World-famous celebrities were among the 32,000 visitors who flocked to the Olympia International Fine Art and Antiques Fair that finished on Sunday 19th June. Collectors, trade and international museum curators hot footed their way through the fair to get their hands on the finest art and antiques on offer from the 150 assembled dealers.
What drew the crowds this year?
Fossil Decor exhibited an extraordinary mammoth’s tusk over 10 feet long and around 10,000 years old. With an exciting range of fossils and minerals, their stand included the oldest item in the fair, a 4.5 billion year old iron meteorite created when the world first began.
Topically coinciding with June's famous Royal Ascot we found from The Barbara Stanley Gallery ‘Ladies Day, Ascot 2010’, a painting by contemporary artist Sherree Valentine-Daines. With a great ability to capture the spirit of sporting events, Valentine-Daines captures the social scene of Ascot with vivacity and verve.
‘LAPADA Object of the Year’ 2011 was announced at the fair. Joint first prize winner was a contemporary aluminium table with a ‘floating’ glass surface, designed by artist Daniel Rohr in 2009, and submitted by works of art dealer Peter Petrou.
A truly exceptional example of its kind, a mid 15th century dug-out chest was found at James Brett Ltd‘s stand. A huge log cut to amazing thinness, it had two receptacles and was originally set into the stonework of the church at Wolverley. With nine iron locks the chest would have been used to keep collection money and church valuables within it.
From Beedham Antiques Ltd stand we had a late Elizabethan Tester Bed from a prominent workshop in the city of Exeter and dating from around 1590. Loaded with decorative carving and ornamental devices, these were the most impressive beds of the 16th and 17th century.
Working in association with our new launch Olympia Contemporary, LAPADA Modern showcased a selection of pieces from some of their most established contemporary and modern dealers, including two stunning copper peacock blue vases made by Toru Kaneko in 2010. The richness and vitality of the colour comes from the process of dipping the vases in ammonia, which then reacts with the metal meaning that it will never fade, tarnish or change colour.
