The third of three decorative fairs which take place every year in Battersea Park, many regular exhibitors consider the autumn fair to be the most commercially successful in the series. And this year’s autumn fair had a few new features including the mezzanine area, which was newly opened to allow for more stands.
At 160 exhibitors, this was the largest Battersea decorative fair to date.
Standout sales
Joost van den Bergh, new to the fair, was one of the exhibitors who set up on the mezzanine and saw a number of sales. Included in his sales were an Islamic pattern pen drawing by Lucy Temple, which was ticketed at £6000, and a painting from the series ‘Imaginary Cities,’ produced in the Rajasthan studio of Vegendra and Krishnadasa, c.1970-90, which was ticketed at £3200.
The opening night was particularly busy, and several dealers reported doing their briskest opening night business ever on the Tuesday.
In the foyer display, which featured the fair’s theme “Scandi Days and Nordic Nights,” La Place Antiques sold an 18th century gilded Swedish pier mirror at a ticket price of £3200.
Around the rest of the fair, Odyssey Fine Arts sold a pair of mid-1960s Danish ebonised “Harp” chairs by Jorgen Hovelskov with an asking price in excess of £6000 and Geoffrey Stead sold a pair of French Empire, c.1810, ormolu-mounted mahogany bedside cabinets, also ticketed around £6000.
Busy buyers
US buyers were noted in attendance with the exchange rate remaining in their favour.
Among the trade buyers at this year’s fair were Argyll & Jasper and Kearsey Designs and among the celebrity attendees were actor and regular on the London fair circuit Eddie Redmayne, comedian David Sedaris and fashion designer Sir Paul Smith.
“This is by far the best fair in London, and it’s such a great atmosphere,” said Streett Marbur & Charlotte Casedejus, who shared a stand. “We had lots of decorators on Tuesday – they came, they saw, they bought!”
