Dealers

Brussels gears up for its major art and antiques fair this month with the latest edition of BRAFA.

While BRAFA understandably dominates much of the cultural headlines during this period, it is not the only show in town.

BRAFA has long been a fair with a speciality in early (medieval and Renaissance) works of art, which is something that dates back to the years when it was a Belgian National fair in the city centre. It thus serves a venerable collecting tradition drawing in buyers from the local area and further afield.

Tribal art has long been a Belgian speciality due to the country’s colonial history in Africa. So it is not surprising to see this area well represented at BRAFA, with around a dozen participants in this field hailing from Paris, Brussels and as far away as Montreal.

Dealers are often on the move. Here, ATG takes another look at some of the dealers that have recently taken up new premises (or are planning to do so) around the UK and beyond. They range from a new London location for a long-standing jewellery firm to Drew Pritchard opening a shop in his local town.

Antiquities is one of BRAFA’s strong suits in terms of exhibitor volume. Around 10 specialists in this field are standing, plus a number of others that mix antiquities with, for example, Asian art.

Cyber security is among the biggest concerns for dealers and auctioneers, according to the latest ATG survey.

The annual London Antique Rug & Textile Art Fair (LARTA) returns to Battersea for the second time to run in conjunction with the Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair from January 23-28. Taking place on the mezzanine of Battersea Evolution, the fair focuses on carpets, rugs and woven design.

Roy Bolton is cofounder of Sphinx Fine Art, an Old Master and Russian pictures specialist on Kensington Church Street in London.

This is Liza Minelli as you might never have seen her – in this Polish poster by Wiktor Górka for the film Kabaret, which was created in 1973 for the first year of the film’s release in Poland.

Some of the works on offer at BRAFA are simply too quirky to fit into any time-honoured collecting category, but they are often responsible for creating an eyecatching draw to a particular stand.

A restored wall mask made by and indeed featuring the famed Art Deco ceramics designer Susie Cooper is one of the intriguing pieces for sale at Style 1900’s '20th Century Decorative Arts Fair'.

Abbott and Holder kicks off 2018 with an exhibition celebrating the art of London’s East End.

A selective one-day 'Samurai Armor Fair' launches next month in Amsterdam.

Venerable event has broadened out from Americana to offer an extensive range of items

Macklowe Gallery is a leading dealer in 20th century decorative arts and has recently relocated to an impressive new gallery space on Park Avenue. It has been exhibiting at the Winter Antiques Show for over 20 years. Ben Macklowe describes the enduring appeal.

Carolle Thibaut-Pomerantz, the New York/Paris-based specialist in vintage and antique wallpapers, returns to the Winter Antiques Show this year in collaboration with another Paris dealership.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the London Art Fair (LAF), which has grown from 30 UK exhibitors in its first edition to its current 131-strong international line-up. They will fill the floor at Islington’s Business Design Centre from January 17-21.

Carol and Stephen Huber from Connecticut deal in antique embroideries and are stalwarts of the Winter Antiques Show, having exhibited there for 25 years.