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NEWS All the latest EASTERN PROMISE A new book, Japan: Courts and Culture, has been released to accompany an exhibition of the same name at The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, at a date to be confirmed. The book recounts three centuries of diplomatic, artistic and cultural exchange between Britain and Japan. Highlights include samurai armour sent by Shōgun Tokugawa Hidetada to James I. Japan: Courts and Culture, published by Royal Collection Trust is priced £35 at www.rct.uk/ shop Above Iwai Yozaemon, armour, c.1610. Sent to James I by Shogun Tokugawa Hidetada in 1613. Royal Collection Trust / ©Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2020 Below Kyoto (porcelain), 1700-75. Probably acquired by George IV. Royal Collection Trust / ©Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2020 Gran’s the word Just when you thought minimalism would never die, a new interior trend appears – based on the design aesthetic of your grandmother’s living room. Known as ‘grandmillennial’ style, it is the antidote to mid-century modern and sees a return to chintz. Designer Kevin Isbell, said: “Each generation rebels Quick fire questions with... PHILIP MAGGS, THE NEW HEAD OF FINE ART AT SUSSEX AUCTIONEERS JOHN NICHOLSON’S How did you start in the trade? Working as a porter in a saleroom during university holidays – believe it or not at John Nicholson’s. I then spent more than 20 years as the buyer and agent for two international art galleries specialising in British and European paintings from the 18th-20th century, before returning to where it all began in Sussex.. Your most exciting find? A post-impressionist work by Jelka Rosen (18681935), a German artist and the wife of the composer Frederick Delius. Although she was not a full-time artist she was a close friend of Paul Gauguin and many other prominent painters of the time. When I first viewed the painting I wasn’t sure who it was by, but the quality was striking and after much research I established it to be her. The scene was of the countryside around Grez-sur-Loing, near Fontainebleau, where she lived with Delius. against the previous one, so the millennials who are now furnishing their homes are rebelling against their parents’ style.” Raised on IKEA and bare floorboards, this generation is looking to the cluttered rooms of previous eras for inspiration, he added. In the new look toile, chintz, plaid curtains and heavy upholstery feature strongly, alongside ruffles, pleats, and fringes. It’s great news for collectors. As has been predicted in this magazine, any resurgence in traditional interiors will spark a boom in value-formoney antique furniture. Left Return to the ‘80s, The Home of an Eccentric Man wallpaper by Mind the Gap Below Pachamama coral wallpaper and peach fringed lampshade by Tatie Lou Who is your favourite artist (we’ve heard of)? John Constable (1776-1837). After much research I have built up a real picture of who he was. Your favourite artist (we haven’t heard of)? The Finnish artist Akseli Gallen-Kallela (1865-1931). The National Gallery’s exhibition of his work a couple of years ago featured his paintings of Lake Keitele. He was fascinated by the landscape of his native country and, in 1904, he spent the summer by Lake Keitele, in central Finland, painting its scenic shores bathed in northern light. Do you collect anything/ anyone? Scandinavian paintings from the early 20th century. What would be your ideal Sussex find? An Ivon Hitchens’ (1893-1979) view near Petworth (the Sussex village he moved to after his London home was bombed in 1940), or a Constable sketch of Fittleworth. At one point Suffol k-born Constable lived in Brighton, producing many works while he was in the Petworth area, including locations around Fittleworth. His Fittleworth sketchbooks are in the V&A. I could happily live with either the Hitchens or the Constable. 8 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
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CSI MIDLANDS A series of lockdown-inspired webinars, including one by an award-winning forensic jeweller, is continuing at a Birmingham auction house. Fellows Auctioneers is hosting the online sessions, which have previously included a presentation by Dr Maria Maclennan Ph.D. on how jewellery can assist crime and disaster investigations. The webinair explored how gemstones and precious metals’ ability to withstand high temperature, extreme impact and immersion in water, allows them to provide essential pointers following an air crash or natural disaster. High-end timepieces have serial numbers, allowing their owners to be traced or identified. Others in the hour-long series have included a zoom presentation on arts and crafts buildings by the architectural historian and consultant Oliver Gerrish and a talk on the history of horology by watchmaker Dr Rebecca Struthers. Meanwhile saleroom staff donned their own forensic outfits as they made saleroom viewings safe for members of the public. MD, Stephen Whittaker, said: “All employees now wear gloves and mask with stocks in place to provide them for all our visiting customers.” The webinars are available to buy for £3, email hello@fellows.co.uk for more details or visit www.fellows.co.uk Above Staff don their own protective outfits Below Dr Maria Maclennan, image Alan Richardson courtesy The Times Smoking hot The artist Walter Sickert’s (1860-1942) role in teaching Winston Churchill to paint is explored in a pair of letters on sale from Peter Harrington Rare Books. Churchill met Sickert in 1927 through his wife Clementine, whose family had first encountered the painter when wintering in Dieppe in 1900. Sickert advised Churchill on art styles and, during a stay at Chartwell in 1927, shared his en camaïeu technique, (painting using layers of colour), which the artist later used on a portrait of the politician. Sickert also taught Churchill the panafieu technique of painting over a black and white photographic image projected on canvas. A signed two-page letter to Sickert written by Churchill at his Chartwell home, dated September 20, 1927 and a two-page letter of condolence from Above Range Rovers will also feature at the two-day Land Rover show Clementine to the artist’s widow Thérèse, written on Downing Street stationery and dated January 24, 1942 are priced £17,500 from the London dealer. e, Above right Sickert’s 1927 portrait of his friend Winston Churchill using the en camaieu technique Above The letter from Winston Churchill to the artist Walter Sickert ROVERS’ RETURN A rescheduled event to mark the 50th-anniversary of the Range Rover takes place this month at the British Motor Museum on August 1-2. The Gaydon Land Rover Show celebrates half a century of the iconic marque, with displays of the car’s development over four generations and technical talks in the museum workshop. Examples will include 1970 Velars, special anniversary models, limitededition cars and an emergency vehicle collection. Get more details at www. britishmotormuseum.co.uk Badge of honour Captain Tom, the former British Army officer who raised more than £30m for the NHS in the run-up to his 100th birthday, is now able to wear all his medals together. While Sir Tom was recently reunited with his previously lost Defence medal, he was not able to wear it alongside his other WWII gongs until a London auction house stepped in. Spink’s medal specialist Robert Wilde-Evans arranged for his medals to be re-mounted, adding the Defence medal in its correct position between the Burma Star and War medal. The style of mounting was also changed from ‘ordinary’ to ‘court’. The latter is worn by soldiers of the Yorkshire Regiment, the present-day descendants of Captain Tom’s former unit, the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment. Above Spink also remounted Sir Tom’s miniature medals adding the Knight Bachelor’s Badge ANTIQUE COLLECTING 9

