A GLASS statue of Ganesh made by Daum of France is on offer for £485 at the Classic Antique Fairs at the NEC in Birmingham.
The event is pitched at attracting a new generation of British Asian collectors, as well as art lovers from India.
Daum is a famous crystal studio based in Nancy, founded in 1878 by Jean Daum (1825–1885). His sons, Auguste Daum (1853–1909) and Antonin Daum (1864–1931), oversaw its growth during the burgeoning Art Nouveau period.
Burma Ruby Ringgetty images
The elephant-headed Ganesh remains one of the most popular of the Hindu deities.
In fact, former prime minister Rishi Sunak recently confirmed he keeps a Ganesh statue on his desk to remove obstacles and bring him good luck: “When I first became a member of parliament, I took my oath of office on the Bhagvad Gita and I always had in Downing Street, both as chancellor and as prime minister, a little Ganesh on my desk.”
The glass statue at the fair, made in 1980 from “Pate de Verre glass”, is 10cm high, 4cm wide and 4.5cm in depth.
Emile Galle rare boule vase.getty images
It is being exhibited by Hickmet Fine Art, one of more than 50 dealers at the fair.
British Asians are a significant part of a wider international trend in which collectors are driving up demand for Asian antiques and art. In India, art has reflected the economic boom. Auction houses and experts in the UK have observed a “flourishing demand for East Asian and Chinese art and antiques”. This has been a notable story in the antiques market over the last decade, with prices increasing for ceramics, jade and bronzes.
Georges Lavroff Pantheregetty images
A key motivator for this trend is the desire to reclaim cultural heritage. In 2017, a consultant observed that Asian visitors, many of them UK residents, frequently attend antiques fairs specifically to acquire pieces related to their heritage.
Online marketplaces demonstrate the strong presence of Asian antiques and art in the UK market. Searches on the UK site show a wide variety of items for sale, highlighting an active trade in goods from different Asian regions, including Indian, Chinese and South-East Asian antiques.
Indian Camel Tablegetty images
Other objects at the fair likely to be of interest to Eastern Eye collectors include a rare Burma ruby ring and a snake bracelet, from T Robert, and an Indian camel table from Markies Antiques.
The “exceptional quality” ring, dating from 1908-1917, features a ruby surrounded by two diamonds and mounted in platinum. It is valued at “under £20,000”.
Ispahan Lalique Vasegetty images
The unusual 15ct gold fancy double-headed snake sapphire and diamond bracelet, valued at £5,850, dates from 1890.
The £2,850 camel table, which is 72cm high, is made from hardwood, circa 1900. There is an octagonal table with floral design atop the camel’s back and raised on a naturalistic plinth.
Osler Champagne jug and two glassesgetty images
There is also a green glass champagne jug with two goblets, dating from circa 1850 and valued at £940. The jug is 11.75 inches in height, while the goblets are 7.5 inches. They are being exhibited by Mark J West Antique Glass.
They were manufactured by Osler, glass maker of choice for the Maharajahs.
Also at the fair is a 14 inch by 5.5 inch crystal glass champagne jug, circa 1850, by Osler, with hand cut decoration and valued at £780.
Osler Glass Juggetty images
In 1807, Thomas Osler established a glassmaking firm in Birmingham, which started off by producing glass ornaments for chandeliers. Osler’s sons, Follett and Clarkson, took over the firm in 1831. The pair relocated and reorganised the business, eventually renaming it “F. & C. Osler & Co.” in 1852. In response to the growing market for luxury goods and competition with the French glass industry, the firm expanded quickly. By the mid-19th century, F. & C. Osler & Co. were widely acknowledged to be the pre-eminent makers of exceptional glass chandeliers.
The firm made a huge glass fountain for Maharajah Mahendra Singh of Patiala in 1874. It also made a suite of furniture for the Fateh Prakash Palace in Udaipur. This featured in an article by the curator Amin Jaffer in Architectural Digest in 2023.
Panthere Marchant by Pierro Palazzologetty images
The etiquette around how champagne should be drunk has changed. Some experts such as Mark West say that “in the Victorian period, champagne was drunk as a table wine, not quite as fizzy as we drink it today. Champagne jugs were often used for weddings or special occasions. The magnum decanter would have taken two bottles of champagne and been ideal for a party. The celebration given by the Corporation of London for the Prince and Princess of Wales (later King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra) at the Guildhall on 17 May 1906 had six champagne jugs with matching goblets on the top table.”
A suite of furniture for the Fateh Prakash Palace in Udaipur.getty images
Others say that “today, pouring champagne into a jug or pitcher before serving is not considered proper. The practice is generally avoided because it causes the champagne to lose its effervescence or ‘fizz’ more quickly. A significant exception is when preparing a cocktail, like a mimosa, where the loss of bubbles is expected as the champagne is mixed with juice. For most occasions, serving directly from the bottle is the standard. However, there are some nuanced situations where pouring into a vessel like a decanter is acceptable.”
Hickmet Fine Art is offering Panthêre Marchant by Pierro Palazzolo, a bronze of a walking panther with rich patina. It is signed and marked with the Meroni Radici foundry mark, c1925. Meroni Radici was the foundry used by Rembrandt Bugatti for some of his pieces.
Another piece is Panthere, 61cm in width and by Georges Lavroff from 1920. It is valued at £9,500.
Snake Braceletgetty images
There are vases depicting orchids by Emile Galle (£2,450) or Ispahan roses by Marc Lalique (£1,495), both referencing Persia from Solo Antiques.
Organisers say: “The centenary of the Art Deco movement is still with us. Many of the dealers exhibiting have some key pieces from the Art Deco period to show collectors. There is something for everyone, with pieces from the Roman period to contemporary pieces.”
John Andrews of Classic Antique Fairs, which will be held from 28-30 November, commented: “We are thrilled to offer such an exceptional and broad spectrum of pieces for the collector and the bargain hunter at the autumn fair at the NEC.”
