Furniture

This rare George III parquetry box containing approximately 72 wood specimens to all sides and the interior was almost certainly made by Gillows c.1810.

Important Irish mahogany furniture returned to market on November 11 when Brunk Auctions in North Carolina sold the so-called Mississippi Rococo collection of Jerold D Krouse.

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

Newbury auction house Dreweatts (27% buyer’s premium) held a sale last month titled Syrie Maugham: A Family Collection, offering items from the interior designer and her descendants.

Peter Pap is a specialist in antique rugs from the 19th century that were exported to the US and Europe from countries such as Persia, Turkey, Afghanistan and southern Russia.

This late 19th century French gilt bronze and griotte rouge marble tripod table-stand in the Japonisme style sold for £15,000 (estimate £4000-6000) at Hansons (26.5% buyer’s premium) in Richmond, south-west London.

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

Woolley & Wallis (27% buyer’s premium) considered the Elizabethan bed offered on October 1 to be to ‘by far the most original to be offered at auction in recent 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

Two sales held just over 1000 miles apart on the same day included coveted examples of European post-war furniture.

How better to start a review of sales at the dog-friendly Decorative Fair than a quick canine picture selection?

James Brett was an antiques dealer of international repute specialising in the finest English and European antique furniture, sculpture and metal work.

One day in early 1975 a dealer from Norwich came into my shop in Harrogate for the first time and, although he did not buy on that occasion, that introduction would lead to a 50-year friendship that has been ended by the death of James Brett from Alzheimer’s Disease.

This may – or may not – be of interest but I thought that readers might wish to share some of their own experiences in the antiques trade and that this is the place to do it. Here is mine.

It’s no exaggeration to describe James as a legend of the antiques trade.