LONDON—Prince Albert is quite likely to keep a closer eye on Kensington Gardens for the next seven days as a custom-made pavilion is assembled on the lawns, playing host to a treasure trove of collectables as part of Art Antiques London.
Close to the site where the Great Exhibition once stood, Art Antiques London is a meeting place for the global community of fine art collectors and connoisseurs. The fair will bring together over 70 of the world’s leading art dealers.
The vast array of arts and antiques from around the world offers the viewer glimpses of such items as a beautiful Indian pendant from the Mogul courts and a rare English teapot depicting Chinese river scenes.
International Appeal
Husband-and-wife team Brian and Anna Haughton are founders of Haughton International Fairs and currently run six international art and antique fairs in New York, London, and Dubai, including Arts Antique London. The family-run fair, which the couple runs with the help of their son and daughter, is capturing the international scene.
Mr. Haughton said collectors and exhibitors are not deterred by the recession: “It’s like a religion. They want to get to the fair and buy.”
The fair has been attended by the queen of Malaysia and the royal family of Qatar, Houghton said.
“For years, the fair … has always had excellent sales.” “It’s a serious event” that draws big curators, Haughton said. “Our livelihood, our job, is our hobby too.”
Haughton started off his career as an actor for a touring theater company, as well as for TV and film. When he had some spare time before his evening performances, he found his passion for buying ceramics.
“When I see early pieces, some of the scenes are incredible on porcelain,” he said. Haughton commented on the number of pieces that must have been lost through the manufacturing process to produce one perfect piece. If you have the wrong coloring and put a piece into the kiln, it could burn, he said.
“When you see a wonderful piece of porcelain, the detail, it still excites me. I’m amazed even to this day that some of these items were manufactured,” he said.
Jewelry
Dr. Samina Khanyari founded Samina Inc. in 1999 with a specialty in the jeweled arts of India. She will be exhibiting her unique jewelry that reflects the opulence of the Mogul and Deccan court life from the 17th to the 19th centuries. The craftsmanship of the imperial workshops affiliated with these courts was extraordinary.
Khanyari is looking forward to this year’s fair after a successful finale last year that was aided by a jogger from Hyde Park.
“Last year, a young woman jogged into the show and to our booth on the last day, in its closing moments, and went away very happy, having purchased a beautiful pair of Indian table-cut diamond earrings,” she said.
The lecture series during the Art Antiques fair is also highly regarded. “The seminars not only give the fair its particular character, but also ensure the presence of much-valued international scholars and curators,” according to a release.
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