This is the February newsletter so we must be in Florida for the Miami and Palm Beach fairs. The Miami Show has been relocated 30 miles inland from the beaches but is nearer the airport. Time will tell if the VIPs will make the trek. We bought modestly. There was a noticeable lack of furniture but Charlie did manage to secure the imposing 19th marble top console table, above, which, while not of the period is a superb example of Victorian craftsmen drawing inspiration from earlier masters, in this case William Kent (1685-1748).
Mostly we bought Japanese items. There is a funny story in relation to the two Meiji period bronze vases above – the tale of two vases perhaps. We bought the vase with a single japonica branch on the first day. When we went back to pay and collect it two days later we were given the vase with the bird on wisteria. No one realised the switch until I came to write a label for the Palm Beach show. The bonus was that we managed to buy both! The third vase is a beautiful gold and silver leaf cloisonné piece created, unusually, by a lady artist called Sukiku in Showa 56 (1981).
Just for fun Charlie bought a pair of Tweedledee and Tweedledum andirons. Did you know …….. these rotund and bellicose twins were not the invention of Lewis Carroll for ‘Through the Looking Glass’ but existed in an English nursery rhyme a hundred years before. Then Caroline fell in love with this swirling glass dish by Michael Bang (1942-2013) who designed glass for both the Odense and Holmegaard glass factories. So as usual we have cast our net wide. The best buy however we will keep a secret as we bought it for Masterpiece. Only 4 months to go!
Having previously supplied Harrods antiques department for 22 years, Charles Wallrock of Wick Antiques offers his expertise and professional knowledge to help you buy and sell your antiques.
Wick Antiques was established by Charles Wallrock in the early 1980s. Having grown up in the Antiques world Charles developed an extensive wealth of knowledge.
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