Features

John is an internationally recognized authority on 18th and 19th century British pottery, and a previous Chairman of CADA. He is always looking for pieces with that “extra special something” and strives to select the best and often the rarest, with a discerning eye based on 40 years' knowledge and experience. John enjoys collaborating with customers on their collections and working with interior decorators and institutions such as the British Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Porphyry is an igneous stone with large crystals such as quartz. The word ‘porphyry’ is from Ancient Greek and means ‘purple’, referring to the colour of the stone. Purple was the colour of royalty, and ‘imperial porphyry’ was a deep purple rock with large crystals. Some authors claimed that the rock was the hardest rock known to antiquity. Imperial grade porphyry was used for monuments and buildings in Imperial Rome.

Wick Antiques was established by Charles Wallrock in the early 1980s. Having grown up in the Antiques world, Charles developed an extensive wealth of knowledge. He was later joined by his wife, Caroline Wallrock. Caroline having completed a Persian degree, went on to study at Christie’s fine art and then joined Sotheby’s specializing in Islamic and Japanese works of art, as well as taking the occasional auction.

They are preparing to open their new showroom on April 12th, featured in this promotional video.

Pietra dura, or pietre dure, is an inlay technique using cut stones to create images. The stones are often highly polished and colourful, and include marbles, semiprecious and sometimes even precious stones. The work is loosely assembled and glued together piece by piece, so that the contact between each stone type is an invisible join. In antique items, stability was achieved by grooving the underside of stones to make them interlock, and then the work was contained carefully within a ‘frame’.

In the fifth of our series of videos showcasing the broad membership of the BADA, Kevin Page of Kevin Page Oriental Art gives us an introduction to the spectacular workmanship of the Japanese master craftsmen of the Meiji era, with a special focus on an intricate bronze basket of seafood and a special appearance by an articulated lobster.

David Isaac, Director of Isaac and Ede, has been working with antiquarian prints for over thirty years. His gallery is based in London and he exhibits at art and antiques shows both in London and overseas. David takes great pride in advising his clients, both private and corporate, on the acquisition, presentation and preservation of individual antiquarian prints and larger collections.

“I'm BADA born and bred, based in Kensington and a purveyor of fine prints.”

What was the first antique you bought for yourself personally? Why?

In the third of our new series of videos showcasing the broad membership of the BADA, Ed Horswell of The Sladmore Gallery and Sladmore Contemporary gives us an introduction to the evolution of equine sculpture over the ages.

Ed Horswell has also written a beautiful book, Les Animaliers, showcasing the work of the 40 artists at the forefront of the Animalier movement between 1900 and 1950. Order a copy here.