Furniture

Upholstered Victorian armchairs not being the most in-demand of auction lots at present, the £100-150 estimate of a pair offered at Greenslade Taylor Hunt (19.5% buyer’s premium) did not seem overly pessimistic.

Galloway Antiques Fairs returns for its second edition at the Midhurst stately home Cowdray House this year.

Christopher Howe has been dealing from the Pimlico Road area for the past 30 years but he likes to shake things up.

Our weekly selection from salerooms and dealerships.

Bargueño desks, designed to hold documents and money, originated in Renaissance Spain and remained popular through the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries.

Two examples of the 19th century European craftsmen’s love of mother of pearl shone at Hannam’s (20% buyer’s premium) sale at Selborne on November 15.

The second of Suffolk House Antiques’ two annual exhibitions has yet to kick off officially – Christmas Selling Exhibition 2017 runs from December 2-23 and showcases an array of early furniture and works of art in the Yoxford gallery. Even so, with the catalogue up online, sales have already started.

Artcurial’s (25/20/12% buyer’s premium) auction focus on Charlotte Perriand, the celebrated 20th century French designer and a current hot ticket in the design market, took the form of a select sale of just 20 lots chosen to showcase her strengths and versatility.

The large pockets once inserted at the side of this leather armchair – now sealed up – give a clue to the role of the famous person who once sat on it. The chair’s nickname of ‘The Emma’ is another big hint.

Maltese furniture commands a premium – and not simply because it appeals to a committed group of island collectors.

Dealers in English furniture are putting their weight behind events in 2018 marking the life of Britain’s most famous furniture maker, designer and entrepreneur, Thomas Chippendale (1718-79).

A heavily carved and silvered wood ‘console table’, offered with an estimate of £1500-2500 at Lacy Scott & Knight’s (20% buyer’s premium) September 9 sale came with a somewhat exotic story.