ANTIQUES
Antiques and Collectables with Philip Hoare F.T.V.I
Antiques
Renaissance
I am pleased to report that the market for
had become in certain areas (particularly
General Antiques and particularly furniture
good European Ceramics and Victorian
of the brown English variety has started to
Paintings) the most significant buyers in
increase again. Sale results at the London
the field. Sadly, the Kobe disaster of 1995
Auction Houses, and at the retail end
ground their economy to a halt.
in Pimlico and Chelsea have improved
enormously.
I act in the sale of Art and Antiques on
a commission basis and my clients are in
This increase has been boosted by
London and overseas. It has been much
foreign buyers who do not seem to be
easier of late to broker transactions as
affected by the gloomy financial forecasts
the 'feel good factor' in the antique world
of armageddon in the financial markets. As
seems to be returning.
I predicted the Chinese are now big players
in the antiques market.
However, secondary and more pedestrian
items remain difficult. I have recently sold
They came with their huge spending
several hundred ounces of silver flatware
power to buy back their heritage but have
and hollow-ware on behalf of a deceased
become aware of the variety and quality
estate. It did not go into the melting pot as
of Eur opean antiques which of course are
usual and I was able to find an overseas
alien to their own culture and which they
buyer who chose to retain everything in tact
find quite fascinating and curious.
as a long term investment. This pleases me
The monied classes there are now
greatly as the huge demand from China for
building European style houses and
silver as a commodity has seen millions of
furnishing in the European taste with all
ounces of worked silver consigned to the
the trappings of exotic finery. This is exactly
melting pot with no regard for the quality of
what happened with the Japanese in the
workmanship.
1960s. By the end of that decade they
ANTIQUES
Find out what they're
really worth
VALUATIONS • COMMISSION SALES • RESEARCH
92
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PHILIP HOARE
71 Union Street, Ryde, IW. PO33 2LN
TEL: 01983 612872 MOBILE: 07773 877242
EMAIL: [email protected]
www.philiphoare.com