Homes Antiques

As next season’s auction schedule revs up we select an expert

panel of auctioneers to reveal the latest must haves and best buys

in salesrooms across the country

W

ith the new season around the

corner thoughts turn to autumnal

occupations such as revamping a

room or refreshing or starting a

collection. Autumn is a great time

for auctions because there are lots

on all around the country from

your smallest local salesroom to the big regionals as well as the

leading London players Bonhams Christie’s and Sotheby’s. To

get in the mood start trawling sites such as barnebys.co.uk and

the-saleroom.com for upcoming auctions that look promising.

‘Search engines are extremely useful for picking out your wish

list although nothing beats going to the sale and handling the

objects’ says auctioneer and BBC One Antiques Road Trip

expert Catherine Southon.

So what’s trending at the moment? Top of the tree are

20th-century arts – prints photographs and studio ceramics

by well-known practitioners are avidly collected now. ‘The pot

is hot!’ enthuses Barnebys founder Pontus Silfverstolpe citing

the pottery of Lucie Rie and Pablo Picasso as key investment

buys. Mid-century furniture is sought after too yet still so

aordable. It’s a trend echoed in the vintage watches market

with good quality gent’s watches from the 1950s to ‘70s flying

out of specialist sales such as those mounted by Fellows.

We’re glad to say that classic antiques (those over 100 years

old) are also pressing the buttons –colourful Regency china

Italian maiolica Georgian armchairs small silver collectables

and opulent standalone objects such as ormolu porcelain and

early Lalique glass. All our specialists report that across the

board buyers are discerning more confident in expressing their

own taste and looking for quality. ‘People are buying a look

they want something that stands out’ says Southon.

OUR EXPERTS

Bruce Addison

Specialist in English

furniture and art

at Bonhams

Robin Cawdron-Stewart

Specialist in modern and

post-war British art at

Sotheby’s

Charlotte Conboy

Head of the picture

department at

Tennants

Paul Gallois

Specialist in European

furniture and works of

art at Christie’s

Will Hobbs

Tribal arts specialist at

Woolley & Wallis

in Salisbury

John Mackie

Director of decorative

arts and design at Lyon

& Turnbull Edinburgh

Claire Grindey

Silver specialist and

valuer at Sworders

auction house

Adrian Hailwood

Watch manager at

Fellows auction house

in Birmingham

Timothy Medhurst

Auctioneer and valuer

at Duke’s Auctioneers

in Dorset

Martin Millard

Director of ne

art at Chefns in

Cambridgeshire

Pontus Silfverstolpe

Head of content

and co-founder of

Barnebys.co.uk

Catherine Southon

Independent

auctioneer and valuer

and TV presenter

FOR AUTUMN 2017

AUCTION

TRENDS

Katya de Grunwald

FEATURE CAROLINE WHEATER

10

120 H&A SUMMER 2017

H&A’s