The event opened with a series of preview parties on June 9 and, by the end of the following day, some of the galleries had enjoyed excellent business. One of busiest was Sam Fogg with his medieval sculpture. His early sales included his star exhibits, a pair of polychrome wooden figures of St. George and St. Mauritius made by the George Arzt workshop in Tirol 1494-1520. And by the end of the first day antiquities specialist Rupert Wace had sold 44 of the 113 pieces in his exhibition Pharaoh’s Creatures: Animals from Ancient Egypt at prices from £800 to £100,000.
A contemporary art collector who had never before bought an antiquity acquired several works prompting Mr Wace to comment: “London Sculpture Week has proved a useful platform to attract people who would not normally even consider antiquities and we have been delighted with the enthusiastic response.” Which is very good news since new blood is what these initiatives are all about.
New blood among antiquities
AFTER the first couple of days, all nine dealers participating in London Sculpture Week (which ended on June 18) reported a great deal of interest in their exhibitions with old clients joined by museum people and, most importantly, new customers.
