Decorative Art

Sustained scrap silver prices of more than £30 an ounce have sent large quantities of middle-of-the-road Georgian and Victorian domestic silver to the melting pot. Today, to sell well above the bullion price, it helps if silver comes with a strong narrative. ATG reports on a few great storytellers.

Scottish contemporary silver by Graham Leishman Stewart (1955-2020), squirreled away for decades in private collections, is now slowly beginning to reach the secondary market.

Irish silver pocket corkscrews from the Georgian period are not common.

On November 25, Gloucestershire auction house Chorley’s is selling the personal collection of Ray Leigh (1928-2025), one of the more significant figures in post-war British design.

The annual specialist Antique Tile Fair has now, sadly, been cancelled.

Younger members of well-known dealer family firms set the pace at the latest LAPADA Berkeley Square Fair

Rare stalking owl catches the eye in Lewes as local vendor sells Lalique car mascots and advertising signs

Polar bears have inspired multiple models by the Bing & Grondahl and Royal Copenhagen factories.

Art Deco was one of the main themes of LAPADA Berkeley Square Fair this year, with the design movement celebrating 100 years.

A ‘monumental’ pair of 15-light silver candelabra made by Tiffany & Co for a member of the Vanderbilt family hammered for $230,000 (£171,565) at John Moran Auctioneers (27% buyer’s premium) in Monrovia, California.

Cabinet was among Chinese exports headed for Europe shipped through the Dutch trading port in Java

A ‘Black Forest’ liqueur set in the form of a bear carrying a flask and glasses will be among the collectable pieces going on sale at The Pavilions of Harrogate Decorative, Antiques & Art Fair at the Great Yorkshire Showground from November 14-16.

A 9in (22cm) high vase Tiffany Studios copper and enamel vase sold for a surprise $20,000 (£14,800) at Roland Auctions (30/20/12.5% buyer’s premium) on September 21.

Kirkland Tellwright was Clerk of Course at Haydock Park Racecourse in Lancashire for 24 years, until retiring in March 2024.

A Vincennes soft paste porcelain bleu céleste pierced basket from the first Louis XV service sold for £25,000 at Chiswick Auctions (26% buyer’s premium) on October 13.

Focused on early 20th century, Art Deco and mid-century furniture and sculpture, Jacob Markies began working with his father Jeroen in 2018 and recently has taken over much of the day-to-day running of Markies Antiques to free Jeroen to focus on buying. The dealer will be exhibiting at the Classic Antique Fairs’ autumn event at the NEC later this month.