Clear pricing at fairs is paying off for us, says Charles Ede as ......About Charles Ede Ltd...

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  • Clearpricingatfairsispayingoffforus,saysCharlesEdeasthegallerypreparesforTEFAFNewYorkFall

    Transparencyisattractingnewclientsincludingcontemporaryartdealers,antiquitiesspecialistsreveal

    Transparencyoverpricingatfairspaysoff,saysantiquitiesdealerCharlesEdeLtdasthegalleryunveilsitstreasuresforTEFAFNewYorkFallfromOctober26toNovember1.

    “OurdeliberatepolicyoflabelingeverythingclearlyinthelocalcurrencyandmakingvisitorsfeelwelcomeonourstandsignificantlyaddedtothesuccessweenjoyedatTEFAFNewYorkSpring,”saysmanagingdirectorMartinClist.

    “Theylovedthetransparencyandmanyofthemexpressedtheirpleasureatseeingthepricesondisplay.Itmadealotofdifferencetothelengthoftimevisitorsstayedonourstandandanumberwereastonishedthatpricesforantiquitieswerenotinthemillionsofdollars.”

    Exhibitingatwhatwaslargelyacontemporaryartfairalsopaidoff,especiallycombinedwiththepricingtransparency,heexplained.

    “Wesoldtosevenoreightnewbuyers,allofthemcontemporaryartdealers,includingthosewhowerenotexhibitingatthefair.Ithinkwhatattractedtheminpartwasthatevenourmostoutstandingandexpensivepiecescomparedfavourablyinpricewithoftenfairlyordinarycontemporaryworks.”

    ThegalleryalsosoldtoanimportantUScollectorwhoitwouldotherwisenothaveseenandwasdelightedwhentwomajorUSmuseumsreservedpieces.

    Addingtothatattractionwascrossoverinterestbetweencontemporaryartandantiquities.

    “ArtistslikePicassoweresometimesinspiredbyancientworksofartanditiseasytoseehowwellantiquitiescanfitintoacontemporarysetting,”saysClist.

    Apiecethatillustratesthisclearlyisthe18cmhigh,mid6thcenturyBCterracottaGreekmodelofahorse,shownabove,thatCharlesEdewilltaketoTEFAFNYFall,pricedatjust$6,500.

  • Clist,whoseownbackgroundincludestimeatWaddingtonGalleriesandRossi&Rossi,bringsaModernandContemporaryartexpertisetothepresentationoftheworksCharlesEdesells,bothonitsstandsatfairsandinthecataloguesthatitproduces.It’sanapproachthatfitswellatfairs,whethertheheavilycontemporarybasedTEFAFNYSpringorthefineanddecorativeartthemedTEFAFNYFall.

    “Thespringshowwastiringinagoodwaybecauseitattractednewclientsandbrowsersontothestandwhodidnotknowantiquitieswellandthisinvolvedalotofexplaining,”hesays.

    “Atfirst,alotofpeopledidn’tseethepricetagsuntiltheywerepointedout,butagainwerepleasantlysurprised.It’sanimportantchangetowardsmakingpeoplefeelmoreconfidentandcomfortable,asdoesourpolicyofpricingthingsinthelocalcurrency,soAmericanscomingontothestandinNewYorkimmediatelyknowexactlywhatisbeingaskedindollars.”

    CharlesEdeworksoutaviableexchangeratebeforethefairandthenstickstoitsothereisnovolatilityresultingfromchangingratesduringthefair.

    “Doingthis,alongwithclearpricing,showsthatwedon’tputuppricesduringthefair,whichiswhatsomepeoplethinkdealersdo.Evenwiththis,wefacesomeprettycompetitivebargainingfromclientsinNewYork,butthat’sthenatureofthegame.”

    Thegallery’shighlightsfortheTEFAFNYFallfairinclude:a2nd-1stcenturyBC,15.5cmhigh,Hellenisticmarbleheadofayouth(intheregionof$220,000);an18.5cmhigh,c.600BC,EgyptianLateDynasticperiod,26thDynastybronzestatuetteofOsiris,inlaidwithcopper,silverandniello$125,000);a24cmlong,664-332BCEgyptianLateDynasticperiod,30thDynastylimestonestatueofarecumbentlion$65,000);a29cmhigh,4thcenturyBCincisedbronzeandboneEtruscanmirror$46,500);andalife-size3rdcenturyBCEtruscanterracottavotivearm$21,500),shownabove.

    “Thearmisafascinatingexampleofvotiveofferings,”explainsClist.“Objectslikethis,modeledasexternalbodyparts,wereplacedinshrinesasaprayerforacureorpreventionagainstdiseaseorinjurytothepartofthebodyrepresented.”

    FurtheroutstandingpieceswillappearinCharlesEde’sChristmascatalogue,tobereleasedsoon.

    www.charlesede.com

    Forfurtherinformation,pleasecontactIvanMacquistenativan@macq.comoron07842201292orinfo@charlesede.com

  • AboutCharlesEdeLtd

    Establishedin1971,CharlesEdeLtdisoneoftheleadinginternationaldealersinancientartfromaroundtheMediterranean.Renownedforitsthoroughresearchandprovidingdepthofprovenance,itcontinuesthetraditionofitsfounder,CharlesEde,whosoldhisfirstitemofancientartin1959.Overthepast46yearsthegalleryhasproducedmorethan300catalogues,exhibitedatsomeoftheworld'sleadingartfairs,andsoldtomanyofthegreatestmuseumsandcollectors.Afternearly45yearsonBrookStreet,amovetolargerpremisesatThreeKing'sYardinOctober2014markedanewphaseinitshistory.ThegallerycontinuesshowandpublishexceptionalobjectsfromancientEgypt,Greece,Rome,aswellastheNearEast.In2016CharlesEdeLtdhelpedreuniteanancientEgyptiantreasureintheNationalMuseumsofScotlandwithkeymissingfragments160yearsaftertheitemwasdonatedtoaScottishmuseum.Reunitingthelostfragmentswiththerestofthehighlydecoratedc.1400BCperfumeboxattheNationalMuseumsofScotlandhasconfirmeditssuspectedroyalassociationsaftermorethanacenturyofconjectureaboutitsprovenance.ItisthoughttohavebeenmadeforthegranddaughterofPharaohAmenhotepII,whoruledfromabout1427-1401BC,duringEgypt’s18thdynasty.CharlesEdeLtdisamemberofIADAA(InternationalAssociationofDealersinAncientArt);ADA(AntiquityDealersAssociation),BADA(BritishAntiqueDealersAssociation).

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