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NEWS All the latest

EASTERN PROMISE A new book, Japan: Courts and Culture, has been released to accompany an exhibition of the same name at The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, at a date to be confirmed.

The book recounts three centuries of diplomatic, artistic and cultural exchange between Britain and Japan. Highlights include samurai armour sent by Shōgun Tokugawa Hidetada to James I.

Japan: Courts and Culture, published by Royal Collection Trust is priced £35 at www.rct.uk/ shop

Above Iwai Yozaemon, armour, c.1610. Sent to James I by Shogun Tokugawa Hidetada in 1613. Royal Collection Trust / ©Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2020

Below Kyoto (porcelain), 1700-75. Probably acquired by George IV. Royal Collection Trust / ©Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2020

Gran’s the word Just when you thought minimalism would never die, a new interior trend appears – based on the design aesthetic of your grandmother’s living room.

Known as ‘grandmillennial’ style, it is the antidote to mid-century modern and sees a return to chintz.

Designer Kevin Isbell, said: “Each generation rebels

Quick fire questions with... PHILIP MAGGS, THE NEW HEAD OF FINE ART AT SUSSEX AUCTIONEERS JOHN NICHOLSON’S How did you start in the trade? Working as a porter in a saleroom during university holidays – believe it or not at John Nicholson’s. I then spent more than 20 years as the buyer and agent for two international art galleries specialising in British and European paintings from the 18th-20th century, before returning to where it all began in Sussex..

Your most exciting find? A post-impressionist work by Jelka Rosen (18681935), a German artist and the wife of the composer Frederick Delius. Although she was not a full-time artist she was a close friend of Paul Gauguin and many other prominent painters of the time.

When I first viewed the painting I wasn’t sure who it was by, but the quality was striking and after much research I established it to be her. The scene was of the countryside around Grez-sur-Loing, near Fontainebleau, where she lived with Delius.

against the previous one, so the millennials who are now furnishing their homes are rebelling against their parents’ style.”

Raised on IKEA and bare floorboards, this generation is looking to the cluttered rooms of previous eras for inspiration, he added.

In the new look toile, chintz, plaid curtains and heavy upholstery feature strongly, alongside ruffles, pleats, and fringes.

It’s great news for collectors. As has been predicted in this magazine, any resurgence in traditional interiors will spark a boom in value-formoney antique furniture.

Left Return to the ‘80s, The Home of an Eccentric Man wallpaper by Mind the Gap

Below Pachamama coral wallpaper and peach fringed lampshade by Tatie Lou

Who is your favourite artist (we’ve heard of)? John Constable (1776-1837). After much research I have built up a real picture of who he was.

Your favourite artist (we haven’t heard of)? The Finnish artist Akseli Gallen-Kallela (1865-1931). The National Gallery’s exhibition of his work a couple of years ago featured his paintings of Lake Keitele. He was fascinated by the landscape of his native country and, in 1904, he spent the summer by Lake Keitele, in central Finland, painting its scenic shores bathed in northern light.

Do you collect anything/ anyone? Scandinavian paintings from the early 20th century.

What would be your ideal Sussex find? An Ivon Hitchens’ (1893-1979) view near Petworth (the Sussex village he moved to after his London home was bombed in 1940), or a Constable sketch of Fittleworth.

At one point Suffol k-born Constable lived in Brighton, producing many works while he was in the Petworth area, including locations around Fittleworth. His Fittleworth sketchbooks are in the V&A. I could happily live with either the Hitchens or the Constable.

8 ANTIQUE COLLECTING

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