The Guardian newspaper had an interesting article on antiques becoming fashionable and desirable last Thursday. Also covering price rises in silver, click here to read it. I was particularly happy to read this part: “Auction houses suffered a tough recession, with the RICS (Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors) survey revealing price drops across virtually every […]
I must admit my first reaction was to ask her “What have you been doing? Hammering nails in with it?” The rim was covered in chips, and there were a couple of large chunks missing from the acid-frosted moulded pattern of satyrs bounding around in grape vines. The truth was even more surprising – the […]
Last week, I was delighted to be interviewed by Paul Fraser of Paul Fraser Collectibles. The main focus was the new BBC2 TV series I’m co-hosting with interior designer Kathryn Rayward, but as I’m a man of (too?) many words, we soon moved onto many other subjects such as buying online, the recession, and the […]
With a bit of Polish blood flowing through my veins, I’ve always been fond of decorative arts produced in the former Eastern Block. Amongst my favourite areas are postwar avant garde Czechoslovakian and Polish film and event posters. Over the past two decades, those from the former country have become widely popular and highly desirable […]
I had to buy a new Blackberry last weekend, after my previous one died. Standing in the queue to pay, I mulled over how the PDA and smartphone have completely replaced the Filofax. A trusty companion of the Sloane Ranger and Yuppie (remember them?), the fad for these luxury leather small folders has almost completely […]
Looking around the excellent Glass Message Board last night, I found a post relating to the lesser-known name of Chalet, who made glass in Canada from 1962-75. Two typical pieces are shown here, courtesy of Miller’s Online. With its spectacular forms and vibrant colours, Chalet glass is often mistaken for glass made on Murano in […]
I haven’t found too many books that discuss antiques from social, historical, economic or, indeed other, perspectives. So I was delighted to stumble across this book in Waterstone’s last Sunday. Professor Rosenstein is a philosopher who also has also dealt in antiques for the past 25 years, so offers us a unique view of the […]
I don’t ask for much, but I do ask that you support a new website and growing movement promoting the fact that antiques are green. Furnishing your home with antiques and 20thC design not only allows you to express yourself and build a truly individual look, but it also helps save our environment. Consider the […]
I know it’s not everyone’s taste, but taxidermy seems to be seeing a firm return to fashion. Although I’ve been a long-time fan, I first covered this area professionally in the DK Collectables Price Guide 2007, published in 2006. Since then, the small seed of a trend has turned into something much more. Even to […]
Having seen so many prehistoric, neolithic and paleolithic designs on modern ceramics and glass, I’ve often wondered how much these were inspired and driven by the discovery of some caves. In Summer 1940, four French teenagers out walking their dog in the Dordogne discovered a cave, the walls of which were covered with prehistoric cave […]
The grateful guest of a law firm to see Madonna perform at the 02 arena in London on Saturday night, I came across this poignant tribute to the undisputed ‘King of Pop’. Scheduled to perform some 50 concerts at the arena during July and August, it’s possible that the mental and physical strain these caused […]
…buy vintage! The market for vintage clothing has boomed over the past few years, even entering the ‘mainstream’ with high street stores such as TopShop and TopMan even stocking vintage lines. We’ve certainly become a lot more ‘individual’ in our tastes for interior decoration and the way we dress. One of the best sources I […]