London Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair brings back the magic, hail organisers

It was great news that the Decorative Antiques and Textiles Fair was an astounding success, according to the organisers, as it returned to Battersea, London from 28 September to 3 October 2021 as its first event since January 2020.

While the UK’s battle with the pandemic is not yet over, visitors were eager to buy and the Fair was as busy as ever with the volume of sales described as spectacular, right across the board, from painted country antiques to sparkling glass and silverware, early collectors’ items, folk art and traditional English furniture, twentieth century designer pieces, lighting, mirrors, textiles and works of art. 

Even on the first day,  the movement of stock was unparalleled and reports filtered through of some dealers selling out their entire stand.  Visitors included new customers, trade and private collectors, decorators and interior designers from the UK and around the world, including Americans and Europeans.

Well-known faces seen at the fair included actors Michelle Dockery, Eddie Redmayne, Stockard Channing and Nichola McAuliffe, as well as Bob Geldof, Guy Ritchie, and David Beckham.  

Among trade buyers and decorators the Fair welcomed Chelsea Textiles, Steven Gambrel (NY, USA), Peter Mikic, Annie Waite, Olga Polizzi, Guy Goodfellow, Paolo Moschino, John Minshaw, Flora Soames, Rose Tarlow (USA), Edward Hurst, Max Rollitt, Harry Apter (Apter Fredericks), Gil Schafer of the US architectural and design practice G.P. 

Schafer Architect, Gallery Half (LA), Alidad, Rita Konig, Nina Campbell, Tammy Connor Interior Design (Charleston, South Carolina, USA), Emma Ainscough, Saffron & Scarlet and Seventh House gallery in LA.  Summing up the week, Organiser Darren Hudson commented on the quality of visitors to the Fair.  

Exhibitors whose stock mixes all periods, antique to modern, made very strong sales. Nick Jones who had his best Fair ever said he was "lost for words, it has been so successful, and I’ve been thrilled to see all the regulars I always see at Battersea. We have had international decorators and trade buying in force.”  He made sales across the board, of cabinet furniture, mirrors, and lights, adding “it has been well attended by serious people looking to spend money. Every major decorator was here on opening day, as well as Americans.”  Sales by Thurstan included an important 1950s desk by Pierre Jeanneret  to a private UK client. Violet Grey with garden-related stock had their best-ever Fair, with sales including a large glazed 1920s French painted store display cabinet and a group of large decorative 1960s ceramic pineapples. 

Foster & Gane had their best ever Fair and made plenty of sales to US trade buyers (including to “the hot new gallery in LA”  Seventh House), mainly of C20th furniture, including a Kaare Klint leather sofa to an existing customer (a decorator with their client), but also a large Aubusson carpet.  

Dealers in twentieth century stock were very happy too, including Gwen Pilard of Quindry and Il Paralume.  Catherine Despas from France and Dorian Caffot de Fawes both had their best ever Fairs. Philip Varma made sales across the board, especially mirrors and lighting, and met an important new US trade buyer from Los Angeles.  New participant ODE Interiors also reported that lighting had sold strongly and Caroline de Kerangal reported her best ever first day including sales of a floor lamp by Pietro Chiesa to a well-established interior designer and met a number new US decorators.  

Organiser Jane Juran said “despite everything that might have worked against us – COVID concerns, Brexit issues, fuel shortages, gridlocked London streets, roadworks, storms and, finally, the London Marathon, we welcomed many thousands of visitors to the Fair, and we are thrilled it has proved one of the most successful yet for many dealers, in the volume of business achieved.  We must praise our exhibitors for putting on a truly spectacular show.”

Dealers antique furniture and larger objects also reported very good fair, with sales that included a life-sized bronze figure of Mercury, the star piece on the stand of Vagabond, as well as a group of Regency stone garden statues; both went to private clients. French Country Living London sold a pair of bowed glazed doors from a French chateau to a new buyer; while Richard Nadin sold the largest oval table he has ever seen. Peter Bunting was very happy with sales among which were an Elizabethan painting and a C16th Spanish polychrome seated Madonna. Drennan & Sturrock sold a large C19th mirror while new exhibitor Christopher Hodsoll sold a pair of marble Georgian mantelpieces as well as a pair of Piranesi prints of Trajan’s column to a US customer.  Martin D. Johnson Antiques sold a vast array of furniture and garden items across their range including a large C19th French pharmacy cabinet. Many exhibitors reported their best ever Battersea Fairs including Maison Artefact, John Bird, Nadin & Macintosh, Foster & Gane and Nick Jones.  

Richard Steenberg, M. Charpentier, Home Bothy, Nic McElhatton, William Cook Antiques, Fontaine Decorative Antiques, David Bedale and new exhibitor Brown Elliott, offering traditional and decorative antiques, all reported very good sales.  Early and vernacular pieces sold well too, by dealers Joanna Booth who sold a group of medieval French carved chestnut heads circa 1400 to a regular collector, a circa 1700 Mortlake tapestry depicting milkmaids to a private buyer, and a circa 1520 Italian illuminated manuscript fragment to a new US customer.  

Dealers of both antique and C20th designer furniture, as well as contemporary art sold well too, to new and existing clients.  

Textiles dealers reported brisk sales to decorators, including Su Mason, Aaron Nejad Gallery, Bleu Anglais and new exhibitors Owen Parry and Tribal Art & Textiles. Joshua Lumley made impressive rug sales including two large Ushak carpets in vivid colours.   Dealers offering specialist and collectors’ items reported a very good week including Linda Jackson Decorative Antiques & Silver and Mark Stacey Antiques.

Anthea A.G. Antiques (jewellery) reported good sales, while On-Reflection Mirrors Ltd said “We had an exceptional first day, and sales remained good thereafter; we’d sold over half our stock by Friday.”    

Craig Carrington, standing at the Fair for the first time, offering Grand Tour objects, was pleased with sales to new customers, including a neo-classical enamelled stoneware urn by Muller of Paris, a company renowned for many of the decorations on the buildings of Paris. 

Art also sold well around the Fair.  Julian Simon Fine Art said all their sales were made to new clients, who were private buyers. David Brooker had sold period and modern art, bronzes, and a tapestry. Other art dealers reported strong sales were Joost van den Bergh with Asian art and objects, Osborne Gallery with traditional paintings and antique frames, Ottocento with modern and contemporary art.

Saunders Fine Art, specialising primarily in Scandinavian modern works,  sold several antique Windsor chairs and other furniture as well sold C20th Swedish ceramics and early C20th textile weavings to trade and private buyers.

The Trade Shopping Service instigated by the Organisers was a great success too, with four leading overseas trade buyers making the most of virtual visiting; between them they purchased more than 80 items for export reported the organisers.

Summing up the week, Organiser Darren Hudson commented, “The volume of sales around the Fair has been gratifying."

The next Winter Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair will take place from 25 to 30 January 2022 at Battersea, London again.

Photos of the Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair in September 2021 by Lucia Carpio for MyFashionConnectGlobal.