25 August 2015
Since the publication on 29 July in Washington of the Fish & Wildlife Service’s ‘Rule’ setting out proposed amendments to the Endangered Species Act, auction houses, collectors, dealers, and museums in the States have been considering and progressing their responses. The clock is ticking down on the 60-day window allowed for written arguments.
Read More...26 July 2015
Make no mistake: the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) is faced with a tough task. It must, among many other responsibilities, implement universally supported government policy on the conservation of endangered species. With regard to Director’s Order 210, first issued in February last year, its role is to contribute to the elimination of the illicit trade in poached ivory. It has been evident for the past eighteen months that this quest has been sweeping up in its wake the trade in world-class works of art made from or incorporating ivory.
Read More...18 July 2015
On 15 July, Senators Steve Daines [R-MT] and Lamar Alexander [R-TN] introduced into Congress a wide-ranging Bill aimed at halting the over-regulation of ‘legal ivory’. If adopted the Bill would specifically end what is, in effect, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s unilateral ban on the import of lawfully possessed ivory. Impediments to internal trade and legitimate ownership would also be overturned. Equally, the Bill would lead to significant efforts being funded to assist anti-poaching efforts in countries with at risk elephant populations.
Read More...14 July 2015
Sybella Bullock was a daughter of the entrepreneur and showman William Bullock (1773-1849), and the niece of the sculptor, designer and cabinet maker George Bullock (1782/83-1818). Such little information as is known of Sybella Bullock’s life can be gleaned…
Read More...3 July 2015
As July begins, it finally feels like summer. The art market is entering its end-of-season phase, but here in London, at least, things will remain active for several more weeks. In what a modernist architect perceptively described to me as…
Read More...22 June 2015
Masterpiece looks set, once again, to achieve its ambition of presenting a luscious array of luxurious objects to lighten the chill of a London summer. The weekend saw a building site being transformed into a glamorous shop window for works…
Read More...2 June 2015
In the middle of last week we received a pallet-load of cartons containing the latest edition of our annual publication Furniture and Works of Art; it is ‘sage green’ this year, for those who always refer to these by the…
Read More...26 May 2015
As June approaches, the traditional art market in London will once again be centre stage. We are about to send out the 2015 edition of our annual catalogue Furniture and Works of Art. This year we include a cup and…
Read More...15 May 2015
In circumstances that are beyond ridiculous, I recently lost my BlackBerry somewhere between New York and Chicago. So, following years of lobbying by Clive Wilson (responsible for this website) I have been persuaded to move on to an iPhone. I…
Read More...21 April 2015
Mirror Back, French (possibly Paris), 1350-75. Metropolitan Museum of Art There are still no signs of a pragmatic dialogue on the impact of Director’s Order 210 (February 2014) breaking out in the public arena. The fact that there are ‘sides’…
Read More...18 April 2015
In 1996, the Decorative Arts Society Journal (20) published Martin Levy, ‘Some Silver by John Hardman & Co for Charles Lygon Cocks’ (pp. 1-10). The article discusses silver supplied to various members of the Cocks family, and in depth a…
Read More...9 March 2015
We left London in a somewhat relaxed mood, after breakfast at the incomparable Little Bread Pedlar, but then our Eurotunnel crossing was delayed. Some two hours later than scheduled, however, we arrived in the MECC to find that the indefatigable…
Read More...15 March 2015
Creating stands for art fairs never loses its appeal. Each March, by the time ‘Maastricht’ comes around, we will have spent the previous twelve months or more gathering together a group of fresh objects that we can present in a…
Read More...5 February 2015
A bipartisan bill was introduced into the House of Representatives yesterday to protect lawful ivory possession. ‘… the legislation, the African Elephant Conservation and Legal Ivory Possesion Act of 2015, would effectively end the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s unilateral…
Read More...1 February 2015
The Winter Antiques Show (WAS) drew to a close on Sunday evening. The fair has been a huge pleasure: well organised, well attended, and active. The atmosphere between the exhibitors is collegial, with constant conversation and laughter. Business was done…
Read More...20 January 2015
Sunday was one of those New York days when to be out on the streets was to be soaked to the skin. It just rained and rained. Still, having enjoyed a couple of rewarding hours at the Blind Pig, it…
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