Features

Netsuke is both the singular and collective term given to the intricate miniature sculptures and wood carvings that became hugely popular in Japan, and later in Europe and North America, from the 17th century onwards.

A clue to the origins of these beautiful sculptures is contained in the etymology of the word netsuke, which is formed the characters ne 根, meaning root, and tsuke 付, which means attached. Put simply, netsuke originated as a simple device for securing belongings to the belt.

Along with arts and crafts such as wood carving, scrimshaw and ropework, the sailors woolwork is a genre of folk art popular amongst servicemen in the British Navy and Royal Marines from the mid-19th century onwards.

Alongside his contemporaries Thomas Chippendale and Thomas Sheraton, George Hepplewhite is revered as one of Britain’s finest furniture makers and designers, and yet comparatively little is known about the man himself.

Born in Paris in 1865, Gustave Loiseau escaped the confines of his parent’s butcher shop to become a leading light in the burgeoning post-Impressionist movement, embracing the ‘en plain air’ technique to capture some of the most dramatic and engaging landscapes of the era.

Terms of the Trade: Rushlight

One of the oldest and simplest forms of lighting, rushlight candles have been in common use since before the rise of the Roman Empire and continued to be used in rural parts of Britain well into the 20^th century.

Rushlights are produced by cutting the long stalks of rush plants, which grow in abundance in the UK in marshes, bogs, and wet meadows. The green peel is then skinned from the plant and the white fibrous pith hung in bunches to dry before soaking in animal fat, grease, or oil, such as rapeseed oil.

From early adversity, Dame Laura Knight became one of the most versatile, innovative, and popular artists of the 20th century, and in doing so helped redefine the status and recognition for women within the British art establishment.

Born in 1877 in the Derbyshire town of Long Eaton, Laura was the youngest of three daughters born to Charles and Charlotte Johnson. She never knew her father, a publican by trade, as her parents separated a few months after her birth.

The Friends of the BADA (British Antique Dealers’ Association) are delighted to support the purchase of a photograph by contemporary surrealist photographer Benji Reid for the Bethlem Museum of the Mind.

The museum already has a strong collection of art works by traditional artists such as Richard Dadd, Louis Wain and Jonathan Martin. However, the museum was weak in representing the lives and experiences of the black British community.

Although his tragically short career would last for only 12 years, Italian artist Rembrandt Bugatti has become recognised as one of the world’s finest and most gifted animalier sculptors.

Born in Milan in 1884 to an artistic family, Rembrandt was the younger son of Carlo Bugatti, an interior decorator, jewellery designer and manufacturer of Art Nouveau furniture, and his wife Teresa Lorioli.

From relatively humble origins, Thomas Chippendale became the most famous British furniture-maker of the 18th century. Patronised by royalty, gentry and countless public figures, his designs graced many of the finest houses both in Europe and America.

Born in the village of Otley, West Yorkshire in 1718, Thomas Chippendale was the only child of John and Mary Chippendale. The Chippendale Family had been carpenters in the timber trade for generations and John, a joiner, is thought to have trained young Thomas in the trade.

Terms of the Trade: Settle

Constructed in multiple forms and sizes, the settle is collective term used to describe a hardwood bench, usually built with arms and a high back, and designed to accommodate three or four sitters.

The form is thought to date from the 12th century with the high back design favoured as a means of protecting the sitter from unwanted chills common in draughty medieval buildings.

The British Antique Dealers’ Association (BADA) is delighted to announce the appointment of Ashley Gallant as the Association’s Managing Director.

Ashley brings a wealth of relevant experience to the role having spent eight years as Business Development Manager and Financial Controller with world renowned Asian art dealers Sydney L Moss. Having completed her law degree during this time, the role saw her take the lead on key issues such as the company’s preparations for Brexit, Anti-Money Laundering, and the Ivory Act.

The origins of the celebrated French jewellery Maison Van Cleef & Arpels begin with the marriage of Alfred Van Cleef to Esther Arpels in 1895.

The Van Cleefs, originally from Amsterdam, were diamond cutters by trade, whilst Esther’s father Salomon had established himself as a jewellery dealer after moving his family from Ghent in Belgium to Paris in the 1860s.