Aurea set up her business selling mid 18th-century and early 19th-century English pottery and porcelain in 1980, in Burton’s Arcade, Westbourne Grove, just off Portobello Road. Her excellent eye, natural flair and honest approach to business quickly built up a loyal band of collectors who visited her every Saturday for many years.
Over the years Aurea exhibited at numerous fairs, including Olympia, Little Chelsea, the Kensington Ceramics Fair and the New York Ceramics Fair. She successfully set up her online business, englishceramics.com, and began dealing predominantly from home through her website.
Starting from nothing, Aurea quickly built up a huge reputation for expertise in her specialities and was greatly admired and respected by her fellow dealers and clients around the world.
Following her death, a Facebook posting on the British Pottery and Porcelain Discussion Group led to an avalanche of favourable and sympathetic comments from those who knew her and worked with her.
Aurea’s enthusiasm and passion for her work were extraordinary. Despite battling her illness, she managed to update her website on September 8 and was still giving instructions to her daughters for the dispatch of goods to customers the day before she died. Aurea’s funeral will take place on Monday October 9 at midday at Christ Church, Chelsea. Friends and colleagues would be welcome to attend.
Written by Christopher Battiscombe, Aurea Carter’s brother and director general of the Society of London Art Dealers.
