Every Piece Comes With a Story... By Vanessa Curry, Director, Fine Art Source
Perhaps the significant element of buying antiques, vintage design or fine art is that one is also buying an object that has a story. The story might be in the form of an impressive provenance or a famous maker but, often, the narrative is less obvious than that – requiring instead some research and imagination.
When I look at works of art or design on behalf of clients I always look into by whom, where, and in what context the item was made. By capturing those elements and imagining the original audience for it, a collector can appreciate a piece with a level of understanding that goes beyond the aesthetic. I have chosen three pieces at the fair that have a story worth exploring beyond the surface...
QUEEN ANNE MINIATURE WALNUT VENEERED LONGCASE CLOCK Christopher Gould, date: circa 1710, height: 190.5 cm Available from Howard Walwyn, stand B11 The story of an antique is not always so ethereal. Sometimes it is just downright impressive! Howard Walwyn (
walwynantiqueclocks.com) has brought to the fair a Queen Anne clock which not only has the very rare feature of a quarter repeating mechanism but was also likely to have been owned by the Medici family of Florence.
Furthermore, the maker was Christopher Gould – one of the most celebrated clockmakers of the period; examples of his work are included today in the British Museum. Gould made miniature longcase clocks for the Italian market and was patronised by the Medici family. It is known this family dynasty purchased these clocks for the bedrooms of their numerous villas, and it could be that this was one of them. How fascinating it is to consider the previous existence of such pieces, creating a layer of intrigue that is impossible to achieve with something new.
For further details regarding the author and independent art consultant Vanessa Curry see page 56. Her daily highlight tours will take place at 13.30 from the Information Desk.
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