The death last year aged 98 of Roger Warner brought to a close the long career of one of the last old school eclectic but knowledgeable country dealers.
For 50 of those years, from 1936-85, he lived and traded from an
imposing stone-fronted house in Burford, Oxfordshire, and after
that closed he decamped across the road to fill his home with the
remains of his stock and his personal collection.
This was the fruit of many of the famous country house sales of
the last century and numerous legendary buying trips up and down
the country. The result was an Aladdin's cave that encompassed
vernacular furniture, period textiles, early pottery, folk art,
children's toys and much more.
The flavour of this fascinating career was recorded in his
memoirs published in 2003 by the Regional Furniture Society, but
there is a tangible legacy in the richly varied assemblage that his
family are selling at auction in London and the country over the
next few months.
The more expensive material will be offered at Christie's South
Kensington next week on January 20 and 21, with 640 lots that
reflect his many collecting enthusiasms.
Then Brightwells of Leominster will hold a further three Warner
offerings with books, toys and ephemera on February 4, garden
furnishings on February 25 and a more general mix on April 8.
By Anne Crane
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