A bit of art and antiques can’t be bad

Last Thursday, I went to the International Art and Antiques Fair at the Olympia. “How did you end up there?” you might ask. Well, a friend of a friend had a stand so I got an invitation and decided to make the most of it: spend a nice time with a friend, have a pizza, have a courtesy glass of wine, looking at antique pieces of art pretending not to be poor and immerge myself in a new world (also, take it as an opportunity to write an article!).

Being the 41^st edition, the fair is a well-known event that gathers all the amateurs of fine furniture and of arts and objects ranging from prehistoric fossils to the newest pieces of contemporary art.  It also welcomes newbies like my friend and I: they organise conferences, talks and tours, all held by experts and specialists but they also provide a personal shopper that will help you buy your first antiques (only if you want to, of course).

Just wandering around the stands was amazing. The variety and the wide range of items is incredible: jewellery, antique furniture, 20^th century furniture, fine arts and prints, silver, art deco, lighting, carpets and textiles, ceramics, glass, etc. The prices vary between £100 to £1million. Many glamorous celebrities have attended the past fairs (and maybe this one, but I’m not aware of it): Oprah Winfrey, Dustin Hoffman, Jemima Khan, Mick Jagger and Eddie “Les Mis” Redmayne.

Let me give you 5 fun facts from this 41^st edition:

-       It sells the most “out of this world” item: a lunar meteorite

-       Number of diamonds exposed: over 1 million!

-       The further distance travelled by an exhibitor: 5980 miles (South Africa – London)

-       Age of the Olympia Exhibition Centre: 126; it was opened in December 1886

-       To help think of a royal christening present, here’s a good idea exposed at the fair: a Cartier nappy pin.

My friend’s friend, Esther Fitzgerald, was exposing and selling what you call “rare textiles” coming from all around the world. She’s been conserving, exhibiting, researching and photographing textiles for about 30 years. Her collections have been placed in many famous museums such as the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the National Museum of Tokyo and the Chicago Art Institute. She has a great knowledge and will happily tell you all she knows about those fabrics from another age.

To be honest, this was a fun evening: my friend and I looked around and decided to pretend that we could afford anything. We saw majestic pieces of furniture, sparkling silver items, fantastic real-life paintings, magnificent sculptures and jewellery that made us drool in envy. We also got given 10 tips for investing in art and antiques. Want to hear about it?

1. Always buy from a dealer that’s member of either the BADA (British Antique Dealer’s Association) or the LAPADA (Association of Art and Antiques Dealers).
2. Buy an item that doesn’t look like it’s been repaired or had some of its key parts replaced.
3. Check the authenticity of the piece you’d like to buy.
4. Have an eye for something quirky and original.
5. Furniture is a great investment, although you can also go for scientific instruments and weapons.
6. If you invest in silver, make sure it’s in perfect condition and keep it that way.
7. Pottery and porcelain from the 19^th century is a good investment as well.
8. Vanessa Curry, art advisor, says that it’s always good to buy paintings made by the close circle of friends of a famous painter. With time, their notoriety increases.
9. Lalique is a safe investment: make sure the piece is pre-war (meaning it’s been designed by André Lalique himself) and that it hasn’t been over-polished or damaged (that will decrease its value).
10. Invest in glass: from the 18^th century until right before the World War 2.

There you go!

Sadly, the fair is closing its doors tonight.

But it’s back again in November for its winter edition. It will be held at the Olympia, from the 4^th until the 10^th of the month. Be sure to come and have a look around, it is a lot of fun and you will see marvellous items you’d never have expected to see.

Miss DiversiT