's strength, in Sheraton's opinion...
THE word English is arguably superfluous in the title of a selling exhibition entitled The English Drawing Room, which runs from October 1 to 19 at the Mayfair showrooms of Windsor House Antiques.
